My name is Giovanni Dienstmann. I’m an international author, meditation teacher, coach and speaker.

I’m the creator of Live and Dare—the fifth most popular meditation blog on the planet—and author of the best-selling book Practical Meditation, which is available in eight different languages and has popularly been called “The Meditation Bible”.

More recently, I’ve also launched a second website, MindfulSelfDiscipline.com, which is focused on using the skills of meditation to live a life more aligned with our values and goals.

My Purpose

I have a bold promise for you… It’s this: you can experience peace of mind, purpose, empowerment and wellbeing every day of your life, no matter what’s happening.

Even if your life is chaotic right now… even in the midst of a pandemic, hurricane, family crisis or economic breakdown… there is a place inside of you that is untouched.

In this place there is no anxiety, no fear, and nothing lacking.

Meditation, self-discipline, and wisdom help you find this place. Once you do, your life will never again be the same.

Do you want some of that?

If there is a sense of hell yes! inside of you, then you are in the right place.

To take on this journey with me, become a member of the Limitless Life program, or contact me for private coaching.

Empowered Peace

I have been actively seeking personal growth, self-mastery, and a deeper meaning in life since I was a teenager (I’m now in my late 30’s). Even though I learned from many sources and systems, what I was seeking was always the same: empowered peace.

Yes, I wanted to experience peace of mind. Because with that comes a sense of freedom, of not being disturbed by anything. With peace also comes confidence, emotional balance, and clarity.

Peace is the foundation of wellbeing and contentment in life.

But not the peace of the graveyard! Not a peace that is passive, or weak. I was searching for a peace that is empowered—full of energy, dynamism, and focus.

Empowered Peace— that is my personal anthem, and the transformation that I seek to facilitate for you. This is the reality I now live in, and grow in, day after day.

And here is where my work is different from that of many other respectable meditation teachers. For me, meditation is not only about acceptance and letting go, but also about empowerment.

Meditation is not only about loving what you get, but also about getting what you love.

My Journey

But I was not born peaceful.

Quite the contrary, as a teenager I was restless, and couldn’t really manage myself. My mind was always busy, full of thoughts, never content. I was easily disturbed, and would often panic and overreact when I felt triggered.

I also experienced being bullied at school and at home, and had to find my ways around those challenging experiences.

Things started to change for me when I found meditation—and all the wisdom teachings that come with it—as a 15-year-old. I fell in love with the feelings of peace, centeredness, and freedom that came with the practice.

The real bully is inside your head.

Meditation taught me that the real bully is inside my head, and that I can learn to be my own best friend, and stop causing pain to myself. 

I realized that regardless of what life would throw at me, I always had the option to be greater than that. To let go. To not suffer.

I learned to accept life—and accept myself—no matter what

And in that I found great peace, contentment, and empowerment. Meditation indeed changed my life in many ways.

Our mind can be a powerful tool, helping us achieve your goals and be happy, or an annoying voice pulling us back and tormenting us.

Throughout my life, I have invested a lot of energy, study and experimentation on optimizing my mental and emotional states—and overcoming all limitations, especially those imposed by fear, anxiety, and self-doubt, has been an area of focus for me.

All this practice, learning and training has radically transformed my mind and view of the world. As a result, I now live a fearless, peaceful, and anxiety-free life.

And so can you.

That is why I am here. And I think that is also why you are here.

My Background

My personal training in meditation:

  • Practiced meditation daily for the past 23 years
  • Over 11,000 hours of practiced
  • Tried 70+ different techniques
  • Studied 200+ books on the topic
  • Was formally initiated into 4 different meditation traditions
  • Spent 10 weeks training in a Monastery in France
  • Nearly became a monk twice in my journey
Giovanni Dienstmann photo with shaved head and Zen buddhist clothes
Almost became a monk in the Zen Buddhist tradition. I was 19 at that time.

(For the meditation geeks out there: the four contemplative traditions I trained in were Zen Buddhism, Advaita Vedanta, Raja Yoga, Mantra Yoga)

My work as a meditation teacher:

  • Certified meditation teacher with Meditation Association of Australia (categories of “Personal Development Meditation” and “Spiritual Meditation”)
  • Completed the Yoga and Meditation Teacher Training Course with the Satyananda School of Yoga (Level 1)
  • Certified Positive Psychology Practitioner (strength-based coaching)
  • Trained in Neurocoaching
  • Experience leading retreats, workshops, and group classes
  • Taught meditation and mindfulness at a master’s degree program in a prestigious Australian university (Torrens)
  • Have spoken about meditation and mindfulness at schools, hospitals, non-for-profits, and spiritual centers
  • Worked as a consultant to award-winning meditation apps, including creating custom content and meditation scripts
  • Translated meditation books and texts into Portuguese
  • Taught thousands of people how to meditate through the Limitless Life program and Master Your Mind courses
  • Appeared in several podcasts and radio interviews
  • Featured top meditation coach on Coach.me, and top meditation writer on Quora.

Academically-wise, I have a bachelor degree in Law and Social Sciences, a post-grad in IT, and may soon start a PhD in philosophy or asian studies.

Finally, some fun facts about me:

  • I don’t have any social media apps on my phone.
  • Apart from meditation, I’ve had a series of obsessions in my life: Kung Fu, magic tricks, chess, Japanese language.
  • Every day in my life starts exactly the same: wake up 5:00am, take a cold shower, practice 2 to 3 hours of meditation, and do some Yoga.
  • I eat only once a day (big lunch), and fast for 22 hours every day.
  • It takes more time to select the images for my articles than to actually write them (yes, it’s true!)

Live and Dare

LiveAndDare is a platform for conscious individuals who want to overcome anxiety and stress, improve their well-being, and explore a deeper purpose in life.

It is here to serve you—to show you how meditation can make a difference in your life, and open up new possibilities for you.

Yes, this is also a business. Yes, I sell things. And I’m deeply grateful to earn a living doing so. But you should know a big part of my work is offered free of charge—in the form of articles, podcasts, newsletters and live videos—so that the powerful practice of meditation become accessible to all.

You can read testimonials about all aspects of my work here.

The Blog

Meditation, personal growth and spirituality are three powerful tools for overcoming anxiety, increasing wellbeing, and living a more meaningful life.

LiveAndDare is a place to learn and share all this wisdom that enables us to be calm, centered and focused. My work is multidisciplinary, drawing from the life lessons of ancient traditions to the modern neuroscience and positive psychology.

Some of my articles have so far been translated into German, French, Russian, Korean, Chinese, Romanian, Italian, Croatian and Portuguese.

Full disclosure: I may earn an affiliate commission on some third party products/services recommended in my blog. I only promote things that I believe in and am convinced will be beneficial to my audience. Learn more about it here.

The Book

My book Practical Meditation is available in seven different languages, and is an Amazon best-seller. Discover why some are calling it “The Meditation Bible” and “The #1 meditation resource out there”.

Also available in these languages:

Spanish
Portuguese

German
French

The Newsletter

Over 40,000 people regularly receive the Practical Wisdom Newsletter. This is a free service I provide, and it’s exclusive content (not available on the blog).

These are short messages that come to your inbox, inspiring you to pause, reflect, and make a small but meaningful shift in your life right away.

Learn more by clicking the button below.

The Program

Limitless Life is the main offering on LiveAndDare. It includes all my teachings and practices—the complete solution for you to master your mind, and thus master your life.

Gain access to a suite of online courses, guided meditations, teacher dialogs, and a supportive community of conscious individuals, all focused on helping you deepen in your meditation practice, overcome anxiety, and live more fully.

This monthly program exists to give you ongoing support and structure to overcome anxiety and stress, increase emotional wellbeing, and grow in your life.

Think of it as a gym membership for your mind, heart, and soul.

Contact

You can contact me directly for

Or follow me on LinkedIn or subscribe to the YouTube channel to receive meditation and personal growth tips, videos, and quotes.

May you live a life that is calm, centered, and focused!

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