As a meditation teacher, lots of people ask me how long to meditate each day when beginning meditation at home.
It’s a good question and one that is not always easy to answer. It depends on the reason you are meditating, how long you have been meditating for, the technique you are using (such as Chakra Dhyana, Transcendental Meditation and so on) and your ability to focus.
It is well known that the Buddha himself would meditate for many days at a time and sometimes even weeks. But that generally isn’t advisable for most people.
So, let me help you find your ideal daily meditation time.
How Long To Meditate Each Day, By Benefit
1: Research suggests around 20 minutes
Most research that I read uses daily twenty-minute meditation sessions, which means that that is the minimum amount of time you should meditate for in order to get any real benefits. It also means that so-called “Instant meditations” are not going to work.
As well as 20-minute meditation sessions, a lot of research has shown the benefits of 40-45 minutes of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR).
Then there is the traditional practice. One of the most commonly used Buddhist meditations is Samatha (focusing on one object). Traditionally, this practice would be done by monks and nuns in 15-minute sessions, several times per day.
2. For anxiety…
This is one of the most common questions I receive: How long to meditate daily for anxiety. And in many ways, it is a tricky one.
The latest research (Behavioural Brain Research, March 2020) showed that as little as 13 minutes of daily meditation could help with anxiety. However, the majority of studies have used daily twenty-minute sessions, which is why I recommend twenty minutes meditation time per day.
3. For Depression
While I was writing this article, I researched the ideal meditation time for depression and I found many varying answers. Some (Healthline) state that you can see benefits with just five minutes a day. Others (UVMHealth) have a 3-minute meditation for depression. One (PsychCentral) even had a one-minute meditation for depression. And you can always follow the Eight-week MBSR course guidelines, which suggests 45 minutes.
Personally, I would stick to 20-minutes meditation time per day while being mindful of how you are feeling. If you experience any negative reaction to meditation you should stop immediately.
4. 45 Minutes Daily Meditation Time for Stress
Arguably the best practice for overcoming stress is the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction course devised by Jon Kabat Zinn. This course uses daily 45-minute sessions for eight weeks and has been shown to significantly reduce stress levels. Otherwise, aim for fifteen to twenty-five minutes each day.
5. For Beginners, 10 minutes
If you’re a beginner, you might not be able to focus properly for a long meditation session. That’s why it can sometimes be beneficial for beginners to practice short meditation sessions.
The trick here is to be mindful of your concentration. If you get ten minutes into a meditation and you feel like you simply cannot focus at all, you may as well stop and try again the next day.
Then again, if you are new to meditation and you find that you can focus, feel free to continue for up to 45 minutes (I wouldn’t advise longer than that for beginners).
6. For chakras…
Many advanced practitioners ask me what length of time they need to spend on each chakra.
If you’re new to chakra meditation I would recommend that you take at least one hour the first time you practice. You want to give yourself enough time to learn how to practice properly. Remember, chakra meditation involves mantras and visualizations (and in some instances mudras) so it’s important to take your time and get the procedure right.
Once you are confident that you know how to do Chakra Dhyana properly, you can speed up the process. If you ask me how long to meditate on each chakra, I’d say at least three minutes each (making a total of 21 minutes) and maybe longer.
7. For Enlightenment…
If you’re an advanced meditator you would probably like to reach enlightenment, and doing so is going to take serious time. Buddha meditated for seven weeks straight when he achieved enlightenment. So… you’re looking at quite a long time!
Summary
So that’s how long to meditate each day. But remember: It’s more important that you simply meditate. If you have a very busy day and you legitimately cannot meditate for twenty minutes, it is better to meditate for five minutes than not at all.
Overall, I’d say meditate for twenty minutes daily. If you have more time one day, go a little longer. And if you’re busy, you can get away with a short session.
Paul Harrison is a passionate meditation teacher who believes in genuine, authentic meditation. He has more than 15 years experience in meditation and mindfulness. He studied meditation in beautiful Oxford, UK, and Hamilton Ontario Canada, and earned his degree at Staffordshire University.
“My goal is to provide the most authentic meditation sessions so you can harness the power of your own mind for personal transformation” – Paul Harrison
I’m quite amazed that your info on meditation is so comprehensive. There are so many process that I wasn’t aware of. Thanks and Namaste.
Thank you very much for your kind words, Raymund. I appreciate it.