Beneath the Surface: How Meditation Transformed My Life
Jaipur, India
“The goal of the practice is less about the practice, the practice is to change the way you are in the world. It’s a practice for life. The changes that come in the mediation are to help your reaction in the real world.”
- Rick Rubin
"Meditation: taking responsibility to transform yourself.”
- Osho
Meditation stands as the single most transformative tool that has shaped my life for the better. It is truly an effective practice for those seeking alignment with their highest self, and for me, it's my greatest passion. Here, I share the journey I've taken, what I’ve learned, my specific technique: Ziva, the incredible benefits, why it's a non-negotiable part of my daily routine and resources if you want to explore further and do it too. My hope is to educate those who are curious, because I truly believe that if more people were open to a consistent practice, even to just some meditation at all, our world would be a brighter, more harmonious place. To the hesitant, the doubtful, the skeptics—much like I once was—this post is dedicated to you.
The Journey
My journey into meditation began amidst a tumultuous time in my life. In 2016, during my sister's wedding celebration in Lake Tahoe, my father fell critically ill. Over the next month as we navigated through hospitals and heartache, my mother and I found solace in a podcast called Neon Radio with Nick Onken. It was during this challenging period that the concept of meditation first took root.
After my Dad’s health gradually improved, I returned to the hustle and bustle of New York City. However, I found myself overwhelmed by work-related stress, anxiety, a toxic boyfriend, and the physical toll of 3 consecutive Ulcers. In order to keep up with the pace of city life, I fell into a nasty cycle of excessive caffine, cigarettes, Xanax and Ambian, teetering on the brink of physical and emotional collapse. This downward spiral culminated in a pivotal moment—a wake-up call demanding change.
At this juncture, my Mom was inspired by an episode about meditation she heard from Nick’s Neon Radio podcast, the one that had previously provided us comfort, and she encouraged me to explore this ancient practice. Skeptical yet desperate for a lifeline, I attended a meditation talk in NYC led by Nick’s podcast guest Emily Fletcher, the visionary behind Ziva Meditation. What I encountered was not a sales pitch but rather a profound full body yes —a calling to embark on a life-long journey of self-discovery and high vibration. Emily's angelic presence, vast knowledge, passion, and conviction were so utterly compelling that I trusted her and became fully committed to her program. She truly is the real deal holy field leader in the meditation space and this was the turning point that would change everything and alter the course of my life.
The Ziva Technique
Ziva Meditation was offering a live in person course spanning 4 consecutive days, drawing in high performers from various backgrounds seeking respite from busy schedules, busy minds and the demands of modern life. This beautiful experience equips participants with extremely powerful tools to navigate life's challenges with resilience, enhance daily well-being, and discover how to consciously create a fulfilling life via the 3 M’s: Mindfulness, Manifestation and Meditation. This program taught me the power of the pause and the fascinating impact that has on your brain and life longevity.
The practice involves two 22-minute sessions per day—ideally first thing in the morning and again before dinner and any alcohol consumption. Scientifically, 44 minutes is the optimum duration of time per day and adjacent to what some know as TM (Transcendental Meditation). With now nearly 8 years of consistent experience with this technique, I can attest to its transformative impact.
Of note, the course includes lifetime access to its evolving content and community, allowing participants to revisit and reinforce their practice. Personally, I’ve retaken the course and engaged in live group and global meditations consistently and countless times. I always learn something new and it never gets old. What sets Ziva apart is its power and versatility; it can be practiced anywhere, amidst any distractions (I'm trained to meditate in the middle of a Times Square no problem), making it highly flexible and accessible. Really important for you to know: there is no skill involved and anyone, can do it. The hardest part is carving out the time and getting your ass to the chair but there is also an amazingly supportive community to help you get there. Once you feel how real the benefits are, committing to a twice a day practice becomes so much easier, it becomes on autopilot and you will literally not want to skip a meditation ever. Because it’s more expensive not to meditate! My friends and family all know that it doesn’t matter if we are at Coachella, Snowboarding or on vacation, wherever we are, I will be finding time to meditate.
The Benefits
Following an inevitable period of “unstressing”, I experienced remarkable changes within weeks of starting my practice. Those who knew me before and after meditation would attest. I've since significantly reduced dependence on prescription medication, smoking and curbed excessive coffee consumption all thanks to the profound effects of this technique. By alleviating stress at a cellular level, the Ziva Technique and a true meditation practice in general can offer:
✨ Deeper, more efficient sleep
✨ Way more energy & productivity
✨ Dramatically reduced stress, anxiety & overwhelm
✨ Improved immune function
✨ Better focus, attention & memory
✨ Better sex
✨ A radically joyful and purposeful life
Additionally, beyond these physical benefits, meditation can fundamentally change the way you approach daily challenges and demands:
✨ Better Leadership: According to Harvard Business Review magazine, meditation puts you in the right mindset for delivering an important critical presentation, running a demanding contentious meeting or making high-stakes strategic decisions
✨Creative Problem-Solving: The Ziva Technique strengthens the bond between the left and right hemispheres of your brain, so when you’re in a high-pressure meeting or an argument with your partner, you’ll have unprecedented access to creative solutions on the spot
✨Negotiation Skills: Studies show that meditators have high emotional intelligence, making them better equipped to pick up on subtleties and successfully navigate difficult conversations. This super power helps you understand (and utilize) what’s important for the other party in a negotiation
✨Entrepreneurial Skills: According to INC magazine, meditation helps entrepreneurs maintain high energy during the day and provides the emotional stability they need to become more resourceful in business
✨Look and Feel Younger: In a study by the UCLA Brain Mapping Center, meditation staved off some of the normal cognitive decline that comes with aging. Meditation also reverses your body age (based on stress, happiness, blood pressure, etc.) by up to eight years, making meditators not only feel younger but actually look younger as well
✨Live Longer: Nobel Prize-winning scientist Elizabeth Blackburn’s research suggests that meditation strengthens your telomeres (which keep your DNA from unraveling), leading to a healthier body and a longer lifespan
✨Quality of Relationships: Meditation boosts your emotional intelligence promoting better relationships both romantically and platonically. Plus, the quality of your sex life will skyrocket
I’ve personally felt all of this on a deep level and can say that the way in which I overall operate is in a more flowy and attuned to self state. I am so not saying that life is totally perfect but I am much better equipped to deal with stress and am convinced I have more adaptation energy than non-meditators. I have since helped organizations incorporate meditation into employee wellness programs as well as become a Ziva accountability partner. I wouldn't trade this in for any material thing.
From Inner Peace to World Peace
Lastly, one thing I truly believe in my heart is with all the fucked up shit happening on the planet, inner peace is the pathway to world peace. Inner peace is a state of acceptance, calm and happiness. One of the great ways to possess this kind of tranquility in your character is the practice of cultivating it through meditation. People with clean internal houses don’t go violently shooting up other people. If we want to have inner peace, start with ourselves and spread it out, it’s contagious.
Peace begins within an individual, it expands to family, neighbors and to the larger society and wider world. But we can’t share something which we do not have, if we don’t know, we can’t teach something. Before we prepare to spread harmony to the world, finding it in our own minds is the first thing we should do. By observing with compassion and realizing all beings on earth are interdependent, we can eventually be free of suffering originating from fear, anger and selfishness. Through coexistence, we can upgrade our minds by becoming more open minded, fostering mutual respect and greater collaboration. In our daily lives, we should recognize the importance of doing good things, saying good words and having good thoughts. Help yourself practice inner peace, bring out those energies to the world.
My hope is that by openly sharing my journey, I can inspire others to lean into their own path of self-discovery be it through meditation or any other positive way. If this peaks your interest to explore further, I've outlined some resources for ya'll below.
Namaste!
Resources
Ziva: www.zivameditation.com
Transcendal Meditation: https://us.tm.org/
Headspace: Known for its user-friendly interface and structured meditation programs, Headspace offers guided meditations for various purposes like stress reduction, better sleep, and improved focus
Calm: Calm provides a wide range of guided meditations, sleep stories, breathing exercises, and relaxing music. It's popular for its soothing content and customizable meditation sessions
Insight Timer: Insight Timer offers a vast library of free guided meditations from different teachers and traditions. It also includes features like customizable meditation timers and a supportive community
Mindfulness App: This app provides guided meditations, mindfulness exercises, and courses led by experts in the field. It covers various topics like stress reduction, sleep improvement, and personal growth
10% Happier: Founded by Dan Harris, a journalist and meditation advocate, 10% Happier offers meditation courses, guided sessions, and talks from renowned meditation teachers
Shanthi Nikethanaya Buddhist Center: an LA based meditation, yoga and healing center that offers classes and Dharma talks
Hsi Lai Temple: the largest Buddhist temple in the West based in LA that offers donation based in person Meditation classes and Silent Retreats. Their Silent Retreat is an incredibly wholesome experience, I’ll dedicate a whole blog post to it later
Meditation Mount: Ojai based meditation center. The Mission of Meditation Mount is to promote the building of an enlightened and compassionate world through the power of Creative Meditation, inspirational educational programs, and community-based events focused on the practical application of the six Universal Spiritual Principles & Pathways
OSHO: a world reknowned International Meditation Resort based in India that also offers online classes
