When I first met Emily, we were both lecturing at an event in Greece. She was telling me about her meditation practice, and in the back of my mind I was thinking, Oh, sure. I studied Zen Buddhism. I’ve gone on retreats. I’ve meditated for twelve hours a day. I’ve also been a yoga teacher and still do yoga all the time. I have plenty of health hacks in my tool kit. I felt like I already had my stress under control, but I was intrigued by what she had to say.
The more I listened to Emily, the more I realized that she was talking about something else—something deeper, more powerful, and potentially life-changing. What really got my attention was the way she kept talking about doing less while accomplishing more.
Of course, the idea of adding yet another demand on my time—even just fifteen minutes twice a day—seemed crazy. Life keeps me extremely busy: In addition to being a practicing physician, author, and parent, I give lectures and am a regular medical contributor on many television shows. Squeezing more into my daily schedule seemed impossible.
But Emily made a compelling case. I agreed to try meditating with her while we were in Greece, and I was shocked when I realized just how different this form of meditation felt from what I had done in the past. I decided to take the Ziva Meditation training with her, and afterward, I began to sleep better almost right away, but that was only a small part of the benefit. My mind felt clearer; my focus sharpened, and I even started having more time in my day! I didn’t notice I had been anxious or stressed—until I wasn’t!
I was intrigued enough by the results to commit to at least another month, just to see what would happen.
To say I was shocked by what Emily’s style of meditation did for me is an understatement. I didn’t realize I was stressed and anxious; I didn’t think I was agitated. And I was already achieving at a high level. But after just two months, I felt happier, calmer, and less anxious. I have so much more energy. Now if I don’t sleep well, I can do the Ziva Technique and feel as refreshed as if I’ve just had a long nap. I used to get tired at the end of the day, but now I get a new surge of energy after my second sitting and feel able to go out at night and have fun. For the few minutes I put into meditation each day, I get back at least an extra three hours of focus and quality work. The benefits of meditation bleed into everything I do.
Maybe the most surprising aspect of Emily’s approach is how easy and accessible it is. This is the kind of meditation you can do anytime, anywhere. You don’t have to clear your mind, burn incense, or be alone in the forest. I’ve meditated in conference rooms, in parking lots, on airplanes—you name it. When I tell my patients about Ziva, I say, “You don’t realize how stress may be impacting your performance until you start feeling better. And you can’t believe how much more you’re capable of until you try this out.”
I encourage everyone to check out the Ziva Technique. I can honestly say I can’t live without it. Now I don’t have time not to meditate.
“Stress less, accomplish more.” It’s for real, trust me.
—Mark Hyman, M.D.
Director of the Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine and author of Food: What the Heck Should I Eat? and eleven other bestselling books