When to Meditate?

The truth is that there are as many different times for meditation as there are minutes in a day. Some people prefer to meditate in the morning, before work or at bedtime, or even during the day. Here are some benefits you may not have considered when trying to find a good time to meditate.

We tried to gather, when to meditate, what times of the day and habits are most ideal for meditating. Because we are diverse, everyone has a different rhythm of life, so it is also important to develop good habits that uplift, bring us closer to our consciousness and peace.

The Benefits of Meditation

Meditation helps you discover and nurture your inner strength, resilience, and focus. But even if you recognize the value of meditation, it is not always easy to find time for it. So which part of the day is the best time for meditation, when to meditate?

In fact, the best time to meditate depends on your lifestyle and what you are looking for in your practice. Regular meditation practice has been shown to lead to a number of health benefits. Meditation helps improve concentration, reduces stress levels, and improves sleep quality, to name a few. The benefits will be directly proportional to your commitment to regular practice. That’s why it’s important to find the right time for your lifestyle, so you can meditate regularly.

The Best Time to Meditate

So what is the best time to meditate – morning or evening? Meditation experts agree that the ideal time for a session varies from person to person. However, certain times of the day may adapt to different lifestyles. Here are some of them: 

Meditation in the Morning

Morning is often considered the best time for meditation because the mind is quiet and fresh. It’s especially great if you’re able to/willing to get up a little earlier for some quiet minutes. People who practice every day and incorporate morning meditation into their habits report that it provides a calm and productive foundation before starting daily activities. Many people choose to meditate before breakfast, doing for example, a morning gratitude meditation.

When you wake up, you are refreshed. You are not thinking about too much yet, and you are not worried about all the things you need to do during the day. If you do a short meditation practice in the morning, you will probably be able to meditate regularly. And the positive benefits of morning meditation stay with you all day.

Beginners can have a hard time finding time for meditation in the morning, especially when stress and responsibility make it difficult to spend time for ourselves. Without necessarily committing, it can help, for example, to just take a few conscious breaths, even a short breathing exercise is already a wonderful start.

Meditate after Work

Some people prefer to meditate after coming home from work, and for good reason. If you are doing physically or mentally strenuous work, this practice is will help you to relax. Meditation is a great way to relieve the tension that builds up in your body and mind during your work day. Post-work meditation creates a useful, clear line between active work and personal life.

By regularly creating quality “you” time, you set boundaries and leave the tensions of work behind. After meditation practice you will have answers available to different areas of your life as well  – including a more relaxed connection with your loved ones and your leisure hobbies. 

Meditate When You Feel Overwhelmed or Stressed

Inevitably, there are moments when we feel overwhelmed, whether at work or at home. When that happens, instead of your usual remedies (social media, snuggling, TV and movie, too much sweets, drugs, etc.) to get into a better mood, what if you tried meditation? Because when else should you meditate if we don’t just when you need peace?

Vigilance teaches us to observe events in our minds and bodies without reacting. Over time, our practice becomes secondary in nature and we recognize when we just need to stop, observe, and act more consciously. This pause, or slowdown, provided by the practice of meditation can help us cope with stressful situations more productively. 

Meditate Before Go to Bed

For some people, this is the time when they can really relax: the end of the day’s work, the kids are asleep, the dog has been walked, and things are usually quieter. If the evening is the time when you can calm down, then practice guided or inward-looking meditation before falling asleep. We can also perform loving-kindness meditation.

When to meditate depends on an individual decision and habit formation. However, it is worth incorporating a few quiet, immersive minutes into your day from time to time. In the end the most important thing is not when to meditate, but to practice meditation at all. You can find more on how to meditate here.

You can find the right meditation classes for you in the best yoga studios in Budapest.

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barbara