Shannon McLain

Dr. Shannon (Shaelyn) McLain holds a PhD and master's degree in mind-body medicine from Saybrook University's College of Integrative Medicine and Health Sciences (CIMHS), where she currently serves as a professor and core faculty member in the department of mind-body medicine (MBM). She also carries two certificates from Saybrook: integrative wellness coaching (IWC) and integrative and functional nutrition (IFN). Dr. McLain served as a post-doctoral teaching fellow with Saybrook post-graduation, which included peer mentoring and facilitating the Mind-Body-Spirit Integration (MBSI) seminar at the residential conferences, both in-person and virtually. Additionally, Shaelyn has completed the professional training program through the Center for Mind-Body Medicine, located in Washington, DC. Her academic journey has been marked by meaningful contributions to integrative health education, including co-founding Saybrook's Houston-based MBM Satellite program and collaborating with Baylor College of Medicine and the University of Texas McGovern. Through these partnerships, she trained medical students in mindfulness and stress management, a cornerstone of her dissertation research.

As a scholar, researcher, and practitioner, her mission is to educate on the transformative potential of MBM as a leading integrative and biopsychosocial approach to health and wellness. Dr. McLain's work bridges academic rigor, clinical practice, and community engagement, with a particular focus on deep embodiment, nervous system repair, and applications of mind-body medicine for supporting individuals in their journey toward greater resilience and optimal well-being.

Beyond academia, Dr. McLain has served as a mind-body specialist and head of health coaching for Aila Health, a virtual healthcare platform dedicated to supporting individuals living with chronic illness and autoimmune conditions. With over a decade of experience in the wellness industry, Dr. McLain brings a deep passion for creative expression and trauma-informed somatic embodiment to her teaching and practice. She is also a certified yoga instructor specializing in Hatha vinyasa yoga with an emphasis on myofascial release, intentional alignment, and the connection between mind and body. Additionally, she is a mindfulness-based leadership practitioner and certified sound healer.

Rooted in the high desert of Reno, Nevada, the ancestral lands of the Paiute, Shoshone, and Washoe Tribes, Dr. McLain draws inspiration from the natural world. Outside her professional pursuits, she finds rejuvenation through international travel, hiking, forest bathing, plant medicine, and the Hindu devotional chanting practice of Kirtan. Her embodiment practices are an extension of her personal philosophy: fostering connection--between people, nature, and the deeper self--is essential for healing and growth.

RESEARCH INTERESTS:

- Yoga and somatic embodiment practices as pathways to health, resilience, and self-awareness

- Mindfulness-based leadership and wellness coaching for personal and professional growth

- Applications of mind-body medicine for autoimmune disease and chronic illness

- Nervous system repair and resilience training to promote balance and recovery from chronic stress / biopsychosocial impact of stress on autonomic nervous system functioning and its implications for health outcomes

- Examining the interconnectedness of spirituality and health

- Biopsychosocial impact of stress on autonomic nervous system functioning

- Psychophysiological effects of stress management on well-being for medical students

- Mind-body-spirit effects of forest medicine/Shinrin-yoko/nature therapy on health

- Design and implementation of mindfulness-based interventions for well-being

- Mindfulness-based leadership