As the popularity of meditation rises, we need to know how much meditation is enough. At Elevate Yoga, we are big supporters of implementing a meditative practice into daily life and believe that there are many benefits that come with meditation when done in the right way.
Today, we will be showing you how much meditation is enough. After reading the information provided in this guide, we are sure you’ll be ready to make meditation a part of your daily routine in the right way.
How often should you meditate? And how long should you meditate for?
Is one minute enough, as some people suggest? Or do you need to set aside twenty minutes twice a day in order to make progress?
One minute meditation
One minute can certainly make a difference. Once you know how, you can shift from high anxiety to relaxation and calm within the space of a few breaths. In that time you could also turn irritation into acceptance, impatience into appreciation or disappointment into satisfaction — just by acknowledging your emotions. You could also reduce your heart rate by 50% or more, and send your nervous system almost to the point of sleep. But to develop and maintain this level of skill, you’d probably have to meditate for one minute at least half a dozen times a day (or more), especially if you’re just starting out. For most people though, one minute doesn’t quite offer the same levels of relaxation that ten or twenty minutes do. A three-minute breathing space or spot-meditation may not quite cut it.
Twenty minutes meditation
I have heard it said that it takes about twelve to fifteen minutes for stress hormones to wash completely out of the blood stream, so a meditation of twelve minutes or more seems to lead into states that feel calmer, quieter and more ‘meditative’. This idea seems to correspond with the experiences many people have. Namely, that it takes five to eight minutes just for the mind to begin to settle down, and a few more minutes before you start feeling really comfortable in your skin. This may be part of the rationale behind the recommendation to sit for twenty minutes. You spend about 3/4 of the meditation getting calm and have five minutes at the end to enjoy the fruits of your efforts.
So if it takes a typical meditator about fifteen minutes to calm down, why do some folks recommend sessions of an hour or more? Do you get more relaxed the longer you meditate? Sadly, the answer is no. In fact, if you’re relatively new to meditation you’ll probably find longer meditations quite frustrating or perhaps even painful. An hour long meditation might feel a bit like running a marathon (without having done any preparation for it).
Longer periods meditation
I’ve been on meditation retreats where we were required to meditate for eight to ten hours a day. I’ve also been on retreats where we meditated for two to three hours a day. I found the latter far more useful. To use another sporting analogy, ten hours of meditation a day could be considered ‘over-training’. It’s more likely to result in injury, burnout, or worse. When it comes to meditation, more is not better. My recommendation is that you go for quality over quantity. For most people, twenty minutes is probably about right.
On the other hand, many meditators get used to meditating for longer periods, typically of forty to sixty minutes. If you were to dedicate just one week to meditations of this length you would probably be surprised at how quickly you get used to it — and also how quickly the time passes. Furthermore, meditations of this length allow you to become familiar with a broader range of meditative experiences. In my experience, there have been some additional benefits from stretching beyond the twenty-minute mark. It’s a bit like running a marathon (this time having prepared well for it), rather than a five or ten km fun run. There’s a greater sense of achievement. A certain expertise or understanding grows out of pushing oneself beyond self-imposed limitations and committing to some more dedicated training.
Rough guide to how much meditation you might aim for
Note that these are very broad generalisations. You may be a beginner who has decided to dedicate two hours of meditation practice to every day of the week. Or you might be an old hand who does very little formal practice and instead has incorporated a mindful way of being into many daily activities.
| Beginner | Intermediate | Pro | |
| Duration | 1 – 5 minutes | 10 – 20 minutes | 40+ minutes |
| Frequency | When Stressed | 4 – 7 days per week. | 5 – 7 days per week. |
| Expectation | Reduce stress. Find balance. Feel normal. |
Reduce stress. Find balance. Enjoy deep calm. |
Maintain balance. Enjoy profound calm. Explore the mind. |
Conclusion
To learn and maintain any skill, I’d suggest that you need to spend at least two to three hours a week practising. But you could do that in a very creative fashion: you might include some mindful walking or exercise, a number of short ‘spot-meditations’ as well as some formal meditations of ten to twenty minutes. Practising regularly is better than practising occasionally. But you don’t want to overtrain. Five days a week would be a good aim.
If you’re a beginner, you don’t want to jump straight into a marathon. You can start with as little as one minute, but I’d suggest that ten to fifteen minutes would be more useful and productive. You’ll probably get more out a meditation of that length than you will out of just one or two minutes, even though you’ll need to find a bit more time and be a bit more organised and dedicated. If you can’t find ten or fifteen minutes to spare each day, you probably need to develop some organisational skills!
Short meditations are great for maintaining balance in the midst of a busy working day.
Longer meditations are helpful (perhaps even necessary) if you really want to learn how to master your mind, mood and emotions and to derive the full benefits of the practice.
Join Elevate’s Upcoming Meditation Workshop!
Now that you know how much meditation is enough, it’s time to get started on a regular meditative practice for yourself! Our Black Rock studio services just some of the Bayside suburbs of Beaumaris, Sandringham, Hampton, Highett, Mentone and Cheltenham. If you live in or around this area, Elevate Yoga will be hosting an upcoming meditation workshop on February 9th from 12-3 PM and we would love for you to join us. Check our website or contact us for more details! Meditation is for anyone regardless of age or prior experience and you can get started on the path to a better life today.
** Content Credit: https://melbournemeditationcentre.com.au/articles/how-much-meditation-is-enough