Why Five Minutes of Meditation Can Be Enough

One of the biggest misunderstandings about meditation is the idea that you have to sit for twenty, thirty, or even forty minutes for it to “count.”

You do not.

Especially when you are beginning, five minutes can be enough.

In fact, for many people, five minutes may be a much better place to start.

When someone is new to meditation, sitting quietly for twenty minutes can feel like a very long time. The body may become uncomfortable. The mind may seem unusually busy. A person may begin wondering whether they are doing it correctly.

Then meditation starts to feel like a test.

That is not what we want.

Meditation is a practice of becoming familiar with being present. You sit. You relax. You breathe. You notice when your attention wanders, and you gently return.

You can practice all of that in five minutes.

Five Minutes Is Long Enough to Practice Returning

The important part of meditation is not how long you can remain perfectly focused.

In fact, perfect focus is not the goal.

The practice happens when you notice that your attention has wandered and you return.

You may do that several times in five minutes.

Your mind drifts to something you need to do later.

You notice.

You return to the breath.

A memory appears.

You notice.

You return.

You begin planning dinner.

You notice.

You return again.

That is meditation.

The returning is the practice.

Starting Small Makes Meditation Easier to Continue

Many people begin meditation with a burst of enthusiasm.

They decide they are going to meditate twenty minutes every morning.

That may work for a few days.

Then a busy morning comes along.

Twenty minutes suddenly seems difficult to fit into the day, so meditation gets skipped.

Then it gets skipped again.

Before long, the practice disappears completely.

Five minutes is different.

Most of us can find five minutes.

Five minutes before breakfast.

Five minutes before checking email.

Five minutes after lunch.

Five minutes before bed.

A short practice that you actually do is far more useful than a long practice that you keep postponing.

You Can Always Sit Longer

Starting with five minutes does not mean you have to stay there forever.

After a while, you may notice that five minutes passes quickly.

You might naturally increase your practice to seven minutes.

Then ten.

Perhaps eventually fifteen or twenty.

Or perhaps five or ten minutes continues to work well for you.

There is no rule that says everyone must meditate for the same amount of time.

Meditation is not a competition.

Consistency Matters More Than Duration

I would rather see someone meditate for five minutes most days than meditate for thirty minutes once every couple of weeks.

Regular practice helps meditation become familiar.

You begin recognizing the feeling of settling down.

You become better at noticing when your mind has wandered.

You become more comfortable returning to the breath, the body, or the present moment.

Those skills develop through repetition.

And repetition does not require a long session.

Five Minutes Is Not “Only” Five Minutes

We often say things such as:

“I only meditated for five minutes.”

But there is no reason to use the word only.

You meditated for five minutes.

You stopped what you were doing.

You sat down.

You paid attention.

You practiced returning.

That is worthwhile.

For someone who is beginning meditation, five minutes can be a very successful practice.

Try This

Set a timer for five minutes.

Sit comfortably in a chair.

Place your feet on the floor.

Let your hands rest on your thighs.

Sit upright without becoming stiff.

Allow your breathing to be natural.

Notice the feeling of breathing.

When your attention wanders, gently return to the breath.

When the timer sounds, you are finished.

No special experience is required.

You do not have to feel peaceful.

You do not have to stop thinking.

You simply practiced being present.

And tomorrow, you can practice again.

Begin Where You Are

There may come a time when you enjoy meditating for twenty or thirty minutes.

That is fine.

But you do not have to begin there.

Start with something manageable.

Five minutes is enough to begin learning the practice.

Five minutes is enough to notice your mind wander.

Five minutes is enough to return.

And sometimes, five minutes is exactly what you need.

That last line could even become a recurring Sit, Relax, Breathe theme:

You do not need a perfect practice. You need a practice you can return to.