Meditation for Thursday 30th November 2023
People often ask how long should I meditate each day and whether I should meditate morning and evening? According to a study published in Behavioural Brain Research meditating for 13 minutes a day for 8 weeks led to a decreased negative mood state, enhanced attention, memory and decreased anxiety. The study also found that participants who meditated for 8 weeks had more significant results than those that meditated for 4 weeks.
This is one study of many that vary in their recommendation of time spent meditating but all come to similar conclusions that meditation benefits your physical, emotional and spiritual health. It should also be acknowledged that each person will respond differently. Some may find 5 minutes morning and night beneficial whilst others may opt for a longer period. By tradition 20 minutes seems to be about the right amount of time for most. It’s important to commit to a meditation practice without creating too much pressure, which helps reduce stress levels making meditation easier especially for beginners.
We are all individuals so we need to tailor our practice to our individual needs. This does not mean that we ignore guidance particularly from those traditions that have time-tested experience in meditation. Common sense should always prevail.
Although meditation is beneficial at any hour many people find morning to be the best time to meditate because it’s typically the part of the day with the least distractions and its quiet. In religious traditions early morning, sometimes as early as 3am but usually from 5am onwards are considered ‘magical hours’’ for prayer and meditation. Time sits still and you feel undistracted by daily life. As one ages early morning often becomes more difficult so adjustments need to be made.
When we meditate we seek..
- A peaceful place.
- We watch our posture.
- We take it slow and steady.
- We meditate at the same time/s each day.
- We compliment with mindfulness practices.
Meditation
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For the December programs from the Carmelite Centre go to www.thecarmelitecentremelbourne.org