The simple answer is, as often as you can make time for it.
Ideally, with mantra-based meditation, it is often recommended that you meditate for 20 minutes twice a day.
Here’s the thing. At the beginning, when you are just learning to make time for yourself and are trying to make space to squeeze meditating into your day, ANY time that you can get to sit in quiet is the perfect amount of time.
The goal is simply to start making time for it. It is like exercising. It’s pretty hard to make the time for it until you start seeing the results and feeling the benefits. Once you have a routine and notice a payoff, you make the time. It then gets easier and easier and suddenly you can’t go without or you miss it.
So, what is the payoff to meditating?
Well, the #1 payoff is that it reduces stress and increases feelings of relaxation and peace, but in addition to that, it helps you to relax your body, helps you connect to yourself, gives you mental clarity, helps with your focus, lowered blood pressure, decreased inflammation in the body, helps relationships, better sleep and so much more!
It really is the simplest way to set a strong foundation for physical and mental health.
I’m at the point in my practice now where I crave it. If I’m feeling a little off, cranky, foggy brained, disconnected or tired, I just give myself the time to mediate for 20 minutes because I know it will increase my mood and productivity dramatically if I do.
If you can incorporate 20 minutes twice a day, I recommend you do it once in the morning after you use the washroom and maybe have a glass of water or hot water with lemon.
If you can incorporate 20 minutes twice a day, I recommend you do it once in the morning after you use the washroom and maybe have a glass of water or hot water with lemon.
The second time would ideally be late afternoon or after work, but before dinner. It will give you a sense of relaxation, but also energy, so you don’t want to do this too close to bed time or too late in the evening.
These time suggestions are just a guideline to be able to get the most out of your practice and your day. In the morning, you set your day up for success and in the afternoon, you release any tension and stress you picked up that day.
In the end, do what works for you, but BE CONSISTENT. As with anything else in life that is when you will see the biggest results. Focus on the process and the progress, not perfection.
Namaste,
Tina xo
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