The ideal length of time to meditate per session varies among individuals and practices. Generally, however, experts recommend meditating for between five and 45 minutes per day. If you're a beginner, start with short sessions of a few minutes, and add time as you develop your meditating skills.
Experts vary on specifics, but the ideal length of a meditation session falls somewhere between five and 45 minutes. Ultimately, it's a personal choice based on what feels right to you and fits your experience level, comfort, goals, practice, and other personal factors. Whatever you decide, consistency and perseverance are key.
When You're Beginning Your Meditation Practice
Start with just five minutes and remember that the schedule is up to you. Beginning slowly can help you:
- Get used to meditation
- Ease into a committed practice without pressure
- Learn your best times of day to meditate
- Try various types of meditation before committing to one
As you get into your routine, add one minute each week until you reach the desired time.
How to Start a Meditation Practice
Remember that mastering the art of meditation can take a while, and so can the results. Be patient, and learn all you can about meditation and mindfulness techniques in the meantime.
As you grow better at meditating, avoid the temptation to meditate too long. A consistent practice with shorter sessions yields more benefits than marathon sessions before you're ready. You should feel refreshed and relaxed after your meditation session, not drained, exhausted, or discouraged.
How Long Should You Meditate to See Results?
To see benefits from meditation, experts suggest you aim for at least 10 minutes a day. However, each person responds differently, so try longer meditation periods if 10 minutes don't seem to make any difference for you. If you find this difficult, try meditating several shorter times throughout the day.
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Are 10 Minutes of Meditation Enough?
What's "enough" for you depends on your individual goals and meditation style. For example, if you're a beginner or your main goal is to reduce stress, some research suggests that a consistent 10 minutes per day is enough to reap significant benefits. In contrast, mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) meditation involves daily 45-minute sessions, which research has also shown to be effective for anxiety. Ultimately, your ideal session duration is whatever works for you.
However, if you'd like to work on increasing concentration and focus, 30 minutes a day gives you time for some light stretches as you practice breathing techniques.
Whether you meditate for 10 minutes or 45, do it every day. Research has discovered that consistency is more important than session duration in realizing the benefits of meditation.
Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) is a type of meditation that shows especially beneficial results for those who have anxiety. This eight-week meditation program involves daily 45-minute sessions, longer than many other types of meditation. In a systematic review of MBSR, "results suggested large effects on stress, moderate effects on anxiety, depression, distress, quality of life, and small effects on burnout."
How Many Times a Day Should You Meditate?
Meditate consistently at least once per day. If you're moving toward longer sessions but finding they're problematic for you, try splitting them into several smaller sessions.
When Should You Meditate?
Finding the best time of day to meditate might take some trial and error, but start by considering the least variable factors, such as your schedule. Think about when you are most likely to adhere to your routine.
Some people find morning meditation best for two reasons: Putting mindfulness and self-care first in your day means nothing is likely to interrupt your routine and gives you the mental space to prepare for your day.
On the other hand, nighttime meditation might help you counterbalance the daily flood of information in the quietness.
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How Often Should You Meditate?
Some people benefit from sitting once every day, whereas others prefer a short session in the morning and another in the evening.
Sitting more than once a day can help manage overthinking and keep your mind calm and stress-free throughout the day. It's important to try different methods and see what works for you before adding it to your daily schedule.
Opinions vary between teachers and traditions, but one thing is clear: Don't force anything. Meditation is all about checking in with yourself and your needs, not pushing beyond your limits.
Meditation Facts: Why You Don't Have to Clear Your Mind
Ideal meditation session lengths, according to a few practices:
- Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) method—40 to 45 minutes daily
- Transcendental Meditation (TM)—20 minutes twice a day
- Tibetan monks—Hours per day, some of which are typically broken into short sessions
How Long Does it Take for Meditation to Change the Brain?
Research is ongoing, but studies are increasingly finding that mindfulness training actually causes physical changes in the brain over time. Changes have been demonstrated to occur both during meditation and over time, with eight weeks being the point at which many people notice the full benefits.
Not all meditation teachers would agree that this timeline is relevant, however. Research backs them up, consistently showing that even just a few minutes each day can have immediate benefits.
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A Word From Verywell
If you are just starting out with meditation, don't feel pressured to do it for hours every day. Even just 10 minutes during your lunch break or before bed is enough for your body and mind to experience the many benefits of meditation.
5 Sources
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Mengran Xu, Christine Purdon, Paul Seli, Daniel Smilek. Mindfulness and mind wandering: The protective effects of brief meditation in anxious individuals. Consciousness and Cognition, 2017; 51:157 doi: 10.1016/j.concog.2017.03.009
Kuyken, J., Weare, M., Crane, C., & Williams, J. M. G. (2023). Meditation app use and associated mental health outcomes: A large-scale, longitudinal analysis. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, Article 772045. doi:0.3389/fpsyg.2023.772045
Khoury B, Sharma M, Rush SE, Fournier C. Mindfulness-based stress reduction for healthy individuals: A meta-analysis.J Psychosom Res. 2015;78(6):519-528. doi:10.1016/j.jpsychores.2015.03.009
Kabat-Zinn, J. (2020). Full catastrophe living: Using the wisdom of your body and mind to face stress, pain, and illness. ISBN:9780345536932
Fox KC, Nijeboer S, Dixon ML, et al. Is meditation associated with altered brain structure? A systematic review and meta-analysis of morphometric neuroimaging in meditation practitioners.Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2014;43:48-73. doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2014.03.016
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By Arlin Cuncic, MA
Arlin Cuncic, MA, is the author of The Anxiety Workbook and founder of the website About Social Anxiety. She has a Master's degree in clinical psychology.
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