Hey, Dreamgrowers.

Today, I want to share some honest feedback in this Mindvalley review after completing 5 of their most popular online courses: Be Extraordinary, Superbrain, Hero.Genius.Legend, Ultimate Leadership, and Money EQ.

I also took a shallow dive into two of their much-shorter fitness programs: Advanced Home Workouts and 10x.

There’s a lot of misinformation and hard-to-believe advertising out there. So, I want to cut through the noise and get straight to my experience using the platform. 

I include what I liked, what I didn’t like, and how my life has actually improved in the months since I signed up (a few ways actually really surprised me).

Let’s see if they can unleash the best in you.

Why I Was Skeptical About Mindvalley at First…

I’ll admit, I was 100% skeptical when I first saw the YouTube ads for Mindvalley. The founder asked, and allow me to paraphrase, “What if someone could read a book just by touching it?”

SKIP AD! Back to music, please…

I’m a very practical-minded guy. Numbers. Spreadsheets. Research. Data. All that cool stuff. 

But recently, I’ve been trying to upgrade the other side of Karl. Things like productivity, focus, memory, and people skills. That type of thing. It’s been making a huge difference. 

That’s how I came across Mindvalley again. Actually, I came across their YouTube talks first. They’re like TED talks but more focused on self-help than general ideas.

A few of them really surprised me. They were actually backed by research and science and not witchcraft, sorcery, or telekinetically reading books. I especially liked the talks about money mindset, success, and accelerating human muscle growth (my favorite!!!).

A lot of the talks were NOTHING like you’d expect based on their advertising. I watched talks on exercise, taking care of employees, goal setting, the evolution of consciousness, and scaling a business by analyzing objectives and results.

NOW THAT’S MY KIND OF TALK, BABY.

So, I decided to take the plunge.

I was really stunned at how practical and digestible the programs were. The production value is Hollywood level, and each lesson is divided into bite-sized chunks with a single practical lesson and accompanying exercises. It makes it easy to learn, digest, implement, and inch forward a bit every day.

After 3 months or so, Mindvalley has made a clear and noticeable positive impact on my life in a few key areas. 

I’m smarter about my money.

I JUST DO a lot more and overthink less.

I’ve noticed a nice improvement in my memory, focus, and productivity. And I’ve achieved some fitness goals I had been struggling with for months.

Mindvalley: Pros and Cons

Mindvalley Pros

• Science-backed instruction method to increase completion and retention
• Hollywood-quality programs
• Engaged, supportive, and connected global community
• Practical and directly implementable advice daily (Most days thought after the lesson, “Oh, I can use that right away”)
• Inspiring programs
• Self-help expert instructors

Mindvalley Cons

• Leveled-up pricing
• Some courses are too intangible for my taste
• Not good for binging
• Most instructors are awesome but a few rub me the wrong way

Quick Verdict – is Mindvalley Worth it?

Based on a few of their courses and my time spent with the community of students, my verdict is:

YES, Mindvalley is a practical, deep, and constructive ecosystem for personal growth. 

There’s a reason they have millions of students and a bulletproof reputation with Fortune 500s, celebrities, and the Hollywood industry. 

It’s especially valuable for improving your mindset, being more productive, getting better with people, spiritual growth, and just overall getting more out of life.

For just a few hundred dollars, you get hundreds of hours of high-value programs from the world’s foremost self-help experts. Plus, you gain access to an active and supportive community that keeps you on track.

I recommend it to anyone looking to “level up” and become a better version of themselves whether it be personally, healthwise, financially, professionally, or romantically.

I agree that the advertising and community lingo are a bit over the top, and some of the courses are too ethereal for most people. But in just a few short months, it’s made me a better entrepreneur, leader, and maybe, just maybe, a better human being (DEBATABLE!).

3 Months of Mindvalley: 5 Things I Liked

1.  Daily life improvement

Mindvalley challenges you to transform a bit every single day. Each program is divided into short, digestible lessons (more on this next) with a singular focus. 

I felt like almost every day, I walked away with something that I could immediately use to improve my life just a little bit.

“Hey, yeah. I really should appreciate this coffee and the miracle of the coffee bean’s evolution.”

“STOP. Kill that negative thought NOW.”

“That looks like a cool kettlebell exercise. I’ll try it today after my workout.”

Most self-help stuff on the web is total BS that rehashes what other gurus say while providing zero practical advice. 

Mindvalley was a breath of fresh air. Almost every daily lesson had at least something I could use to get better that day or broaden my horizons.

2. It’s digestible and convenient enough to fit any schedule

Each day, you get one lesson and one practical task. Lessons vary, but each task takes 20 minutes max and fits snugly into your daily schedule. 

Behavioral science shows this is the optimal format for retention, digestion, and application. Mindvalley claims this leads to 5x higher completion rates than the industry average (take that with a grain of salt). 

It definitely works though. You focus for 20 minutes, get your useful lesson, and use it to make your day better. 

Mindvalley fits into your day wherever you have time—when you wake up, over morning coffee, warming up at the gym, on your lunch break—whenever you’ve got 10 – 20 minutes to spare. 20 minutes doesn’t sound like much but after 4 weeks of 20 minutes a day, major transformation can happen.

Personally, I took a walk through the valley every morning before work just to get me in the mood.

3. University-Like Classes

Each class has an intake date, so all students start on the same day. It’s kind of like a university semester.

I liked feeling as though I was in the “same class” with other students. We eventually formed a pretty close-knit tribe that grew together. It was good to have people there to keep me accountable and vice versa.

If you aren’t good at motivating yourself to learn (me…), having a tribe will force you to keep learning and getting better. 

4. The Community

There’s a lot of negative press out there about the “cult-like” following of Mindvalley.

I think it’s totally off, and anyone who says that hasn’t actually taken any courses or spent any time with others in the community. They probably just watch the ads and jump to conclusions.

The community aspect is great. Mindvalley’s community helps connect you with like-minded, motivated people around the world who are working toward the same goal as you.

There’s a reason so many people are religious about Mindvalley. It also links you to people nearby if you want to meet up. It’s kind of like a self-help version of Couchsurfing without all the creeps and messy guests destroying your house.

They even have some big in-person events that look LIT.

Don’t listen to the internet’s hive of toxicity. Throwing DJ events in Ibiza, Greece, and Bali doesn’t make you a cult. If you’re the type of person who enjoys being part of a community, sharing progress, getting support, and all that warm lovey-dovey stuff, then Mindvalley is right up your alley.

NOTE: I haven’t actually gone to any events or meetups. The community was very helpful during the courses though.

5. The Production Quality

I was blown away by the production quality of their videos. Some online courses are excruciating to watch.

Mindvalley programs are shot in HD and are made by some of the best filmmakers around.

Everything looks A+. Not super important, but definitely worth mentioning.

3 Things I Did Not Like About Mindvalley

To be fair, I totally understand WHY people are a little put off by Mindvalley. Especially when we’re all inundated with “become a superhero with superpowers and memorize the dictionary in 5 minutes” self-help stuff online.

There is definitely a lot of toxic self-help out there. Mindvalley isn’t that, but any time you’re in this space, you’re going to face a lot of heat. It’s like a dating advice site. Even if you’re giving 100% good advice about being better with relationships and dating, you’ll get hit with “you’re just another pickup artist!!!” hate. That’s the interwebz.

Anyways, here are 3 legit things I didn’t like about Mindvalley.

1. Some of the courses are too extra

I’m not into chakra healing or awakening any kind of species inside of me. Sounds painful, actually.

If it makes me a better entrepreneur, person, or weightlifter, I’m all ears. But when the focus is on balancing energies or awakening god knows what inside of me, I’m not a fan.

These might be right up your alley if you’re into spirituality, but I’m not sure you’ll get a ton of daily practical value like you will from the fitness, productivity, or human skills courses.

For example, the syllabus for Chakra Healing says you’ll cover bioenergetic exercises, learning how we’re conditioned by childhood experiences, and covering the 7 chakras. Not sure how you’ll directly apply that to your job or life. 

2. The advertising

I’ll be 100% honest here: I don’t like advertising at all. 

Actually, wait. Let me clarify.

I don’t like the top-of-the-funnel advertising. There’s a lot of good advertising by the founder (more on him later) on YouTube where he covers how the platform works, the community, what you get, etc.

But the top level, let’s say “introductory,” advertising puts me off. 

Here are a few things I didn’t like about it:

1. Saying education has completely failed us. I disagree, and that’s coming from a guy who didn’t go to college. There’s plenty of good education out there.
2. Getting people’s attention by saying you can acquire knowledge by touching a book.
3. Some big, clickbaity headlines like the one I’m about to show you.

But hey, they have over 10 million students, and here I am writing a Mindvalley review.

That’s the thing, though. They know what works and what gets the attention of their target audience. They’re good at what they do.

Don’t judge the platform by these ads, though. It’s not really an accurate reflection of what’s inside. For example, there’s no course called “live to 180.” However, there is a biohacking course with a lot of insightful advice and tips to help you live a longer, healthier life. 

3.  I wish there was more interaction with the coaches

I had this gripe with Masterclass too. I just wish the coaches were more accessible.

I totally understand that some self-help celebrity isn’t going to waste a ton of their time on me. But in a few of the courses, the coaches only did 1 Q&A session.

Some coaches are more accessible than others, though. It varies from course to course.

I don’t think this will affect your overall learning at all though. It would just be a nice thing to have.

Mindvalley: Who Is It for and Who Is It Not For?

WARNING: Cliche incoming.

Mindvalley is good for some people and not for others. It totally depends on you and your goals.

The funny thing is I actually thought I would be one of the people who it wasn’t good for, and I ended up being totally wrong.

I’m sure Mindvalley has something for everyone, even if you think you’ll hate it. Trust me, you’ll be very surprised how much you get out of some of the courses.

Who it’s for:

• Anyone interested in self-improvement: Duh. It’s a personal growth ecosystem. If you think you’re not getting as much out of life as you can, it’s probably worth a shot. Pretty much every course has life-improving advice you can implement daily. Things like hacks for blocking out negative thoughts, thinking with abundance, cool new exercises, gratitude for the little things—it all adds up to a better you.
• Anyone struggling with focus, productivity, fitness, or soft skills: Mindvalley has helped me improve everything from interacting with others and managing money to being more productive and appreciating my morning coffee…and my 3 afternoon coffees. If you’re having trouble focusing or getting work done, these courses will empower you to reach that next level.
• Anyone who loves self-help but doesn’t learn from books: I love reading, but it’s hard work. The lessons and 20-minute digestible tasks are the best way to learn. Plus, the directly applicable advice creates a positive feedback loop you can’t get from books. If you’ve tried books and still haven’t improved, definitely try Mindvalley. This is a science-backed learning method that improves digestibility and retention.
• Anyone interested in spirituality, meditation, mindfulness, yoga, and related stuff: I see meditation, mindfulness, and yoga as different than other things in the spirituality space. It’s 100% proven by science to benefit the body and mind. The stuff on yoga and meditation is far beyond anything else online. The free course alone has 150,000+ students. Pretty cool stuff.
• Anyone who loves a big, thriving community: Having friends is nice. I have a few myself. The community is really helpful, and having a Facebook group, friends on the app, meetups, and all that stuff will definitely improve your daily happiness. It’s cool to know that at any time, you can talk to a like-minded person for advice or to share your feelings.

Who it’s not for

• People who need serious help: Self-help books won’t cure deep-seated issues, depression, anxiety, or neuroticism. You need real medical help. Mindvalley will definitely help you manage those things to a degree, but that’s it. This is for people who are looking for self-help, not therapy or healing. 
• People looking for an education: I don’t like how they call themselves an alternative to education. This type of instruction won’t get you a job. It’ll definitely make you BETTER at the job you have. But it’s not something you should expect to give you marketable skills. On a side note, I think their instruction methods definitely need to be integrated into public education though. 6 or 7 one-hour classes per day totally burn out kids’ brains.
• People who need hands-on instruction: I’ve noticed a lot of negative feedback on the web where people said they couldn’t learn from videos or tasks. Um, yeah. It’s an internet course. If you struggle with that type of thing, then this obviously isn’t for you.

Mindvalley Post-Mortem: How Is My Life Different Now?

I’ve always been captain of the routine all-star team.

Wake up early, grab my coffee, get to work, never skip the gym—super exciting, right?

Because of that, I can’t claim that Mindvalley miraculously changed my life. I definitely think I’m a better version of myself, though. Like, I do the same things but I do them better. More focus, less distraction, better gym results—that type of thing.

ENTER: Karl version 2.0.

Here are few things you can expect to improve IF you implement what you learn. I’ll break it down according to “life” categories:

1. Entrepreneurship

Mindvalley made an indelible impact on entrepreneur Karl. I’m not Elon Musk organizing the first Mars colony telepathically, but I highly recommend it to any entrepreneur looking to improve, especially with people.

I’m definitely a more sincere and compassionate leader than I was before. I connect better with clients/contractors, and I commit to team success more. Also, I appreciate money more and spend less on stupid things (and more on things that make me happy).

2. Mind

I liked all 66 days of Hero.Genius.Legend. Robin gives some bulletproof tips to improving your outlook on life and living like a hero.

For example, he teaches 10 truths to live by and 8 mental mastery tactics. I don’t use them all. You can just pick and choose the ones you like best (don’t tell Robin I told you that, please). 

I pay much more attention to details that I never thought about before. Even when cooking or having my morning coffee. It makes life SO DIFFERENT. Like, wow all these seasonings, and smells, and cooking with my girlfriend, and fire, and…OK, you get it. I definitely appreciate things way more than I used to.

Before I just thought “CAFFEINE…GIVE ME”. Now I really appreciate the cup of black gold in my hand.

3. Fitness

I don’t agree 100% with the 10x course, but I still liked the theory behind it: Do less/gain more by cutting out things that provide little value and focusing on what provides the most value.

I’m also sleeping a lot better by discovering my optimal bedtime and sleeping hours based on my body type, fitness level, and a few others things I wasn’t even aware were important. 

Thanks, Dr. Breus.

So, overall in the months since Mindvalley, I’ve noticed:

• Better sleep
• More productivity
• Better mood
• More appreciation for the little things
• Improved leadership
• Spending less on things I don’t need
• Improved communication
• More focus
• More doing and less thinking

Again, it wasn’t a total “miracle” transformation. I had a lot of these things before, Mindvalley just made them better. That’s why I say it’s the perfect level up.

Mindvalley Overview: General, Pricing, Catalog, Specs

In case you just saw the Vulcan mind-meld “I can read a book just by touching it” ad, and don’t know anything about the platform, I’m going to cover all the important details.

At this price, you need to know what you’re getting into.

What is Mindvalley?

Mindvalley is a 10-million-student-strong self-improvement ecosystem on a mission to empower members to lead happy, fulfilling lives through enhanced mind, body, spirit, and habits.

I like to think of it as a self-improvement university. You take courses with qualified instructors, share thoughts and progress with other students, attend live events, and even get self-help homework assignments that are reviewed by lecturers.

Except instead of Biology for Medieval Arabic Philosophy, you’re studying yoga, kettlebells, money, happiness, meditation, leadership, memory, and cool stuff that actually helps you live a better life.

They offer free and paid courses covering everything from meditation and productivity to finance, parenting, relationships, and fitness.

Public education doesn’t teach us how to be better people. It doesn’t teach us how to live a quality, fulfilling life. 

That’s what Mindvalley is: Education for a good life.

Who’s Behind Mindvalley?

Vishen Lakhiani is a Malaysian-American businessman, entrepreneur, author, and activist who’s hell-bent on taking humanity to the next level. He was born in Kuala Lumpur, but he’s lived in the USA for quite a while—mostly in Silicon Valley.

I don’t agree with a lot of his advertising tactics or “the world has failed you” mantras, but I respect the hell out of his drive, passion, and, at least it seems, his sincere desire to help as many people as possible.

He’s also doing things the smart way. Rather than trying to help by wasting time donating or just writing self-help books to make money, he’s focused on stuff that really works. He focuses on elevating key systems that develop who we are as people.

By creating practical, far-reaching systems that give individuals the skills they need to help themselves, he can elevate humanity in huge numbers. It’s already working. He’s only 45 and already has over 10 million people on his platform, and countless others have bought his books.

Speaking of books, he’s a writing machine. He’s the author of hugely successful books like The Buddha and the Badass, The Code of the Extraordinary Mind, and 15 Things You Should Give up to Be Happy.

Mindvalley’s team is a who’s who of the self-help world. They’re like celebs without psychological issues and tabloid headlines.

Pricing: How Much Does Mindvalley Cost?

What if I told you that I could make your day just a little bit better for $1.36. What would you say?

Like, you wake up, take a shower, start getting ready for work, and BOOM, there I am with something that will make your day a little brighter.

Give me my $1.36, and I’ll go away, leaving you with some happiness-guru knowledge I learned in another dimension that’ll make you a tiny bit happier that day.

Would that be worth it?

NOTE: In this scenario, I’d also leave if you asked me to without payment. I’m not going to intrude. Actually, I guess I already did. How did I even get into your house? Let’s forget this example…

Mindvalley costs $59/month or $499/year for unfettered access to all programs, quests, meditations, and workshops plus the community.

It’s definitely not cheap, but considering this life-transforming stuff actually works, it’s totally justified.

Please, let me say something very bluntly without you sending death threats to my inbox:

For those people who don’t have $500/year to spend on improving themselves: You need to focus on getting your finances/career in order before investing in leveling up.

RIP inbox.

So basically, for $40 a month, you get training to make your mind, body, spirit, finances, and career better plus access to the global community and support. And if you aren’t happy in the first 15 days, you can cancel any time and get a full refund. There’s really nothing to lose.

One more reason I highly recommend the all-access pass

Some courses are hit or miss. Some are wildly popular with 1 MILLION plus students. Others have just a few thousand. A few of the smaller classes, like the one on leadership, are great. Others are just “meh” and don’t provide much value at all. It would suck to spend $300 on a course and hate it. With the all-access pass, who cares? Just quit the course and move to one that you like. 0 drawbacks.

Buying individual programs a la carte is a complete waste of money. Some of them are hundreds of dollars. Even if you complete only 2 programs a year, you’re saving hundreds of dollars with the all-access pass. But if you like lighting money on fire, be my guest.

Sneak Peek: What does a Mindvalley course look like? How does it work?

What if I told you that you could be unf*ckwithable?

When I read that I thought “Ok, you got me. I have to take the course now.”

Be Extraordinary is the flagship course of Mindvalley. 

It gives you a roadmap to leveling up your consciousness and reaching your full potential through greater self-love, finding clarity and purpose, mastering mindfulness, and putting aside petty differences or all the little things that bug you.

If I had to boil it down into English, I’d say it’s learning a system for conquering self-doubt and achieving goals through better habits, patterns of thinking, and confidence.

All in all, I really felt like I was sitting down and talking to Vishen about his life. I felt like he was talking directly to me and telling me how to create a life I really want.

The theory of the course

Ole’ Vish posits that there are 4 levels to human consciousness. Basically, modern man is a mental Troglodyte toiling away in a cave bound to a life of servitude based on social conditioning. 

As you ascend the levels, you become more and more in control of the world around you and the person within you. Once you get to the top, you can even begin to rise above criticism and shape reality. 

Is this making sense? Let me break it down quickly:

Level 1: We toil away in our caves due to social norms and beliefs we’ve learned from those around us and society at large.

Level 2: We become aware that this is reality, and we begin to break the chains. You learn different hacks like speed learning and meditation to start rising above the cave dwellers. Basically, you are aware that you control yourself and your interaction with reality based on your thoughts.

Level 3: You become one with the universe and begin to make your thoughts and dreams a reality. You find clarity and purpose and run with it.

Level 4: God Mode.

OK, so is this really possible?

I didn’t hear any voices and I’m definitely not channeling the universe’s inner chakra to bend reality. But I definitely feel more confident, productive, and mentally clear than I felt before the course. I feel way more dedicated to my mission than before.

I know the course sounds really spiritual, but the curriculum is way more practical than I expected.

A quick breakdown of the curriculum

Mindvalley breaks their courses down between lessons and tasks. You get one lesson every day along with a task to complete.

Here’s a quick snapshot:

Honestly, the course is really intuitive. You just click whichever module you’re on, watch the video, and complete the task. That’s the cool thing about it. It’s not overwhelming at all. Each day is just a quick tip along with a simple way to practice it.

Actually, you have to try hard NOT to digest it.

What did I get out of the course?

After 30 days with Vishen, I:

• Felt more grounded
• Worried less about the past
• Felt more dedicated to my career
• Felt more confident about my abilities
• Felt more compassion for team members 

I don’t feel like a god. However, I am way more aware of how much I control my reality.

Final Verdict: Is Mindvalley worth it?

After about 100 days on Mindvalley, I definitely recommend it for:

• People looking to level up
• People looking to get over mental blocks by defeating negative thoughts with science-backed methods
• People looking to be happier in general
• Anyone who wants to be more productive and focused
• Anyone struggling with personal relationships who wants to get better at it
• Anyone looking to get better with money management and attitudes toward their financial lives (ME!)

At the very least, Mindvalley is a positive, active, and fun ecosystem to be a part of. You have thousands of like-minded people supporting you to be happier and healthier at all times. And everyone is just a DM away.

It won’t make you happy if you feel like S**T all the time, and it won’t magically turn you into a good parent, husband, worker, girlfriend, etc. But that’s not the point. This is for growth. It’s to make you better at everything—not make you a decent human being.

It’s expensive for sure, and it definitely has an “overly guru” vibe, but once you’re in the ecosystem you’ll understand why millions of people swear by Mindvalley.

Mindvalley F.A.Q

Q: How much is Mindvalley worth?

A: Mindvalley is worth about $40 million dollars according to recent valuations. Vishen Lakhiani claims he started the company with only $700.

Q: Are Mindvalley courses free?

A: Mindvalley has some free courses, but most are paid. You can enroll in some of the free courses directly on the website, but they aren’t as comprehensive as the paid programs.

Q: Is WildFit part of Mindvalley all-access?

A: No, WildFit is not part of Mindvalley all-access. WildFit is a partner program of Mindvalley, but it’s not made in-house.

Q: What is Mindvalley?

A: Mindvalley is an online learning and self-development platform with the goal of helping people reach their true potential and live better lives. They do this through courses including video lessons, daily tasks, and online support groups.

Q: Is Mindvalley a scam?

A: No, Mindvalley is not a scam. It’s a platform with over 10 million students, world-class instructors, live events, and dozens of helpful courses. It definitely makes some over-the-top claims, but it’s not a scam.

Q: What is Mindvalley mentoring?

A: Mindvalley mentoring is a high-impact personal growth accelerator program where you get 1-on-1 coaching with Vishen Lakhiani to help you grow faster.