There are no limits to how many times you should meditate in a day but there are some tricks and tips to get the most out of the time you spend meditating. Meditation has so many benefits, it helps you to relax, sleep better and find ease and flow throughout your day.
I meditate once per day but lets explore the benefits of meditating more, less and in different ways.
Can you meditate multiple times in a day?
You can meditate as many times as you like throughout the day. If you are planning to meditate multiple times in the day I think it is important to decide the amount of time in total that you want to dedicate to this.
Although finding your center and flow through meditation is great, you want to make sure that you are not using it to procrastinate. I’m not one to encourage pushing through things you don’t want to do, but I certainly wouldn’t use meditation to avoid what I should be doing (like cooking dinner, cleaning up or writing).
When you are learning to meditate the key, like any habit you are developing is to do it everyday. Training your body and mind to expect meditation at the same time and space can help you get into a routine, where you naturally find the meditative state more quickly.
Transcendental Meditation is a way of meditating that involves doing so twice per day, morning and night. So many people have found benefit from meditating in this way there is certainly no problem with doing this multiple times.
You don’t need to follow the Transcendental Meditation process exactly (I’ll explain this in more detail below) but the concept of meditating twice a day is a nice practice to find peace and calm at both ends.
If you are finding benefit from meditation, then it is a great way to improve your life.
Is it ok to meditate 3 times a day?
I had found that 10 minute meditations three times a day was the best way for me to find calm and flow as the day went on. At the time I was working from home, so before I sat at my desk I would meditate for 10 minutes in the morning.
I would then take 10 minutes of my lunch break to meditate and then 10 minutes before bed. It is said that meditation will give you what your body needs most at the time.
For me I found that meditation before work would focus my mind, a lunch meditation would clear and relax me and meditation before bed would make me feel ready for sleep.
What results can you get from meditating?
According to the Mayo Clinic, meditation is a great way to reduce stress and find inner peace. There are so many benefits to taking the time to meditate each day.
For those who feel anxious, stress or worry, meditation has been shown to be particularly beneficial as it can help you to find calm. Taking a 5 minute break from a stressful situation to find and listen to your breath can help you to find your center and be ready to take on the task in front of you.
It can also help you to find clarity and re-focus on what you need to deal with.
How long should you meditate before bed?
There really isn’t a specific amount of time and would entirely depend on you. Another method I used for a while was a 10-minute meditation before bed. I found that any longer at the end of the day and I would just fall asleep.
Although falling asleep in this way is nice, meditation is really about awareness and conscious calming of the mind which is different from simply falling asleep. I would always find that if I meditated before bed that I would sleep more soundly and feel more refreshed in the morning.
Benefits of the meditation
Meditation has been practiced for thousands of years and is great in our modern world for all of us to de-stress and find focus in the busy environment of our lives.
By focusing your mind on simple thoughts like your breath, a sound of a distant truck, air conditioner noise or a bird, it can help to calm the mind and let go of the worries of the day.
As you practice, you will generally find it easier and easier to focus on the simple thought and allow others to fall away.
A great list of benefits include:
- Finding calm and clarity throughout the day
- Remove distractions and focusing your mind on a task
- Gaining a clearer perspective on a situation at work or at home
- Becoming more aware of yourself and how you feel
- Tapping into creative thoughts and ideas
- Taking the “edge” off becoming less reactive to situations
How to meditate longer?
If you want to extend how long you meditate for, I have found the best way is to start small and build up. I would start with 10 minutes then add another 2 minutes after 1 week. You can then add another 2 minutes each week until you reach 20 minutes. This means that in 6 weeks, you would have gradually built up to the full 20 minutes.
How to Meditate Longer – 6 Week Plan
| Weeks | Daily Meditation Time |
| 1 | 10 Minutes |
| 2 | 12 Minutes |
| 3 | 14 Minutes |
| 4 | 16 Minutes |
| 5 | 18 Minutes |
| 5 | 20 Minutes |
Meditation styles to try
There are many styles of meditation that will help you to get all of the benefits there is to offer from this practice. There are a few main categories to be aware of and are great choices, especially if you are starting off.
Mindfulness Meditation
I have done mindfulness meditations and I find these to be incredibly powerful when led by a really good instructor. This is all focused on becoming aware of the present moment, this could be through awareness of sounds, your body or sensations in your fingers or toes.
I think it is a great idea to try a mindfulness meditation to create some variety in your meditation style and find another way to focus your mind in a positive way. I plan to do these sessions every few months.
Guided meditation
A guided meditation is where someone will talk you through the process of meditating or talk generally to provide your mind something to focus on.
These can range from suggestions of muscle movements to general positive mantras or affirmations to help you to feel calm and supported. There are lots of great guided meditation videos on YouTube.
Transcendental Meditation
This is a particular type of meditation that, when I looked into it seems to be only available through courses. You meditate twice a day for 20 minutes and when you do the course you are allocated your own mantra which you keep secret and repeat over and over.
Mantra Meditation
This involves repeating a word or phrase over and over. This will help you to focus your mind on the mantra, and as your mind is focused there, the stressful thoughts of the day can be let go.
The simplest mantra is to repeat “Om” or you could try “I am”. These are both nice sounds that can reverberate across your lips as you say it. You could repeat it in your mind if you would rather not speak it out aloud.
How many times should I meditate in the day for the best results?
This is a personal choice and I recommend that you try a few different ways of meditating. Some options for beginners and experienced meditators alike include:
| Meditation options | Meditation times in a day |
| 1 | 1x 10 minutes |
| 2 | 2x 20 minutes |
| 3 | 3x 10 minutes |
| 4 | 1x 15 minutes |
You could meditate as long and as often as you like. Some of my friends will mediate for 60 minutes every morning. I opt for option 4 at the moment, I meditate for 15 minutes at the end of the day. That is because it is the quietest time at my house, the kids are asleep and I have time to myself.
Happy meditating.