How Long Is Long Enough in Meditation?

An hourglass on gravel. The sand amount is roughly equal for both ends.

Even if you have just 5 minutes to relax, doesn’t it feel great? There are days when you can relish a 5-minute break as though it were a mini-vacation. But with meditation – how long is long enough? What if you have just 1 minute? Can you experience benefits from a mere 60 seconds of meditation?

Let’s find out.

One Minute Together 

We’re going to do a single minute of breath meditation, together, with eyes closed or open. 

All we’ll do for one minute is gently notice the breath, coming in…and going out. Move at your own pace, gently and as evenly as possible. Count each breath, ending at the 7th exhalation.

Ready? Begin.

Every Minute Counts

When you’re ready, and have opened your eyes, bring your awareness back to reading this article. Perhaps rotate the shoulders slightly, gently, as you allow the breath to return to normal.

See how you feel a bit different now? A little refreshed. A little lighter. You might’ve even opened your eyes, if they were closed, to the realization that you’re smiling. It’s perhaps not a full meditation, but it is a taste, and it tastes pretty good.

When you think of setting aside time to meditate, of course, you’re usually looking for more than a single minute. Chances are good you think in groupings of 30, 20, maybe 15 and even 10 minutes.

If you’re a QuietSelf unlimited access subscriber, you’ve perhaps noticed that we offer a variety of lengths, ranging from 60 minutes down to just 1 minute each.

But there is another system of timings, which you might not have encountered before, that are specific to Kundalini meditation. If you’re unfamiliar with Kundalini, what is it? And why should its meditation timings matter to you?

Special Kundalini Meditation Lengths

Kundalini is a very special system of yoga and meditation focused on the powerful yin energy coiled at the base of the spine. Integral to Kundalini are specific lengths of meditation practice time. Let’s take a brief overview look at how you might experience some benefits of these timings, even if you’re not interested at this juncture in a full Kundalini practice.

Here’s what Kundalini has to say about the specific lengths of meditation times:

3 minutes of meditation
You benefit from a positive impact on circulation (blood flow) and on the electromagnetic field of the human body. You feel strengthened, better focused and more present in the moment.

11 minutes of meditation
You begin to experience positive changes to the nervous system as well as the glandular system.

22 minutes of meditation
Coordination of the Three Minds (Positive, Negative and Neutral) begins to occur, as a balance is created between them. The concept of the Three Minds, let alone balancing them, might be beyond what you have time for today, but for now, you can think of it as finding equanimity in your inner silence.

31 minutes of meditation
You experience a positive impact on all the cells of the body, and how they interact together as one, as well as on the many layers of the mind’s projection. In non-Kundalini terms, you can think of this as dwelling in the center of your consciousness and a release of attachment to your thoughts about yourself and the world. A deeper equanimity, if you will.

And beyond…

Kundalini also honors lengths of 62 minutes as well as 2-1/2 hours for advanced, formative change of body and mind. That’s deeper than most of us can go on a daily basis. But the principles are fascinating.

If the topic resonates with you, it’s certainly worth exploring.

Time Enough to Change

In addition to specific length of meditation, Kundalini further lays out a simple plan of self-transformation in terms of days. Simple is perhaps a misnomer. Let’s say instead brief. The undertaking of self-transformation is profound, and very deep, and to chart it, Kundalini parses the timeframe thusly:

  • 40 days to change a habit
  • 90 days to confirm that habit
  • 120 days to become the habit
  • 1,000 days to attain mastery of the habit

So, how long is long enough for meditation to help you as a real, and consistent, practice? Start with just 1 minute and see what happens. You’ll be truly amazed.

The inner world of your consciousness is constantly in growth. Engage with that growth, every day, for however long you can. You will see the entire world change before you.

You can check out how QuietSelf can be of support along your meditation journey with a limited-access Free Membership. Or, enjoy a 7-Day Free Trial to the entire Library with our Annual Unlimited Membership

Comments are closed.