How It Works

Fill out a short form on the Practice Buddy page. We ask for:

• Your name and email — so we can reach you with your match.
• Are you an old student? — meaning you've completed at least one 10-day Vipassana course as taught by S.N. Goenka. We prioritize matching old students together.
• Your timezone and city — so we can find someone who sits at a compatible time.
• When you sit — your morning and/or evening meditation time, and whether you sit once or twice a day.
• Session duration — how long each sit is (15 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour, etc.).
• Your current practice — whether you've maintained a regular practice, and for how long. This isn't a filter — it helps us write a better introduction.

That's it. No account creation, no password, no app to download. Just the form.

This isn't an algorithm. I (Matt) personally review every signup and look for compatible pairs. Here's what I consider, in order of priority:

I also do a brief web search on each person's name and email domain to write a more personal introduction. This helps your buddy get a sense of who you are before the first email.

Once I've found a good match, both of you receive an introduction email from me. The email includes:

• What you have in common — old student status, sit frequency, session duration, timezone.
• A suggested meeting time — the midpoint between your two sit times, rounded to the nearest half hour. If you sit at 6:00am and your buddy sits at 7:00am, I'll suggest 6:30am and note that it's 30 minutes later for you and 30 minutes earlier for them.
• A brief intro for each person — city, how long you've maintained your practice, and any relevant background.
• A permanent Google Meet link — more on this below.

If you're a first-time signup, you'll first receive a confirmation email before the full introduction. This email describes your potential match and asks:

You have 3 days to respond. If both people click yes, the intro email is sent automatically. If one person clicks no, both are placed back in the pool for a new match — no hard feelings.

If you've been matched before and confirmed (meaning you clicked yes previously), you're marked as a “ready” user. Next time, you skip the confirmation step entirely — we send the intro email directly. You already showed you're engaged, so we don't ask twice.

Every matched pair gets a permanent Google Meet link. This is the core of how Practice Buddy works — and it's based on what actually worked for me personally.

Why Google Meet specifically?

I tried several options — Zoom, FaceTime, WhatsApp video, custom solutions. Google Meet won because:

• Free with no time limits — Zoom free caps at 40 minutes. Google Meet has no limit for 1-on-1 calls.
• Screen + audio sharing works great — one person shares their screen with the Goenka recording playing, and the audio comes through clearly for both. This is the killer feature.
• Works on any device — phone, tablet, laptop. No app required if you use a browser.
• Permanent links — the same URL works forever. No need to create a new meeting each day.
• No account required for the joiner — your buddy can join from the link without a Google account.
• Low bandwidth — works fine even on mobile data or slow wifi.

Once you're matched and the intro email is sent, the system tracks a few things automatically:

• Reply detection — when either of you replies to the intro email, we detect it and update the match status. Once both have replied, you're marked as actively communicating.
• Meet link clicks — each person has a unique tracking URL that redirects to the shared Google Meet room. This lets us see who's showing up and when, without any manual logging on your part.

We don't monitor your calls or read your messages. The tracking exists only so we can tell if a match is working or if someone might need a new buddy.

Not every match sticks, and that's fine. Here's what can happen:

• One person doesn't respond — if you don't respond to the confirmation email within 3 days, the match expires. The person who did confirm goes back to the front of the queue. You go back to the pool and can be matched again later.
• You decline the match — no problem. Click “No thanks” and you'll stay in the pool for a different match. Your potential buddy will be paired with someone else too.
• The match fizzles — sometimes both people confirm but the practice doesn't take off. If you want a new buddy, just fill out the signup form again. Your old match will be ended and you'll be placed back in the pool.
• Life changes — if your schedule changes, you move timezones, or you need a break, that's completely normal. Submit the form again with your new preferences and we'll find you a new match.