A Meditation Practice We Love: Ziva Meditation
While we have previously shared the value of meditation and some easy ways to get started, we also would like to highlight one specific meditation technique, mostly because it:
Is accessible- you can do it anywhere, anytime.
Is easy- once you have a grasp of the technique, you are off and running!
Is effective- meditation is one of those things that is simple but not always easy, and many of us struggle to make it a practice. This technique not only makes it easy to get going, but it can have a profound impact on your stress, anxiety, and overall well-being, quickly.
What’s the technique? It’s called Ziva Meditation, founded by Emily Fletcher.
I’m going to make my own life easy and just quote from her introduction, to help you understand once again why meditation can be hard, but also offer you some hope:
“If you’ve ever tried meditation and felt frustrated because you couldn’t stop all those crazy thoughts, here’s some really good news: The mind thinks involuntarily, just like the heart beats involuntarily.”
In her book Stress Less, Accomplish More, Fletcher tosses sweet little nuggets like that right and left, reminding you that she totally gets why many of us find it hard to meditate.. And then goes on to provide her Ziva Technique, which makes it so, so much easier.
Ziva Meditation, or the Z Technique, is made up of three steps:
Mindfulness
Meditation
And Manifesting
In the interest of keeping this post as concise and helpful as I possibly can, I am not going to delve terribly deep into her foundations underlying each of these three steps, because when you understand how they work, you’ll understand why they matter.
However, I will share her words again:
“Mindfulness helps you deal with stress in the present moment; meditation gets rid of stress from the past; and manifesting helps you create your dreams for your future.”
Who doesn’t want all that, right?
So let’s dive in and learn how to implement each of these steps!
Mindfulness: Come to your senses
With mindfulness, it’s simply about tuning in to each of your senses. So you get ready to meditate, you settle in, you close your eyes, and then you systematically go through each sense. Begin by becoming aware of your breath. Then one by one, notice:
What do you smell? Bacon cooking? Air freshener? Your dog sitting next to you?
What do you taste? Your toothpaste? Your last meal or drink?
What do you see? Probably the backs of your eyelids, yes, but what is the light doing behind them?
What do you feel? The couch? The floor? Is the floor carpet or hard?
What do you hear? This is one of the things that makes this particular style of meditation great: whatever you hear, it’s okay! With Z Technique, you don’t have to escape to a quiet room or wait to do it until you’re in a distraction-free environment! Instead, just sense it. Whatever it is- people chatting, the television in the next room, the wind or the birds- it’s great! Just sense it!
Meditation: The mantra
This is the biggest portion of your meditation time. She prescribes 15-20 minutes of total meditation, but I will be honest- I usually do this all in under ten minutes. So I may take two or three minutes on Mindfulness, then maybe five minutes on the mantra. Either way, make it the biggest portion.
The mantra is supposed to be simple! She says that mantras are “mind vehicles,” and by that she means she wants your mind to go on autopilot, just humming along. She prescribes the word “one” as your mantra, and the goal is to just repeat it over and over. You can choose your own, but I’d say start with “one.”
And yes, your mind will wander! That’s okay! When you start to think about what you need to do later, just notice that and come back to “one.” When you start to think about your upcoming vacation, come back to “one.” Thoughts are not the enemy!
And then gently bring yourself to the final portion:
Manifesting: Gratitude and goals
And now you will wrap up your Ziva Meditation by integrating the calm, centered feeling you have, and gently launching yourself into the rest of the day.
You will begin by thinking about what you are grateful for, right now. Don’t overcomplicate this. Don’t think this has to be deep and meaningful, unless that’s what comes to you! Whatever comes up is correct! It might be that the sun is shining today. It might be gratitude for your friends. It might be that your breakfast was amazing. Just acknowledge a few things, and be present with those feelings of appreciation.
And then goals. She says you are now invited to think of “one dream, one goal, or one desire, and imagine it as if it were your current reality.”
If you want to achieve a particular GPA, imagine getting that report card. See it now.
If you want to get a particular job, imagine yourself in that position. See it now.
Take a moment to be happy and at peace with what your life will look and feel like when you are living into that goal, dream, or desire… and then open your eyes!
Come back to your surroundings, and be proud of the time that you invested in your mental and emotional well being!
This is a simple practice that you can modify to make your own. You can spend longer if you have the time and find it helpful, or you can spend even just a few minutes and still benefit from it!
Now that you have this tool, we hope you’ll consider giving it a try the next time you feel stressed or anxious, or even carving out time daily to make it a part of your mental wellness routine!
And if you’d like to have a chance to practice tools like this and others, please join us for a Ready to Hope Workshop! You can find info about upcoming workshops here!