How Long Should I Meditate?

How long should I meditate? Is probably the first question that people ask when beginning meditation practice? There are many different opinions about the most beneficial length of meditation time and this can be confusing for the newcomer and old timer alike.

Why is it Important to Know How Long Should I Meditate?

Meditation can bring many benefits to a person's life. Personally I have found that the most productive and contended times of my life were those times when I was meditating regularly. Conversely when I miss meditation for a few days my mind feels a bit groggy and lacking in sparkle. My return to meditation after an absence can feel like soaking my brain in a warm relaxing bath. I have no doubts about the benefits of meditation, but always making the time for practice has been a problem for me.

Fitting meditation into a busy schedule is not always easy. A few minutes here and there probably brings some benefit, but not as much as a regular practice. I have gone on retreats where more or less every second of the day was spent meditating and this certainly brought my mind to a new sense of peace. Unless you become a meditation monk though, this type of intensive practice cannot be a regular part of most people's lives. From the moment I began meditating back in my teens I was always asking the question, "how long should I meditate" but I have never really been given a satisfactory answer about the most beneficial length of meditation time.

How Long Should I Meditate?

When most people ask this question what they really mean is how little do they need to mediate. A regular practice is a commitment and most of us will want to know the bare minimum length of meditation time we can get away with. Some people only meditate for ten minutes a day and seem to get what they want from the practice by doing this. The general consensus seems to be though, that longer times are needed if people want to go further in meditation and experience some of the different mental states that are of offer. Anyone interested in reaching Jhana states of concentration probably need to meditate a lot.

The most usual answer to, "how long should I meditate" is that it differs from person to person. I have found twenty minutes twice a day works well along with the occasional longer session. The one problem I have with this is that it seems easier to do one long session than to motivate myself twice to do two sessions. Meditating for one hour long session has also worked well for me in the past, but it takes me a while to build up to this and once I miss a few sessions it is hard to go back to the hour.

As well as doing regular meditation practice it is possible to add to this by doing mindfulness practice throughout the day. Mindfulness can be performed anywhere and at anytime; all you have to do is pay attention to what you are doing. This can bring many similar benefits to normal sitting practice and is a great way to combat stress.