“Men seek retreats for themselves, houses in the country, sea-shores, and mountains,” wrote Marcus Aurelius in his Meditations. “But this is altogether a mark of the most common sort of men, for it is in thy power whenever thou shalt choose to retire into thyself.”

Two millennia later, Fernando Pessoa (1888 – 1935) would echo the same sentiment in The Book of Disquiet when he wrote, “A man of true wisdom, with nothing but his senses and a soul that’s never sad, can enjoy the entire spectacle of the world from a chair, without knowing how to read and without talking to anyone.”

For Fernando Pessoa, the inner world was the pinnacle of felt experience as he compared himself to a scrupulous scholar of feeling hunched over the book of sensations, taking refuge there and exploring them like unknown countries.

And even though he struggled, like all of us, with questions about religion, the meaning of life, and nature of existence, from time to time, he had glimpses of true clarity, when all his doubts cleared away, and these instances shone the light of hope in the fog of disquiet and uncertainty.

Immersed in soulful reflections, he could see that everything has an inner essence that is not different from our own. This is how he described it in one of his notes:

I love the stillness of early summer evenings downtown, and especially the stillness made more still by contrast, on the streets that seethe with activity by day. Rua do Arsenal, Rua da Alfandega … the entire stretch along the quiet docks all of this comforts me with sadness when on these evenings I enter the solitude of their ensemble.
[…]
There is no difference between me and these streets, save they being streets and I a soul, which perhaps is irrelevant when we consider the essence of things. There is an equal, abstract destiny for men and for things; both have an equally indifferent designation in the algebra of the world’s mystery.

Following these sonorous sentiments, he inevitably uncovers the false nature of our mind-made selves, our egos, that always seek something from the outside to fill the void of discontent and insecurity:

All that I’ve done, thought or been is a series of submissions, either to a false self that I assumed belonged to me because I expressed myself through it to the outside, or to a weight of circumstances that I supposed was the air I breathed. In this moment of seeing, I suddenly find myself isolated, an exile where I’d always thought I was a citizen. At the heart of my thoughts I wasn’t I.

Inspired by this insight, he observes how moments of serene presence unburdened by egoic thoughts lead to inner renunciation and a feeling of true liberation:

To know nothing about yourself is to live. To know yourself badly is to think. To know yourself in a flash, as I did in this moment, is to have a fleeting notion of the intimate monad, the soul’s magic word. But that sudden light scorches everything, consumes everything. It strips us naked of even ourselves.
[…]
To imagine, without being, is the throne. To desire, without wanting, is the crown. We have what we renounce, for we conserve it eternally intact in our dreams, by the light of the sun that isn’t, or of the moon that cannot be.

The Book of Disquiet in the phenomenal translation by Richard Zenith reads like meditation in prose or “lamentation on love, dreams, art, existence, possession, expression, fulfillment, discouragement, interiority, exteriority, politics, nature, life itself.” It’s a treasure chest of uncut gems of thoughts and dreams which can be arranged and rearranged in infinite combinations. Every time you’ll pick up the book from the shelf and read it, it will leave you with food for thought and deep reflection.

At some point, we’ll find ourselves in an impossible situation.

Maybe, some of us are facing it right now.

We don’t know what to do and can’t let go of worry and fear.

It’s precisely these moments when we need guidance to help us find a way out.

The good news is we always have three options to overcome challenges in life, and one of them will always work for us.

I first learned about them from the book The Power of Now, written by spiritual teacher Eckhart Tolle.

In this post, I want to share these three powerful ways to deal with any obstacles that life puts before us.

#1. The first thing we need to try

Every day we face a number of different situations. Most of them can be unpleasant or downright intolerable.

We all have different ways of dealing with them, but very often, we do nothing and repress our feelings. This builds up over time and causes stress.

Eckhart Tolle teaches us that the first thing we can is to try to change the situation, if possible.

But the action shouldn’t come from the place of negativity. It should come from a clear understanding of where we are and what choices we have at this very moment to overcome challenges.

Action arising out of insight into what is required is more effective than action arising out of negativity.

#2. If the first one doesn’t work

If we tried to change the situation, but nothing worked, then we should consider the second option — to remove ourselves from the situation.

For example, how often do we find ourselves arguing with someone who is clearly not going to change their mind?

When we notice this unconscious behavior, we need to take a step back, and reconsider everything. Then walk away if we feel that nothing we say or do will result in a positive outcome.

Any action is often better than no action, especially if you have been stuck in an unhappy situation for a long time. If it is a mistake, at least you learn something, in which case it’s no longer a mistake. If you remain stuck, you learn nothing.

#3. The hardest of the three

Sometimes we are trapped in a situation that we have absolutely no control of.

That means we can’t do anything to change the situation or walk away from it.

It’s the point of complete surrender and acceptance of __what is__. But we shouldn’t confuse it with giving up.

Acceptance doesn’t mean that we surrender and say, “It’s all pointless.” On the contrary, we accept this moment without complaining or judging.

We allow our inner stillness to manifest fully and, by doing so, regain peace and clear our minds.

The false, unhappy self that loves feeling miserable, resentful, or sorry for itself can then no longer survive. This is called surrender. Surrender is not weakness. There is great strength in it. Only a surrendered person has spiritual power. Through surrender, you will be free internally of the situation. You may then find that the situation changes without any effort on your part. In any case, you are free.

#4. The one thing we want to avoid doing

Right now, some of us might be asking, “What if I don’t like any of these three options?”

Well, that’s a fair question, and the answer can help us make a decision.

If we don’t want to change the situation, walk away, or accept it, then the only option we have is to suffer.

That’s what happens to most of us when we try to overcome challenges in life. And it doesn’t matter how big or small the problems are. In the end, they all add up and result in what we call unhappiness.

I remember Eckhart Tolle mentioning this fourth option during one of his talks and immediately thought, “That’s what I have been doing for most of my life.”

Choosing the Right Option Today

Whenever we hear a critical voice in our heads that can’t forgive or compromise, we need to remember about the three options we have.

We do not let our thoughts and emotions take over and practice being impartial observers of the situation.

We can always change, leave, or accept any challenging situation. The only other choice is suffering. I believe we can make the right choice.

How long should we meditate? It’s a common worry that many of us have when we’re new to meditation and not quite sure if we’re doing everything the right way. Meditation is a very unusual activity for the unprepared mind. It makes us sit in one place for a period of time doing nothing but watching our breath. Sounds simple, but for our busy minds, that is a tough task to complete.

Usually, when we meditate for the first time, we might notice restlessness in the body, impatience, and boredom. And when that happens 1 minute seems like 5 minutes, and 5 minutes seems like 10. And the whole process feels like an eternity. So we start to wonder how much meditation is enough or can we meditate too much.

This article aims to dispel any doubts we might have about how long to meditate. It contains advice given by 8 world-renowned meditation teachers in one place so that we can stop playing a guessing game. Here’s what each of them has to say about what is the right amount of time to meditate.

1. Answered by Thich Nhat Hanh

Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh is a global spiritual leader, poet, and peace activist, revered throughout the world for his powerful teachings and bestselling writings on mindfulness and peace. His key teaching is that, through mindfulness, we can learn to live happily in the present moment—the only way to truly develop peace, both in one’s self and in the world.

For beginners, it is better to sit no longer than 20 or 30 minutes¹. During that time, you can readily obtain total rest. The technique for obtaining this rest lies in two things — watching and letting go: watching your breath, and letting go of everything else. Release every muscle in your body. After about 15 minutes or so, it is possible to reach a deep quiet filled with inner peace and joy. Maintain this quiet and peace.

— Thich Nhat Hanh

2. Answered by Jon Kabat-Zinn

Jon Kabat-Zinn is internationally known for his work as a scientist, writer, and meditation teacher engaged in bringing mindfulness into the mainstream of medicine and society. He is Professor of Medicine emeritus at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, where he founded its world-renowned Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Clinic (MBSR) in 1979, and the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society (in 1995).

There’s no real prescription, but I would say it’s good to try 15 minutes²: long enough so that you get really bored and antsy and learn how to make room for unpleasant moments. You have to have it be long enough so that you experience a lot of different body and mind states like the discomfort from being still. Then that becomes your teacher instead it being bad or an impediment to being mindful.

You notice any thoughts, like ‘I hate this,’ ‘It’s boring and stupid’ and then recognize that these are just thoughts. You may have a lot of emotions like impatience and frustration and think, ‘Well I just can’t meditate’ and perhaps you get down on yourself or decide to throw in the towel. But the whole point is just to notice the play of the mind and body, and not taking things personally when they aren’t.

— Jon Kabat-Zinn

3. Answered by Sharon Salzberg

Sharon Salzberg had played a crucial role in bringing meditation and mindfulness practices to the West and into mainstream culture since 1974 when she first began teaching. She is the co-founder of the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, MA and the author of ten books including NY Times bestseller, Real Happiness, her seminal work, Lovingkindness, and Real Love.

Usually, when people start sitting, we say that 5 minutes is enough³. You don’t have to think, “I’ve got to sit here for six hours.” You don’t have to get into some pretzel-like posture and suffer! Just choose an object of awareness—maybe the breath—and rest your mind there. You know that it’s not going to be 9,000 breaths before your mind wanders. It’ll likely be one. Maybe three, maybe just a half a breath!

The most important moment in the whole process is the moment after you’ve been distracted, after you’ve been lost or fallen asleep or whatever. That’s when you have the chance to be truly different. Instead of judging and berating yourself, you can practice letting go and beginning again. That’s the core teaching.

— Sharon Salzberg

4. Answered by Jack Kornfield

Jack Kornfield trained as a Buddhist monk in the monasteries of Thailand, India, and Burma. He has taught meditation internationally since 1974 and is one of the key teachers to introduce Buddhist mindfulness practice to the West.

Select a regular time for practice that suits your schedule and temperament. If you are a morning person, experiment with a sitting before breakfast. If evening fits your temperament or schedule better, try that first. Begin with sitting 10 or 20 minutes at a time⁴. Later you can sit longer or more frequently. Daily meditation can become like bathing or toothbrushing. It can bring a regular cleansing and calming to your heart and mind.

— Jack Kornfield

5. Answered by Joseph Goldstein

Joseph Goldstein has been leading insight and lovingkindness meditation retreats worldwide since 1974. He is a co-founder of the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts, where he is one of the organization’s guiding teachers. In 1989, together with several other teachers and students of insight meditation, he helped establish the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies.

To start with I think it’s good to set an amount of time that you feel workable, that inspires you to do it, that is not going to feel too daunting. So people could choose almost any amount of time. It can be 20 minutes or half an hour⁵. The important thing is the regularity of it. Pick an amount of time that you really feel committed to doing every day. It’s the everyday-ness that is going to build the practice.

Over time people may find that they get comfortable with that amount of time and they may feel, “What it would be like to extend it for 10 or 15 minutes?” So there is no absolute number that we need to work with. I think it’s starting with what feels doable and actually inspires one to do it and then gradually expand the time as one feels necessary. At a certain point, for people who have developed a strong practice sitting an hour a day would be great. Some people sit 2 hours a day, so there is no upper limit.

— Joseph Goldstein

6. Answered by Tara Brach

Tara Brach has been practicing and teaching meditation since 1975, as well as leading workshops and meditation retreats at centers throughout North America and Europe. She is the founder of the Insight Meditation Community of Washington (IMCW) and the author of Radical Acceptance (2003) and True Refuge (2013).

Deciding in advance the duration of your sit can help support your practice. For many, a good time frame is between 15-45 minutes⁶. If you sit each day, you’ll gradually experience noticeable benefits (e.g., less reactivity, more calm) and be more inclined to increase your sitting time.

If you’re just beginning a meditation practice, you might want to experiment with the length of time that you meditate. You might choose to meditate for just five minutes once or twice a day, and increase the time by five minutes a day until you reach a length of time that you can commit to on a daily basis.

— Tara Brach

7. Answered by Eckhart Tolle

Eckhart Tolle is a spiritual teacher and the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller The Power of Now and the highly acclaimed follow-up A New Earth, which are widely regarded as two of the most influential spiritual books of our time.

It needn’t take long. 10 to 15 minutes of clock time should be sufficient⁷. Make sure first that there are no external distractions such as telephones or people who are likely to interrupt you. Sit on a chair, but don’t lean back. Keep the spine erect. Doing so will help you to stay alert. Alternatively, choose your own favorite position for meditation.

Make sure the body is relaxed. Close your eyes. Take a few deep breaths. Feel yourself breathing into the lower abdomen, as it were. Observe how it expands and contracts slightly with each in and out breath. Then become aware of the entire inner energy field of the body. Don’t think about it — feel it. By doing this, you reclaim consciousness from the mind.

— Eckhart Tolle

8. Answered by Andy Puddicombe

Andy Puddicombe is the meditation and mindfulness expert, co-founder of Headspace, which teaches simple, 10-minute meditation techniques to busy professionals.

If it feels like too much time, it probably is. It’s best to approach meditation much like anything else in life: start small, build up slowly and find your own personal sweet spot. For some people, this sweet spot is 10 minutes⁸ and for others, it’s 60 minutes.

To begin with, the most important thing is finding a time length which feels achievable and keeps us feeling motivated. Without this, it will never become part of an established daily routine. Also important to remember is that when it comes to awareness and compassion, quality always trumps quantity, so it’s much better to be actively cultivating those qualities  than sitting still like a statue wondering when the session will end. (We’ve all been there!)

So what is the optimal amount? Well, science is still working that equation out. Many of the recent findings seem to be pointing at frequency rather than duration. So for example, 10 minutes a day, every day of the week, is likely to be far more beneficial than 70 minutes on one day of the week.

— Andy Puddicombe

How Long Should We Meditate — The Takeaway

So if we compare all the answers given by these teachers, we’ll see that the best meditation duration for new practitioners is between 5 to 15 minutes.

In the beginning of my own journey, I aimed at 10 minutes a day. It was enough to calm my body and concentrate my attention on the breath. It also allowed me to become more aware of my negative thoughts and persistent patterns that were causing me much pain and distress. It was the first step, but a crucial one. I’m sure you can do it as well.

The best technique to start with is breathing meditation. That is why I made this free worksheet that is available for download through this link.

Footnotes

1. Thich Nhat Hanh. The Miracle of Mindfulness: An Introduction to the Practice of Meditation, p. 35↑
2. Jon Kabat-Zinn. Q&A: Jon Kabat-Zinn Talks About Bringing Mindfulness Meditation to Medicine. Time↑
3. Sharon Salzberg. You Can’t Fail at Meditation. Lion’s Roar↑
4. Jack Kornfield. Establishing a Daily Meditation. Official Website↑
5. Joseph Goldstein. 3 Ways to Build a Sustainable Meditation Practice. YouTube↑
6. Tara Brach. FAQ for Meditation. Official Website↑
7. Eckhart Tolle. The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment. New World Library. Kindle Edition, p. 129↑
8. Andy Puddicombe. What’s the right amount of time to meditate? Headspace↑

“Every twenty-four-hour day is a tremendous gift to us,” writes Thich Nhat Hanh in the opening chapter of his book You Are Here: Discovering the Magic of the Present Moment. “Breathe in and tell yourself that a new day has been offered to you, and you have to be here to live it.”

The art of living in the present moment, Thich Nhat Hanh explains, lies in the ability to master the art of mindful breathing. We need to light up the lamp of our awareness to illuminate the breathing and everything that is happening around us in the present moment.

Observing our breath can be difficult because we might try to control it or influence it in some other way. This is a mistake, Thich Nhat Hanh warns us, because Buddhist practice is based on nonviolence and nondualism. We don’t have to struggle with our breath, our body, or difficult emotions:

Do not intervene or force either your in-breath or our out-breath. It’s like looking at a flower: letting it be as it is, mindful of the fact that it is there, a kind of miracle. See the flower as it is. See the breath as it is. We let the flower be as it is, and we should not do violence to our breath either. …

Whatever happens in the mind affects the body, and vice versa. If you generate peacefulness in your breathing, that peacefulness permeates your body and your state of mind. If you have practiced meditation, you have already discovered this. If you have been able to embrace your in-breath and your out-breath with tenderness, you know that they in turn embrace your body and your mind.

The first miracle of mindfulness, Thich Nhat Hanh explains, is that you are here, your own presence, your authentic presence. Some people don’t really live; they walk around like corpses, consumed by their past, afraid of the future, and locked in their jealousy and anger. We have to look at them with mindfulness and cultivate compassion because they do not know that life is accessible only in the here and now. In other words, we have to practice resurrection, and this is an everyday practice. Thich Nhat Hanh writes:

This is something everybody can do. Don’t underestimate yourself: you have the ability to wake up. You have the ability to be compassionate. You just need a little bit of practice to be able to touch the best that is in you. Enlightenment, mindfulness, understanding, and compassion are in you. Very simple practices — such as meditative walking, mindful breathing, or washing dishes mindfully — make it possible for you to leave hell and touch the positive seeds that are within you.

If you are really here, then the second miracle of mindfulness, Thich Nhat Hanh continues, lies in the presence of the other. The other can be your heart, your body, or your in-breath. The other can be sunset, the song of the birds, or the sound of the nearby river. The other can be your significant other, your spouse, your child, or your best friend. Loving is recognizing the presence of the other with your love, and it’s not a theory — it’s an everyday practice. Thich Nhat Hanh writes:

When the other person realizes that his or her presence has been recognized and confirmed, he or she will blossom like a flower. To be loved is to be recognized as existing. Have you looked at others in this way? If you embrace them with the energy of mindfulness, with your true presence, this energy is completely nourishing. It is like water for a flower. A flower needs water to live, and the person you love needs your presence! Your presence is the most precious gift you can give him or her. “Dear one, I am here, really here, for you.” All of us can practice this mantra.

The third miracle of mindfulness lies in maintaining your own presence, mindfulness of the other, and working with positive and negative elements around you. You have to keep hold of the things that are refreshing and healing and embrace any negative elements with your mindful attention:

Perhaps you are in contact with too many negative elements. You have looked at, listened to, and touched things that are negative in nature, such as fear and despair. These negative forces are everywhere. When you turn on the television, for instance, you run the risk of ingesting harmful things, such as violence, despair, or fear. At that moment, say to yourself with mindfulness, “I don’t need these things. I already have suffering, violence, anger, and despair in me. I refuse to watch these programs. I am going to seek out things that are refreshing in nature, healing and helpful things. I will practice walking meditation; I will make contact with the blue sky, with spring, with the song of birds. … You need to recognize that these kinds of positive elements exist and that you can benefit from their refreshing and helpful presence.