There are many benefits of regular meditation from stress relief to reduced anxiety and better sleep. But how to meditate and for how long is not always clear.
May 21 is World Meditation Dayand we asked Vishen LakhianiMindvalley CEO and meditation expert with 20 years of experience, on how long people should meditate to get the most benefit from the practice.
“People think the length of your meditation is what determines the quality of your meditation. [That’s] untrue,” Lakhiani told CNBC Make It.
The biggest benefits will happen in the first few minutes [of meditation].
Vishen Lakhiani
Meditation Expert and CEO of Mindvalley
Meditating longer doesn’t always yield greater benefits, and meditating for too long can sometimes decrease the quality of your meditation.
Usually, people think they should aim for an hour for better quality meditation sessions. But Lakhiani completely disagrees.
‘Take a one to three minute soak in peace’
“Contrary to what we often hear, ‘I tell my students, don’t meditate for an hour a day,’ says Lakhiani. “Life is bigger than that.”
Instead, he recommends meditating for no more than 20 minutes, and sometimes less than five minutes. “For most people, 15 to 20 minutes will give you the changes you need,” Lakhiani says.
“You can take a peaceful soak for one to three minutes and you can see visible results. The biggest benefits will happen within the first few minutes.”
“Don’t think you need an hour to meditate,” he warns. He suggests using the extra 40 minutes you can meditate to do the following activities:
- Read the book
- Do high-intensity exercise
- Spend time with loved ones
Practice ‘active meditation’
Most people are too busy to set aside an hour to meditate, so Lakhiani encourages her students to practice active meditation throughout the day.
“Active meditation is about turning problems into projects,” he says. “If you’re feeling a little nervous or anxious about a product that you need to finish by the end of the week and you’re stuck, you can picture yourself finishing a project, finding yourself praised by your boss. [and] I feel very proud of my work.”
This tactic is an active form of meditation also known as creative visualization and you can practice several times a day in less than five minutes.
Other forms of positive meditation might include practicing compassion for others and thinking about the things you’re grateful for.
Lakhiani says shorter meditations allow you to meditate multiple times in the same day. Meditate for “no more than 20 minutes and you can stack these methods.”
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