How Long Should You Meditate?
One of the most common beginner questions has a reassuring answer: far less than you think. Here’s how long to meditate, and why the number matters less than the habit.
Start with 5–10 minutes
For beginners, five to ten minutes a day is ideal. It’s long enough to settle and short enough that you’ll actually do it. Ambitious hour-long sessions attempted once and abandoned teach you far less than ten faithful minutes.
Consistency beats duration
Ten minutes every morning will change more than ninety minutes once a month. The benefits of meditation are cumulative, so a small daily dose compounds. As it becomes natural, extend toward 20–30 minutes if you like.
Ten minutes every day will change your life; ninety minutes once a month will not.
To make the minutes stick, see how to build a daily meditation habit, and to make them count, use our wall staring method.
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