How long should you meditate for beginners?

by Ethan Robert Digital Marketing Consultant

There are many stigmas revolving around meditation. Some people believe it’s reserved for certain religions, while others picture someone in a tranquil space focusing on their breath. This can confuse beginners, especially regarding how long they should meditate.

Beginners can meditate for a few short minutes each day. While five is the recommended amount of time for beginners, even as little as three minutes - consistently - can be life-altering. The goal is to increase the length of time spent meditating over time subtly.

If you’re new to meditation, you likely have many questions, with one of the biggest being how long you should meditate. This article teaches essential information about this topic, from how long you should meditate to knowing if your meditation is working. You may also find that working with a meditation instructor is best.

 

Are There Different Types of Meditation?​

 

There are many different types of meditation. So, while the technique of settling down and connecting with your mind remains the same, the outcome can look very different depending on the person meditating.

Here are the seven most common types of meditation:

●     Mindfulness. When someone refers to “meditation,” they’re more than likely discussing mindfulness meditation. This is the most common type, especially in Western culture. Here, the goal is to take note of thoughts and feelings without engaging with them.

●     Spiritual. Many religions - including Christians, Jews, etc. - practice spiritual meditation. During this meditation, the individual seeks to grow deeper in their faith and connect to a higher power.

●     Focused. Those who want to improve their attention and focus will want to practice focused meditation. Here, the meditator will focus on the five senses. They may sing, count beads, or stare at a flickering candle.

●     Movement. Movement meditation only sometimes equates to yoga. Movement can be any gentle activity, such as walking or gardening, where the movements encourage body awareness.

●     Mantra. Mantra meditation is common in Buddhist and Hindu beliefs but can be performed by anyone. A word is repeated during mantra meditation to clear the mind and enhance awareness.

●     Transcendental. This meditation technique involves silent mantras. It is performed to reach a state of pure calmness and awareness.

●     Loving-kindness. Do you need to improve in the compassion department? Loving-kindness meditation is a type of meditation designed to encourage compassion for yourself and others.

Now, let’s see how long you should meditate per day.

How Long Should I Meditate Per Day?​

 

Don’t think of the length of time for meditating to be a strict rule set in stone. No “law” says one must meditate for a certain amount of time to reap the benefits.

The consensus is that one should meditate for at least ten minutes per day to render the benefits of meditation. However, beginners may find ten minutes of meditation - especially daily - seemingly impossible. Even a few short minutes can feel like forever to a newbie meditator.

As a beginner, meditate for as long as you feel comfortable. Some people can reach the 10-minute mark without fuss, while others can only get 3-5 minutes before they finish. Regardless, the goal should be to improve your time continuously. So, if you start with a week of 3-minute daily meditations, shoot for 4 minutes the next week, and so on. If you continue to feel uncomfortable, consider taking an online meditation course.

 

 

Is 5 Minutes Long Enough to Meditate?​

 

Now that you know how long you should meditate daily, you may wonder if 5 minutes is too long.

Five minutes is plenty of time to meditate, especially for beginners. That said, if you can only muster up five minutes during your first few meditation sessions, don’t panic. You don’t need to force yourself to do more time because you think you “have” to.

While you should continuously increase your time, five minutes will be enough to render results.

How Do You Know If Meditation Is Working?​

 

One of beginner meditators' most common questions is knowing if meditworksorking. After all, it doesn’t matter how long you’re meditating if you don’t think it’s doing you any good.

That said, here are the indicators that meditation is working:

●     Motivation. Meditatioencouragesge motivation, feeling ready and prepared for the day with an energetic and head-on attitude.

●     Improved sleeping habits. As meditation acts to calm the mind and ease stress and anxiety, improved sleeping habits go hand-in-hand; no more tossing and turning with racing thoughts.

●     Positive attitude. Being able to handle your thoughts means you can reject negativity, leading to a more positive attitude day in and day out.

●     Stress-free. Stressful situations will still arise, but with meditation, you should feel less concerned and more confident.

●     Clear-headed. Opening the mind through meditation ensures the mind does not become cluttered with worries, stress, etc. With an open mind, you can think clearly and practice better behaviors like kindness and gratitude.

●     Awareness. Meditation also encourages awareness of the body. So, you may notice things you didn’t notice before, like slouching at your office desk.

●     Excitement for the next session. If your meditation is working, it won’t feel like a chore or something you must do. Instead, you will be thrilled for your next session.

Now, let’s move on to whether you need silence for meditation. You may also find it interesting to know about creative visualization meditation scripts to improve your focus.

Can I Listen to Music While Meditating?​

It’s a common misconception that meditating demands a tranquil space. But this couldn’t be further from the truth.

The fact is, some people thrive from noises during meditation, especially music. Playing music while meditating can improve the positive effects of the practice. Music is also recommended for beginners who struggle with relaxing and becoming in tune with their minds and thoughts.

Meditating for Just a Few Minutes a Day Can Be Life-Changing​

 Regarding how long beginners should meditate, focus less on the number and more on how you feel. As long as you feel like the meditation is working successfully, the length of time does not matter as much. While most newbie meditators will start with a range of 3-5 minutes, the goal is to increase the time to reap further benefits. 

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Created on Feb 18th 2024 15:03. Viewed 62 times.

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