How long should you meditate before seeing concrete results on your mind, stress, anxiety, and spirituality?

How should I meditate?

How long ?

Should I meditate sitting or standing?

Eyes open or closed?

When you are interested in meditation , all these questions will naturally come to the table.

And that's not a bad thing, when you don't know a subject the most natural reaction is to question the action you are about to take.

In this article I will humbly advise you, so that you can then know how to position yourself with this practice, how to start simply , and how you can integrate it into your daily life.

What is meditation in concrete terms?

If you have a lot of prejudices, it will be a matter of desacralizing meditation at first.

So what does it mean to meditate…

Some people think that meditation is somehow doing nothing, being bored.

Some will have the image of a Buddhist monk in traditional robes.

Others will still believe that meditation is thinking about a specific subject for hours.

For my part, I think that these preconceived ideas do not correspond to reality.

Here I will enlighten you as best I can...

The true origin of the word meditation comes from the term Bhavana , which was used, according to scholars, by the Buddha himself.

If we translate this word, it means habituation , training .

And not thinking about something specific or remaining silent.

Meditation is a state that we can all achieve, but to improve, we will have to work at it regularly.

Okay Slim, meditation means training, but I'd like you to give me more details on this meditative state I need to achieve, what does it look like?

To simplify it as much as I can, meditation is training in non-distraction , it is training yourself to stay in the present moment.

Here and now .

This gives you a first indication to answer the question of the article, how long should I meditate.

Well, this time will probably change over the course of the sessions, all of this is training, by definition it is not a fixed practice...

The first session is likely to be difficult.

You don't know where you're going, you don't really know how your mind will react to it, you hesitate, you think you're doing it wrong, etc.

For some people, the mind will be very destabilized by a first meditation session, so it will be necessary to return to it gradually and without judgment.

Remember, it's training, it's habituation!

You will generate progress session after session…

Whether it's 5 seconds or 10 minutes that you've managed to spend in the present moment, it's a victory.

So don't make comparisons with others or with an imaginary you, my Mouvers!

If you are starting or resuming the practice of meditation, it may be because you would like to have access to the benefits it brings.

Stress reduction, improved concentration, better management of emotions, strengthening of the immune system, learning to let go , reduction of depressive and anxiety symptoms, improvement of relaxation , improvement of the quality and quantity of sleep , a longer and better quality life.

All these benefits are possible, but I must warn you...

Why meditation is not a magic formula?

Meditation is an approach very dear to my heart.

And I am convinced that if practiced by everyone it would change many things for the better in this world, whether on a personal or interpersonal level.

However, there is nothing magical about it.

Here's that pill for your back pain.

Here's Chat GPT to save you from spending 3 hours writing your dissertation.

Here's some chocolate to get your dopamine rush and make you feel better.

All of the above are shortcuts, and they didn't exist 10,000 years ago.

In reality, they are not really in line with our biology…

See not at all!

For millennia we have been accustomed to working hard before receiving a reward .

Hours of hunting mammoths before you can eat them, for example.

But now we are used to short-term gratification, which unfortunately is deadly for our species.

We want everything, right now.

But that's not how it works, even for meditation, which is nevertheless a fantastic tool.

So, don't expect to have your very specific problem solved after just a few sessions.

I saw that meditation was a practice that would improve concentration, so after a few sessions I will be a focused person!

If you're starting to know me, it's always the same music, to have significant results you're going to have to make an effort .

To get a sculpted and athletic body, two weight training sessions per month will not be enough, even if you spend hours on them each time.

If you have a problem in one of the pillars of your life, you're going to have to find a way to solve it and put some elbow grease into it.

The best thing is to take action, without pressure, day after day, and appreciate the changes it makes in you at that moment.

Why should meditation be seen as a long-term process?

As usual this is not a judgment, we have all been there, understanding that we cannot shorten the process is a giant step.

Because that's when you'll understand that the result comes after weeks, months, years of work.

And you will understand that the goal is not what should make you happy, it is the process that should allow you to flourish.

Rome wasn't built in a day.

Even though I'm sure after a few sessions you'll have small benefits, you'll have to meditate day after day to have bigger gains.

See some you didn't even expect!

So yes, sometimes you can meditate for 15 minutes without interruption with incredible sensations, and the next day you might not be able to.

Because your meditation session doesn't just happen in the 5, 10, or 15 minutes you practice.

The day, the night you spent, many parameters will come into play .

It works on the same principle as a sports session.

If you have been stressed all day at work you will be less able to push yourself during your session, because you will have already worn out the machine,

Even though it's a completely different part of the body, you need your mind to lift weights, or run miles.

So yes, in this article you will not find a ready-made answer .

It’s a conscious choice!

Maybe this won't suit some, but remember my Mouvers, only you know how long you can, you must meditate.

It is certainly not me, through an article, who will be able to answer your question precisely.

My advice is that you have to experiment.

Start with the time that seems most appropriate for your situation at the moment, and with what you would like to experiment with ; this seems to me to be an interesting first approach.

Then play with the settings, the time of meditation, the time of day you practice it, the type of meditation , etc.

Then you will be able to experiment with what suits you best, to do this listen to the feedback your body gives you .

I felt particularly good about this morning guided session, unlike the Vipassana meditation I did last night.

It will also be important to keep in mind not to remain fixed in one practice.

When you feel it's time for a change, don't hesitate and do this testing process again.

Don't lock yourself into a dogma...

And as for how long it would take to get the results you're looking for, I'm no fortune teller, and besides, you should avoid specialists who assure you they have the perfect answer for you.

If someone says to you:

Meditate three times a week for 10 minutes.

Eat 1 gram of turmeric per day.

Do this mobility session for 30 minutes on Sunday morning.

This doesn't make sense!

Always prioritize quality over quantity , even if it is not easy in this world where metrics rule...

As my great friend Pierre Dufraisse, and Marcus Aurelius before him, likes to say,
Only justice matters, always ask yourself if it is right .

Saying that a practice, a food, a tool is good or bad is meaningless.

This will depend on an infinite number of parameters.

The real question to ask is,

Is that fair?

I leave you to reflect on these beautiful words, my Mouvers.

And if you want to bounce back or simply share your experience concerning your meditation practice, I look forward to hearing from you in the comments section 😉

Nomad Slim
Founder of MOUVERS