About Mayya Shveygert, PhD

Founder of Maika Wellness · Science-Based Meditation & Well-Being Coach

I discovered meditation in 2013 as an exhausted working parent of a two-year-old. What began as a personal refuge from stress soon became a lifelong practice - a way to find steadiness and clarity amid chaos.

Over the past decade, that practice evolved into professional expertise. I’ve served as Executive Director at the Radiance Sutras® School of Meditation, where I helped train over 1,000 meditation teachers worldwide, and I’ve developed six online programs that have reached more than 1,500 participants.

I’m also faculty at the Esalen Institute, a consultant for biopharma and tech companies, and a Duke-trained Health & Well-Being Coach.
With 15+ years in academia and the corporate world, I understand the demands of tight timelines, high-stakes projects, and nonstop pressure - and how easily high performers burn out.

My work now bridges both worlds: teaching professionals and teams how to regulate stress, recover energy, and restore clarity.
I offer:

Lunch & Learn workshops
Customized meditation programs for teams
Private coaching for individuals and leaders

Contact me to explore how science-based mindfulness can strengthen focus, resilience, and performance across your organization.

PRIVATE 1:1 COACHING

CORPORATE WELLNESS

“Mayya is a rare individual who has the spiritual energy and heart of a healer and provides a potent bridge between science and spirituality. I have felt truly enriched and blessed by her offerings.”

Ingrid van Niekerk Samson

Executive Co-director and CEO of the Economic Policy Research Institute

My approach to meditation

Personalized Practice

Every mind is different - so every meditation should be too.
Rather than teaching a single method, I guide you through a wide range of techniques to help you discover what truly resonates with your mind, body, and spirit.

Together, we’ll craft a practice that fits your lifestyle and supports your goals for focus, calm, and renewal.

Modern & Science-based

With a PhD in Life Sciences and a career in biotech, my teaching is practical, evidence-informed, and relevant to the modern world.

While rooted in the ancient yoga tradition, the methods I teach are free of jargon and accessible to anyone - especially analytical thinkers who prefer clarity over complexity.

Troubleshoot Challenges

Recorded meditations are a great start, but they can’t always answer the “what now?” moments that arise in real practice.

I help you troubleshoot challenges - from restlessness to emotional overwhelm - so your meditation becomes both fulfilling and sustainable, not another item on your to-do list.

Friendly & Nourishing

The meditations I offer are grounded in compassion and designed to soothe the nervous system.

These simple, heartful practices tap into the body’s innate capacity to heal, helping you emerge centered, refreshed, and ready - often after just fifteen minutes.

A woman is giving a presentation on a stage in a large, modern room with exposed brick walls, with multiple audience members seated at tables watching. There are two large screens displaying the same slide that reads: 'Imposter syndrome is the inability to accept one's own accomplishment and the constant fear of being exposed as a fraud.'

My code of ethics for teaching meditation and speaking engagements

Excellence. I commit to providing the highest-quality care to those who seek my professional services.
Know my limits. I represent my qualifications honestly and provide only the services I am qualified to perform. I refrain from recommending treatment, diagnosing a condition, or suggesting that a client disregard medical advice. I agree to acknowledge the limitations of meditation and refer clients to the appropriate healthcare professionals.
Healthy boundaries. An essential part of teaching meditation is the development and maintenance of a professional coach/client relationship. This includes establishing clear and appropriate social boundaries.
Honesty and integrity. I conduct my business and professional activities with honesty and integrity. I avoid any interest, activity, or influence that might be in conflict with my obligation as a coach to act in the best interest of the clients.
Inclusion. I refuse to unjustly discriminate against my clients based on their national origin, race, color, religion, disability, sex, age, and familial status. I make an effort to learn more about the needs of all of my clients.
Unbiased and for everyone. I teach meditation that is secular (not connected to any religion) and not affiliated with any political party, movement, or culture.
Confidentiality. I respect clients’ privacy, disclosure, emotional expression, and beliefs. I keep all the information they share with me in strict confidentiality.

My Values

Be Kind

Soft, tender, loving. Living in the heart.

In the past, I was always an over-achiever, a go-getter, a can-doer. I didn’t treat myself too well.

Now I live by these words: “In a world where you can be anything, be kind.”

Be Curious

Go for the unknown

Appreciate the wonder of being a human on Planet Earth in 21st century

Dare to explore, invent, breakthrough.

Be Bold

If I would be an animal, I would be Balto.

The husky that ran, and ran, and ran, through blizzard and wind, to deliver medicine to people who needed it.

I love a good challenge and making the impossible a reality.

Be Free

Live in the flow. In the zone. Attuned to the rhythms of life.

Pleasure and laughter. Taking things lightly and breathing gratitude for a chance to exist.

Native of eternity. At home in infinity. Breathing immortality.

Be Useful

I want my life to matter.

I want to be of service to humanity and the world we share.

A woman smiling for a selfie outdoors beside a river or lake, with a dog sitting on the rocky shoreline behind her, surrounded by leafless trees in a natural setting.