What are the Best Times to Meditate?
Is there really an ideal time? Is it better to practise it in the evening or morning?
Morning. Noon and Evening.
That's it?
Yes actually. THAT IS IT. There is no great mystery around it.
“Best times to meditate for optimal results” — this curiosity actually starts with a singular question — what is the best time to meditate?
Many meditators who have tasted experiences of meditation here-and-there ask this.
Or, it is asked by those who have not meditated ever. Here you just want to fill up your mind with more facts about meditation. You have reallllyy nothing to gain in this case. At this point, the most important thing is to start meditating.
But in the first case. There is actually something to be gained if you pursue this question sincerely.
This is What Happens When you Begin a Meditation Practice
Usually, after you have meditated on and off; had some good experiences, you want to start meditating on a regular basis.
And once you’ve been regular for some time, it gets you thinking — “What would be the best time to do it daily to get maximum impact?”.
Usually, the best time is anytime (I spilled the beans!). As long as you can get into the practice of doing it regularly.
Ideally, how Many Times Should I Meditate?
In spite of your busy schedule and knowing very well that you cannot meditate more than once a day, after some time, you want to know the ideal number of times you should meditate.
Well, I would still say, one is good enough if you are sitting for 15 to 20 minutes a day. And if you can maintain that momentum for many years.
But then you want to know the ideal thing. Right?
Even if I tell you one is good enough, you would still want to know.
So here it is…
IT IS THREE TIMES A DAY
The best is if you can meditate 3 times a day. Not in quick successions. But spread across the day — morning, noon, and evening.
But this is not a matter of convenience.
It is a matter of practice.
It is a matter of commitment.
If you aspire to make meditation an inseparable part of your life, it is a matter of sincerity in effort.
To continue 3-times-a-day meditation practice for a long time, you got to be very committed.
So if you are just excited about it, then your curiosity is childish.
Yet, let me highlight what you gain from doing so. Maybe it will inspire you to build this practice.
Morning: Starting Your Day With Silence
Morning anytime after you wake up is the best time. If you can do a 20-minute meditation in the morning before you have breakfast or jump off to work, it is good enough.
Anytime between 4 am to 8 am is a good time.
Rather what you should be targeting is this — get up and after your ablutions, without looking at your phone or getting distracted by anything, directly sit for meditation.
Try doing 30 minutes.
This practice will:
- give you a brilliant kickstart to your day,
- get you out of autopilot,
- keep you energized throughout,
- give you exponentially more time,
- and prep you up for the challenges to come :D
Noon: Conquering the Afternoon Slump and Slug
While morning meditation is the best, if you can include a 10, 15, or 20 minutes meditation during noon time before lunch, you are up for an energizing treat.
This meditation will give you a booster as if you have started your day afresh. You will feel alert even after lunch. A pre-prandial meditation sprint (you wanted cooler terms?) will really help you sail through a hectic schedule very smoothly.
Noon meditation practice helps build a grounded emotional state.
Evening: Making the Dawn More Beautiful
Having done morning and noon meditation, a nice 15 to 20 minutes meditation in the evening, anytime between 6 pm to 7:30 pm, is a glorious end to your day.
Usually, many people feel lethargic during sunset. The evening meditation will take away that lethargy and prepare you for a serene, focused, or relaxed evening/night.
It will create a boundary between your work hours and pause hours.
An evening meditation practice is also a way to tell your brain to end the day on a quieter, grateful, and relaxed note — a super thing to do if you like good sleep!
A Matter of Practice
With this routine, within a couple of days, you will feel very energetic, focused, peaceful, balanced, and (add all the things you really want to feel……………keep adding…….)
And…you’ll look forward to meditating thrice a day. You’ll look forward to these moments with yourself discovering your inner landscape.
But getting regular with it is a matter of practice and commitment.
There can be many occasions when you will have a tendency to miss one, two, or all three.
This is where one meditation a day commitment is easier to follow through.
But don’t be disheartened if 3 meditations-a-day stint breaks. Make an effort to come back to it again and again.
It is a matter of maturity and practice.
So yes, though 3 times a day sounds very trivial, it is a routine for pragmatic and committed meditators.
But if you still have questions like what are the benefits of meditation and you are out there collecting facts on meditations, I would say you are better off collecting coins instead.
~ Sachin Pratap Singh
