Which program did Jon Kabat-Zinn create in 1979 to bring mindfulness into medicine?

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia

A sound or phrase repeated to focus the mind

A type of thick rubber yoga mat used for sitting

In a body scan meditation, what do you do?

Move attention slowly through each part of the body

Take a medical scan of your body

Count each step while walking slowly in a straight line

Meditation Quiz: Mindfulness, Breathing and Ancient Practices

This meditation quiz explores the history and science of quiet practice, from ancient traditions such as Zen and Vipassana to Jon Kabat-Zinn's mindfulness program, the Beatles' trip to Rishikesh, box breathing, mantras, the lotus position and the United Nations' World Meditation Day.

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🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 90 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 90s

Mindfulness
Which program did Jon Kabat-Zinn create in 1979 to bring mindfulness into medicine?
Traditions
In Zen Buddhism, what is seated meditation called?
Postures
Which classic cross-legged meditation posture has each foot resting on the opposite thigh?
History
In 1968, the Beatles traveled to Rishikesh, India, to study meditation with whom?
Breathing
Box breathing, used by some soldiers and athletes, involves how many equal steps?
Words
What is a mantra?
Traditions
Vipassana, a Buddhist meditation practice, is usually translated as what?
Calendar
In 2024, the United Nations declared which date World Meditation Day?
Practices
Metta meditation focuses on developing what?
Practices
In a body scan meditation, what do you do?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: Which program did Jon Kabat-Zinn create in 1979 to bring mindfulness into medicine?
Answer: Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction
Kabat-Zinn started MBSR at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. The eight-week course is now taught in hospitals around the world.
Q2: In Zen Buddhism, what is seated meditation called?
Answer: Zazen
Zazen means seated meditation. A koan is a puzzling question used in training, and satori refers to a moment of sudden insight.
Q3: Which classic cross-legged meditation posture has each foot resting on the opposite thigh?
Answer: Lotus position
The lotus position is called padmasana in Sanskrit. Many beginners use the easier half-lotus or simply sit on a chair.
Q4: In 1968, the Beatles traveled to Rishikesh, India, to study meditation with whom?
Answer: Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
The Maharishi taught Transcendental Meditation, which uses a personal mantra. The band wrote many songs for the White Album during the trip.
Q5: Box breathing, used by some soldiers and athletes, involves how many equal steps?
Answer: Four
Breathe in, hold, breathe out and hold again, each for the same count, often four seconds. The steps trace the four sides of a box.
Q6: What is a mantra?
Answer: A sound or phrase repeated to focus the mind
Mantras such as Om have been used in Hindu and Buddhist practice for thousands of years. Repeating them can help settle wandering thoughts.
Q7: Vipassana, a Buddhist meditation practice, is usually translated as what?
Answer: Insight
Vipassana courses often last ten days and are held in noble silence, with no talking between students.
Q8: In 2024, the United Nations declared which date World Meditation Day?
Answer: December 21
December 21 falls on the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere. June 21 is already the International Day of Yoga.
Q9: Metta meditation focuses on developing what?
Answer: Loving-kindness
In metta practice, people silently wish well to themselves, loved ones, strangers and even difficult people.
Q10: In a body scan meditation, what do you do?
Answer: Move attention slowly through each part of the body
A body scan usually starts at the feet or the head. It is a core exercise in many mindfulness courses.

Meditation Quiz – Training the Mind

Meditation is a set of practices for training attention and awareness. People have meditated for thousands of years, in Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, Taoist, Christian, Jewish and Islamic traditions, among others. Today, millions of people meditate every day, whether in temples and retreat centers, in hospitals and schools, or with apps on their phones.

Many forms of meditation come from Asia. Buddhist traditions include Vipassana, or insight meditation, and Zen, with its seated practice called zazen. Hindu traditions developed mantra meditation and the yoga postures that help people sit still for long periods. Metta, or loving-kindness meditation, trains people to feel goodwill toward others.

In the 20th century, meditation spread widely in the West. The Beatles' trip to study with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in 1968 made Transcendental Meditation famous. In 1979, Jon Kabat-Zinn created Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, a secular program that brought mindfulness into medicine. Since then, researchers have published thousands of studies on meditation.

Research suggests that regular meditation may help reduce stress, improve focus and support emotional well-being, although scientists continue to study how large these effects are. Simple techniques, such as paying attention to the breath, box breathing or a body scan, can be tried in a few minutes. In 2024, the United Nations named December 21 World Meditation Day.

This quiz covers the traditions, techniques and history of meditation.

Meditation does not require special equipment or beliefs. Many teachers suggest sitting comfortably, keeping the back upright and gently bringing attention back whenever the mind wanders, which it always does. That moment of noticing and returning is often described as the real exercise. Some people prefer moving practices, such as walking meditation, tai chi or qigong, which combine slow movement with steady attention.

What This Quiz Teaches

This quiz is perfect for curious beginners and experienced meditators alike.

Where different forms of meditation come from
What zazen, Vipassana and metta mean
How mindfulness entered modern medicine
What a mantra is
How box breathing and body scans work
When World Meditation Day takes place

Quick Facts About Meditation

The word mindfulness often translates the Pali word sati.
Walking meditation is a common practice in many Buddhist monasteries.
Some meditation retreats last for weeks in complete silence.
Many people start with just five or ten minutes a day.
Meditation apps have been downloaded hundreds of millions of times.
Yoga and meditation are closely related but not the same thing.