Dr. Mitch Abrams: Open Heart Surgery, Coherence & Heart-Centered Medicine
"Doctor became patient, that was a real turning point."
"It's time that we take the best of the West and weave it with the ancient wisdom of the inner experience."
"There's no pill. There's no external device. This is our birthright. It's within us to experience from the inside out."
"To divide is to conquer."
Radiologist and Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, Dr. Mitch Abrams joins Annie Wenmiao Yu to share how a diagnosis of hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy and open heart surgery transformed him from a burned-out physician into a pioneer of heart-centered, holistic medicine. He explains the science of coherence, heart rate variability, the autonomic nervous system, and quantum entanglement, and how his Global Heart Sync project and RADD art initiative are bridging Western science with ancient Eastern wisdom. The conversation explores burnout, the mental health epidemic among doctors, and practical tools young professionals can use to heal from the inside out.
What you'll learn
- A health crisis can act as a reset that forces you to question your identity, purpose, and definition of success beyond external achievement.
- Coherence, when the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems come into balance, can be cultivated through practice, and measured via heart rate variability.
- Practicing heart coherence for as little as 20 minutes a day can structurally change your brain and body over time.
- Burnout and a mental health epidemic affect physicians too, with suicide rates higher among doctors than the communities they serve.
- Self-care can create real-world social impact through platforms like Global Heart Sync that channel collective coherence into community programs.
- Connecting with your heart builds inner agency and protects you from manipulative narratives competing for your attention.
Key moments from the conversation
From Doctor to Patient
Dr. Abrams describes how his 2010 open heart surgery for a congenital heart condition threw him off the 'hamster wheel' of a burned-out medical career and forced him to confront his identity, mortality, and purpose.
Music as a Healing Catalyst
Buying his first guitar days before learning he needed surgery opened something within him, helping him connect to his 'energetic heart' and venture beyond conventional medicine.
The Science of Coherence
He explains how balancing the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems creates coherence, how it is measured through heart rate variability, and how it can be synchronized between people for collective well-being.
Mandalas in the Hospital
A simple 45-minute wellness session with coloring mandalas transformed the vibe of his radiology department, spreading to patients, therapists, and other hospital teams as a therapeutic tool.
Bridging East and West
Drawing on his time in India and his radiology background, Dr. Abrams weaves ancient wisdom with quantum physics, arguing that science and spirituality are 'one circle' rather than opposite ends of a spectrum.
Frequently asked questions
What is heart coherence and how do you measure it?
Heart coherence is a state where the sympathetic and parasympathetic arms of the autonomic nervous system come into balance and feed into each other efficiently. It is measured through heart rate variability, the interbeat intervals of your heartbeat, which reflects your emotional state and overall physiological health. Apps and heart monitors can track it, with some showing your coherence in real time.
How can young professionals start connecting with their heart?
Dr. Abrams suggests cultivating coherence through daily practice, even just 20 minutes a day. This can include walking in nature, contemplative listening to how the body feels, guided heart coherence meditations, or using biofeedback tools. The key is consistent experiential practice rather than only intellectual understanding.
Why are doctors experiencing burnout and a mental health crisis?
Dr. Abrams describes the healthcare model as an industrialized 'production factory' focused on quantity over quality of care. This disconnect, combined with chronic stress, contributes to burnout. Research shows suicide rates are higher among doctors than the communities they serve, making physician well-being an urgent priority.
What is the Global Heart Sync project?
Global Heart Sync is a not-for-profit platform that gamifies the science of heart coherence. Members receive a toolkit, learn a 'laser protocol' to cultivate coherence, and use a free phone app that measures heart rate variability in real time through the camera. Points earned feed into a global pool that unlocks corporate sponsorships for mental health and resilience programs in communities and schools.
Is the science of coherence and connection legitimate?
Dr. Abrams points to measurable evidence including heart rate variability, functional MRI studies, and the 2022 Nobel Prize in Physics, which experimentally confirmed quantum entanglement and non-locality. He argues that as an energetic being, much of what once seemed 'woo-woo' is increasingly supported by modern medical and physical science.
Who is Mitchell Abrams?
Mitchell Abrams
Physician/CEO
Dr. Mitch Abrams is a radiologist and Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, and the founder of NextGen Health. Following a diagnosis of hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy and open heart surgery in 2010, he shifted his focus toward holistic, heart-centered medicine, studying healing practices in India and bridging Western science with ancient wisdom. He leads initiatives including the RADD art project and the Global Heart Sync platform, which gamify the science of heart coherence to support mental health and well-being.
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