Ziva Health launches to enhance mental well-being through breathwork

The company primarily targets professional office workers

Being stressed can trigger the sympathetic nervous system (SNS), also known as the "fight or flight" response; when the SNS is activated, the body prepares for action by increasing heart rate, blood pressure, and alertness.

"When a person is under stress or anxiety, they often adopt a shallow breathing pattern, which primarily involves chest breathing. Shallow chest breathing disrupts the balance of gasses in the body. It can lead to an excessive loss of carbon dioxide and a decrease in oxygen intake as it require this balance for proper oxygenation," explained Parveen Panwar, CEO and founder of Ziva Health, a digital health and wellness company focused on enhancing mental well-being through breathwork, which officially launched on Thursday, and is now available for download on iOS.

"This sets off a cycle in which stress disrupts normal breathing patterns, leading to shallow breathing, which in turn increases the stress, creating a loop."

Howeber, there is a substantial body of research exploring the relationship between breathing techniques and their impact on stress and anxiety levels, which why Ziva has its users practice slow, controlled breathing that involves diaphragmatic engagement and extended exhales that can activate the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS).

This, in turn, fosters relaxation and counteracts the stress response, helping to restore the balance of gasses in the body.

When a user joins Ziva, they are encouraged to create an intention video, articulating the health changes they hope to achieve with Ziva. They can also connect to Apple Health for personalized recommendations and track key metrics like resting heart rate, respiratory rate, heart rate variability, sleep patterns, and heart rate. Users can even input data on blood glucose, weight, and blood pressure to monitor improvements over time.

The company primarily targets professional office workers who are looking to improve sleep, reduce stress, enhance focus, improve recovery, and increase peak performance. For example, a user's goal might be to improve sleep and reduce stress, and they're managing diabetes, or a user might want feel more energetic and establish healthy habits, all while dealing with diabetes; in each case Ziva will recommend a personalized plan for that specific user. 

As users engage with Ziva daily, their Ziva Score increases, reflecting their level of involvement. They can provide feedback on their psychological responses to receive even more refined recommendations for their wellness journey.

In an unofficial test, the company saw patients improve resting heart rate by 5%, heart rate variability by 10 %, respiratory rate by 5%, and sleep by 10% over a three month period.

Along with the funding, Ziva also announce two new partners: AvantStay, a vacation rental platform that specializes in providing high-quality, luxury accommodations for travelers, and Measured Wellness Clinic, which are offering Ziva for their respective workforces. 

"Avantstay provides thousands of guests checking in at their over 1,000 properties across the United States with an opportunity to experience the benefits of breathwork, enhancing relaxation during their holidays," said Panwar.

"We anticipate serving a user base of 1,000 to 3,000 vacationers who book with them, and we are currently in discussions regarding employee benefits with their team.:

Measured Wellness, meanwhile is commencing its journey with an initial cohort of 100 patients.

The company also announced two new hires: that Dr. Michael Kurisu as its new Chief Health Officer, and that Serena Poon, a celebrity chef, nutritionist, and longevity wellness expert, as a member of Ziva's board of advisors. 

Kurisu is a Board Certified Integrative Medicine Physician with a background in osteopathic manipulation treatment (OMT) and a focus on emerging wearable technologies and digital devices.

"Dr. Michael, aka 'Dr. Wearable,' brings his forward-thinking approach to healthcare, a wealth of integrated holistic wellness expertise and extensive experience in remotely monitoring patient data using wearable technology," said Panwar. 

"During the pandemic, Dr. Michael, who is an Osteopathic Physician board certified in Family and holistic medicine, made a pioneering move in San Diego by distributing Apple Watches and Oura Rings to his patients, enabling him to closely track their sleep patterns, resting heart rates, HRV, and respiratory rates. These wearables also allowed him to gain insights into their activity levels and movement patterns."

As Ziva relies on wearable data for its recommendations and to train its AI models, he explained. this "make him best suited for this role." 

Poon, meanwhile, "is known for her unique and holistic approach to health, which goes beyond just food."

"She emphasizes the importance of a well-balanced and nourishing diet, but also considers the mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects of health and well-being. Her approach often includes practices such as mindfulness, meditation, and stress management," said Panwar.

"As a board member, Serena will contribute her wealth of experience, expertise, valuable connections, dedicated following, and passion for holistic health." 

Ultimatly, Ziva want to become a leader in the mental wellness space by leveraging AI technology to enhance its coaching and recommendation services, ultimately providing effective and accessible solutions for individuals seeking improved mental well-being.

"As the founder of Ziva, I went through a tough time during the pandemic in India. I not only fought COVID but also lost my father at the same time. Through that tragedy I discovered that the key to recovery and strength was in the super power of breathing. Since then, I have been on a mission to share this superpower of breathing with as many people as possible," said Panwar.

"Ziva is the only start up that combines breathing for mental wellness, wearables technology with AI powered chat and recommendations."