Q: Is Vivation meditation?

A: Yes, but unlike most types of mediation, which require a quiet and undisturbed place, Vivation can be done anywhere – while working, playing, and in public. Vivation can also be done in a quiet place to go deep within. Vivation is a physically pleasurable feelings-based type of “mindfulness”. Vivation transforms bad experiences into good ones, and good ones into great ones. Because Vivation feels so good, most people find they naturally start “Viving” any time they want to improve their situation.

Q: Is Vivation therapy?

A:Vivation is a skill you learn to do for yourself, so technically it is not therapy. However, Vivation is extremely therapeutic and can rapidly accelerate any emotional work you're doing with a qualified therapist.

Q: Is Vivation safe?

A: Yes, since 1979 Vivation has proven safe and effective by over 100,000 students worldwide. Although Vivation brings profound results, its power comes from its gentleness. No one has ever been hurt doing Vivation. Should you have any concerns about the effect this might have on your physical or mental health it is recommended you consult your doctor or mental health professional.

Q: Is Vivation breathwork?

A: Yes, but much more! Vivation has five elements, of which breath mastery is just one. See the Five Elements of Vivation for more detail.

Q: Is Vivation a religion?

A: No, Vivation is a physical based feeling process anyone can learn no matter what their belief. Vivation enhances your awareness of the life force energy within you, helping you feel more alive and empowered, and all that that entails.

Q: Does Vivation require a quiet mind?

A: No, not at all. Vivation actually brings spectacular results for those with an “over-active” mind. Vivation helps people who tend to live “in their heads” to finally make simple and intimate contact with the feelings in their body. Because Vivation is a “physical-feelings-based” meditation, it gives your mind a much-needed vacation. After a Vivation session, people report having a much clearer and sharper mind than they did before.

Q: How long does it take to learn Vivation?

A: About 20 hours of instruction and coaching. Almost everyone who commits to learning Vivation can start doing it well after a few lessons. Each lesson builds on the next, resulting in your complete autonomy with the skill after just a few sessions of instruction and coaching. See our courses page for more detail.

Q: What does the name mean? Where did the name come from?

A: The name is based on the Latin word "Vivere", (meaning "to live") and was created by Jim Leonard to be a distinct and unusual moniker for what he was teaching at the time—"Integrative Rebirthing." He wanted to distinguish this process from Rebirthing because Rebirthing focuses on healing the "birth trauma," whereas Vivation heals emotional pain and trauma from any time of life.

Q: Who created/founded Vivation?

A: Jim Leonard, in 1979.

How does Vivation differ from Rebirthing?

Rebirthing stresses the goal of "releasing" or getting rid of "negative" or "toxic" emotions. From the perspective of Vivation, the source of our negativity is not the feelings themselves, but our resistance to those feelings. It is our resistance, not our feelings, that is the cause of our suffering. This is the key difference of Vivation that allows for the efficient integration of painful emotions. We're integrating them into our overall sense of enjoyment, not getting rid of them.

How do I know it will work for me?

Vivation will work for anyone to increase their happiness, peace, and overall sense of well-being. The only thing you need is willingness. The Fifth Element of Vivation: Do Whatever You Do, Willingness is Enough. With Vivation, you are using your own body's own impulse toward balance to achieve this transformative shift.

If you are able to follow simple instructions, breathe, feel, and have the willingness to engage in the process for your own betterment, it will definitely work for you. The only individuals that Vivation doesn't benefit are those who do not have the willingness to change.