Mindvalley: What is it all about?
Such is the abundance of resources and diverse features Mindvalley offers that a brief Mindvalley review would be out of the question. So please bear with me and read on!
Almost everyone in the personal development industry has heard of Mindvalley. Founded in 2002 by Vishen Lakhiani, the platform has become a household name with millions of users worldwide and is valued at over $40 million. And yes, most of us have probably seen Mindvalley’s advertisement on social media and YouTube, but what exactly is Mindvalley?
As someone who has been a Mindvalley member for nearly a year, I’ll try and give you an honest and informed answer.
In essence, Mindvalley can be described as a learning platform for personal growth, but in reality, it’s more than that. It encompasses a very active community of like-minded people with many elements of social networking. But first, let me start this review by looking at the actual learning it provides.
Learning
One of Mindvalley’s standout features is the quality of its interactive courses, which they call Quests. These are designed to help you achieve specific goals in a short period of time, led by world-class instructors (in their area of expertise) and are divided into bite-sized lessons that are easy to digest and apply to your daily life. In fact, the platform collaborates with some of the most respected names in personal growth, including Robin Sharma, Jim Kwik, Vishen Lakhiani, and Marisa Peer.
Regarding the delivery format, you usually have a video lesson followed by a meditation or practical application of what you’ve learned. What I like best is how the instructors provide actionable advice and applications that you can incorporate into your daily routine. So, even if you’re not a theory-type of person who enjoys explanations, rest assured that there are plenty of more practical exercises that you can complete.
Finally, in terms of thematology, these Quests cover a wide range of topics such as meditation, yoga, leadership, entrepreneurship, relationships, and many more.
So, what has been my personal experience so far? First, let’s consider three of my favourite Quests: Vishen Lakhiani’s The Silva Ultramind Method, Marisa Peer’s Rapid Transformational Hypnotherapy for Abundance, and Nir Eyal’s Becoming Focused and Indistractable.
Let’s start with The Silva Ultramind System, which Mindvalley’s founder and CEO, Vishen Lakhiani, offers. And I have to say that, having read Jose Silva’s original Silva Method in my teens, I was initially sceptical of the Quest: after all, what was there for me to learn that was new?
However, I was pleasantly surprised. To begin with, Vishen includes at least one method mentioned by Jose Silva in his final years that was not included in the original book. You might think this is not a big deal, but here we’re talking about arguably one of the most important techniques in the Silva syllabus. Furthermore, the Quest provides a shortcut to the lengthy induction found in the book, as well as practical guidance and plenty of examples for most exercises. In the end, I realised that the mixture of videos, combined with meditation tracks that include binaural beats, made for an effortless but highly engaging experience. You can tell Vishen’s passion and deep knowledge about the Silva methodology and, in fact, he does mention he first came across the book when he was 14 (which was around the same time I also read it!)
Moving on to Marisa Peer’s Quest, I had only seen a few short clips on YouTube despite reading a lot about her Rapid Transformation Therapy (RTT) method online. The course is intended to rewire the subconscious mind in order to eliminate limiting beliefs and negative thought patterns that may prevent people from reaching their financial goals. But it goes beyond that since it also includes tracks to develop a positive mindset and take action towards creating abundance in other areas of our lives, so do expect to find bonus material like a hypnosis track for depression and anxiety, confidence and self-esteem, and removing inner blocks to success. And it’s not just hypnosis tracks: there are short videos preceding the exercises in which Marisa Peers explains how our minds work, why we have the limited beliefs that we do, and how to remove these blocks.
Finally, when it comes to Nir Eyal’s Becoming Focused and Indistractable, we enter a completely different realm: the author provides scientific evidence to explain why we procrastinate, what truly motivates us, and our inner triggers and roadblocks to success. In addition, the Quest gives practical solutions such as his time-boxing method, a variation of the traditional calendar time-blocking technique, which has changed the way I organise my day. (As a side note, I frequently mention this Quest in my webinars, and while I’ve met people who prefer a more free-form approach to planning, they’ve admitted that other techniques mentioned by Nir Eyal have been real eye-openers.)
Now, I’ll be honest: I only mentioned the quests above because they were the ones I could immediately relate to. A large part of the Mindvalley curriculum revolves around energy-related quests, chakra healing, and manifestation—areas I’m not very familiar with to form an opinion on. Still, I know they’re among the most sought-after programs (many members swear by Jeffrey Allen’s Duality Quest, and Anodea Judith, who offers the Chakra Healing Quest, is considered to have written one of the definitive books on the subject).
But, in the end, no matter which approaches you take, Mindvalley has something to offer everyone with Quests ranging from abundance manifestation to entrepreneurship and from launching your business to fitness (in fact, as a personal trainer myself, I must admit that I found the 10x fitness Quest to be very insightful.)
Community
There is a saying within Mindvalley that says that people come to Mindvalley for the Quests but end up staying for the community.
In my case, however, it was the other way around. I joined mainly to find a community of like-minded people interested in personal development. And then I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the quests.
So how does the community aspect within Mindvalley work? To begin, each quest has its own dedicated social space where students can hang out and post their thoughts, discuss, and ask questions. Aside from that, Minsdvalley has an “Insights” section that functions as a social stream where people can also interact.
However, Mindvalley’s main strengths are its live events, whether in-person or online. Online events fall into two categories: those formally linked to various Quest types and called Circles and individual member-hosted ones. Circles include the Body & Mind Circle, Relationships Circle, Soul Circle, Entrepreneurship Circle, and others. These Circles are held once or twice a week and can be joined online through your browser. In addition to Circles, there are also member-hosted events covering a wide range of topics such as book writing, life coaching, and manifesting abundance. Joining any of these events is simple: Mindvalley has a calendar that shows weekly or monthly events, and you can RSVP and even see who else is attending.
Then there are the local events that take place in various cities around the world! They can be weekly cafe meetups, monthly dinners, and a variety of other events catering to diverse tastes.
However, the biggest event of all is perhaps Mindvalley University which takes place in a new city every year and includes a range of activities, such as outdoor adventures, keynote speeches, interactive workshops, social events, and wellness experiences, and covers a wide range of topics, from meditation and spirituality to business and leadership. However, since this is not included in the subscription price, I am only mentioning this briefly here (you can read more about Mindvalley University by following this link).
Innovation and Technology
Moreover, Mindvalley’s high-tech approach to personal growth is also worth mentioning. The platform utilises cutting-edge technology to deliver the courses in various formats, making learning easy and accessible on any device. Furthermore, Mindvalley’s events recently moved to a new platform that allows online meetings to be conducted through the browser without the need for external software, and I am aware of plans to expand their social network features and provide more opportunities for members to interact with one another.
Needless to say, the Quests are also recorded in the highest video quality possible, and the accompanying meditation or hypnosis tracks include optional high-quality binaural tracks.
It is also worth mentioning that the platform has two mobile apps: the official Mindvalley app, which contains all of the Quests, and the Connections app, which serves more as a social platform for members to interact.
Pricing & last thoughts
While Mindvalley’s subscription fee may appear steep at first glance, the quality of the courses, the supportive community, the distinguished Quest authors and speakers, and the high-tech approach more than compensate. Not to mention that members used to have to buy each quest separately, whereas now their annual subscription includes access to all quests (for what used to be nearly the price of a single Quest!) And if you’re worried about completing the quests too quickly, know that there are usually 3–4 new quests added each month, so we’re talking about a massive library of resources. Also, let’s take into account the number of online events you can access each day where you can engage in conversations, meet new people, and network.
In conclusion, Mindvalley is an exceptional platform for personal growth and development. Whether you’re looking to improve your health, relationships, career, or spirituality, Mindvalley offers a wealth of resources to help you achieve your goals and reach your potential. Even if you decide that some types of Quests aren’t for you (and don’t forget, there are Quests for every taste), you’ll have the opportunity to join a vibrant and supportive community of like-minded people who are passionate about personal growth and development.
And if you’re a life coach looking for a platform with more coaching-oriented Quests and plenty of business advice, do check out Mindvalley’s sister site, Evercoach. (And don’t forget to read my article on essential apps for life coaches!)