MEDITATION CHALLENGE

15 minute Daily Meditation through April
3 x $1000 prizes for participants

Time till end of Challenge:

Why do THIS CHALLENGE ?

The April Meditation Challenge is here to calm your mind, sharpen your focus, and contribute to real science. Meditation is a practice rooted in centuries of tradition, with numerous benefits cited by those who incorporate it into their daily lives. Here are some of the benefits of meditation according to previous studies:

Reduces Stress

Researchers reviewed more than 200 studies of mindfulness among healthy people and found mindfulness-based therapy was especially effective for reducing stress. (source)

Anxiety Control

Mindfulness meditation programs, in particular, show small improvements in anxiety, depression, and pain with moderate evidence.
(source)

Emotional Well-being

Meditation has several benefits improving the immune system and inflammatory processes by decreasing cytokine; appropriate telomere shortening also has helped healthy aging. (source)

Improves Sleep Quality

Overall, according to our data, meditative therapies appear to be more beneficial for improving sleep quality and fatigue management as well as anti-depressive effects, especially in patients suffering from mental disorders. (source)

Enhances Self-Awareness

Meditation can cultivate a deeper understanding of oneself, promoting their personal growth. Self-inquiry meditation, for example, encourages individuals to explore their inner world and how they relate to others. (source)

Longer Attention Span

Focused-attention meditation serves as a mental workout for your attention span, strengthening its endurance and capacity. A study found that individuals who listened to a meditation tape demonstrated improved attention and accuracy. (source)

INSTRUCTIONS for this Challenge

Commit to doing meditation for at least 15 minutes a day.It doesn't matter if you are a complete beginner, intermediate, or advanced practitioner. You can practice anywhere—at home, in a group setting, or in a class. The specific time of day is up to you; what matters is committing to the practice for 30 consecutive days (April). For those, who do not want to dabble but actually learn meditation during that month we have a big bonus. We partnered up with The Way app and before the challenge begins, we’ll send you a link with FREE sessions for the whole Challenge guided by the acclaimed Zen master Henry Shukman. However you’re free to select any meditation style and difficulty level that suits you:

  • Meditation Type: Decide on the type of meditation that resonates with you:

    - Mindfulness Meditation: Focus on your breath, bodily sensations, or present-moment awareness.
    - Loving-Kindness Meditation: Cultivate compassion and positive thoughts toward yourself and others.
    - Body Scan: Gently move your awareness through your body to relax and release tension.
    - Guided Visualization: Listen to guided meditations that lead you through calming imagery or affirmations.

    Choose what works best for your goals, whether it’s relaxation, stress relief, focus, or emotional balance.
  • Difficulty level: Meditation doesn’t require prior experience, but it’s important to set realistic expectations based on your current comfort level. If you’re new to meditation, start with simple techniques like focusing on your breath or using guided meditations. Experienced practitioners may prefer unguided sessions or advanced methods like Vipassana or mantra meditation.
  • Controlled Breathing: "Breathing is the anchor of meditation." Regardless of the meditation style you choose, maintaining a steady and mindful breathing rhythm is crucial. Deep, intentional breaths help calm the nervous system and ground your awareness.
  • ..or Guided Meditation (recommended): We’ll share The Way app link with free 15 minutes meditation sessions for the whole month via email before the challenge starts. However feel free to choose your own path with meditation. Search for "15 minute guided meditation for beginners" or "15 minute mindfulness meditation" on YouTube or your favorite meditation app.
  • Final Instructions: All the instructions can be summarized in one sentence. For 30 days of April each day sit in meditation for 15 minutes at any time of the day and any place. You can just close your eyes and focus on breathing or follow any meditation instructions you find online. Or use any meditation app you preffer.
minutes of your time
for great benefits
consecutive days
of April

FREE BONUS for Participants of This Challenge

We've partnered with The Way app to provide you with 30 FREE guided 15-minute meditation sessions led by acclaimed Zen master Henry Shukman (featured on The Tim Ferriss Podcast, The Kevin Rose Show, Waking Up with Sam Harris, and many others). Participants will receive the app link and access code via email before the Challenge begins. Please note however that it's absolutely okay to choose any type of meditation, guided or unguided, or any app to participate in this Challenge

Why The Way app? We've noticed that constantly searching for new meditations on platforms like YouTube creates distractions and decision fatigue rather than genuine progress. With The Way, you'll enjoy a consistent, step-by-step journey—starting from the basics of how to sit and breathe, and gradually guiding you towards deeper peace, clarity, understanding, and overall well-being.

Henry is an authorized Zen Master in the Sanbo Zen lineage, and is the Emeritus Spiritual Director of Mountain Cloud Zen Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Henry has taught meditation at Google, Harvard Business School, the New York Times and Oxford Brookes University. In addition to teaching, Henry is an award-winning author and poet frequently featured on prominent podcasts like The Tim Ferriss Show.

If you are viewing this on Mobile follow this link: App link with code

If you are viewing this on Desktop Scan the below QR code with your phone camera to get the code:

Message from HENRY

Notable PRACTITIONERS

These are some of the well-known people who have stated that they practice meditation:

* Other people who practice meditation are: Oprah Winfrey, Lady Gaga, Bill Gates, Arianna Huffington, Novak Djokovic, Katy Perry, Jerry Seinfeld, Will Smith, Gisele Bündchen, Ellen DeGeneres, Hugh Jackman, Jennifer Aniston, Russell Brand, Sting, Deepak Chopra, Matthew McConaughey, Jessica Alba, Eva Mendes, Jeff Weiner, Jack Dorsey, Kristen Bell, Sheryl Crow, Lena Dunham, Patrick Dempsey, Emma Watson.

The Meditation Challenge has been successfully joined!

Further updates will be sent by email. We also invite you to follow us on Instagram here to get all the updates about this incoming challenge and during the Challenge.

Want to make the Commitment Stronger? According to research published in the Journal of Applied Psychology, individuals who made their commitments public were 65% more likely to stick to their goals compared to those who kept them private. This is because public commitments create a sense of accountability and social support, making it easier to stay motivated and on track.

This is optional but if you want to take it to the next level Share your commitment on your social media or with friends and family. This can be as simple as saying:

"I have decided to do a 30 consecutive days Meditation Challenge in April. Keep your fingers crossed!:) #TheMeditationChallenge"

How do I PARTICIPATE ?

This Challenge has started and cannot be joined now.

After this challenge questionnaires will be send to study its effect. Additionally, if you want to be eligible for the $1000 cash prizes remember to share your journey daily with hashtags #TheMeditationChallenge, #AprilMeditationChallenge and tag @theorgchallenge and as described in the prizes section (contest terms here)

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Frequently asked questions

How do I join a Challenge?
There is a "Join Challenge" button for any active challenge. There will be 12 Challenges per year. You are free to join any time however joining on the first day of a given month is how the game is meant to be played to experience a full month of a given challenge.
What are the instructions for a Challenge?
All necessary instructions are always found on the page of a particular challenge. If you haven't received the email 1 day prior to the Challenge don't worry! The email only contains a part of the message which is included on the Challenge page anyway. But the instructions are really extremely simple. For the "10.000 Steps Challenge" it could be "Just walk at least 10000 steps per day". For the "Meditation Challenge" it would be "Just sit and meditate for 15 minutes a day, anywhere, at any time, with any meditation method you can find online".
Where are the Challenges happening?
All Challenges can be done from your location. Each Challenge is done in such a way that there is no particular location to attend to.
At what time during the day do I have to do a Challenge?
Challenges can be done at any time during the day, whether it's morning, evening, or mid day. Though it is much easier to stick to a routine in the morning as mornings can be typically controlled whereas the evening tends to be more chaotic and have unscheduled tasks that need attending.
Is this FREE?
Yes, all challenges are and always will be free to join and participate in.
Why trust us?
We’re not selling anything. We’re learning alongside you
How do the monthly $3000 prizes work exactly?
There will be 3 (three) $1000 prizes per chosen Challenge (not all Challenges will have prizes). To be eligible for the prize one has to share their daily journey with a hashtag chosen for each Challenge. Then, After the Challenge has ended send in the links to specific videos to [email protected] where the posts can be verified. At the end of a Challenge the 3 winners will be chosen by TheChallenge.org team based on the most well done daily documentation of a given Challenge. Numbers of followers, likes, comments on social media etc WILL NOT matter. Read all the requirements here and in the contest terms in each of the Challenge pages near the sign-up area.
I don't have an Instagram or YouTube account, can I still participate?
Absolutely! You don't need to do anything to participate since the challenges can be done from anywhere. To sign up and receive updates about the challenge or to be able to contribute to a science questionnaire at the end you just need to have an email and join a Challenge on the website. Instagram or Youtube accounts are only a requirement for people who want to have a shot at the Prizes. That however requires daily posting on those channels for a whole month so is very rarely done. Approximately 99.5% of all Challenge Participants do it for the Challenge itself and do not post daily on their social media channels. We are just happy if you do the Challenge!
Is this a non-profit organization?
TheChallenge.Org is a for-knowledge organisation. The organisation is not a typical non-profit. It will have an optional donation model for people wanting to support it and help cover the cost of operations.
Who are the people behind this project?
The project is funded by one Investor & Founder: Karol Banaszkiewicz, who decided to commit his time & resources in pursuit of a goal to measure how various habits impacts peoples physical & mental health.
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