Giovanni Dienstmann

Giovanni Dienstmann is a meditation teacher, self-mastery coach and author who works at the intersection of wisdom, peace and empowerment. He teaches an awareness-based approach to self-development called the Higher Mind Method, which draws on mindfulness, wisdom traditions, personal development and psychology. He shares it through his books, blog and app.

He found meditation at 15, after a restless adolescence, and has practiced daily since March 21st, 2000, with over 12,000 hours on the cushion. He has tried more than 70 techniques, studied more than 300 books on the subject, spent 10 weeks training in a monastery in France, and was formally initiated into four meditation traditions: Zen, Advaita, Raja Yoga and Mantra. He describes what he has always sought as "empowered peace", a calm that is full of energy, dynamism and focus. For him, meditation is about empowerment as well as acceptance.

As a meditation teacher, he founded LiveAndDare.com, which for years ranked among the five most-visited meditation blogs. He wrote Practical Meditation, popularly called "The Meditation Bible" and translated into seven languages. He has also created meditation and wellbeing programs in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese, and has consulted for award-winning meditation apps. He is a certified meditation teacher with the Meditation Association of Australia, completed Level 1 yoga and meditation teacher training with the Satyananda School of Yoga, and has taught mindfulness in a master's program at Torrens University in Australia.

As a coach, he runs HigherMind.com and has worked since 2014 with executives, entrepreneurs, artists, musicians, traders and pro athletes on distraction, procrastination, fear, anxiety and self-doubt. He is the author of Mindful Self-Discipline, a #1 Amazon bestseller across several categories, and Wise Confidence, published by SoundsTrue. He has also led retreats, workshops and group classes. His stated mission is to help 108,000 people fulfill their aspirations.