Meditation is an effective mental health exercise with a plethora of benefits backed by modern science. One commonly asked question about meditation is if there is the best time to meditate to further amplify these gains. There is a consensus that the early morning hours are ideal for meditation.
However, one can meditate anytime during the day. But, the ideal time to meditate is when the world is quiet and your mind is fresh, so early in the morning. Yogis and gurus say that an hour and a half before dawn is the best time to meditate.
Now, bear in mind that science has just started to study meditation. Only in the past decade have the claims of meditation been proven. So, finding the best time to meditate according to science and research might take some more time.
However, we can look to the originators of meditation for insight. After all, the yogis, rishis, and gurus have been right about their claims so far.
Therefore, this blog will take a closer look at the opinion of these experts.
What Is The Best Time To Meditate?
Before we talk about the best time to meditate, it’s important to understand how meditation works. Knowing the functional aspects can help understand how factors like time influence meditation. But for those who are already familiar with meditation, the morning hours are undisputedly the best time to meditate.
How Meditation Works
Meditation is about quieting or focusing the mind. There are different types of meditation like mindfulness, focused meditation, mantra meditation, or transcendental meditation. Nonetheless, the goal of all these meditations is the same. The aim is to quiet the mind, to not drift off into thoughts about the past or delve into imaginary situations or have a detailed commentary about someone or something.
An untrained mind is obsessively thinking, a Harvard study showed that people tend to spend 47% of their waking hours thinking about things they aren’t doing. So, meditation is focusing either on an object, mantra, a spiritual being or not engaging in any thoughts. Now, for starters, this is a daunting task. As a minute into meditation, thoughts will flood back in. The thoughts can become overbearing because of the importance we assign to them.
The trick is not to engage. Since the goal of meditation is to focus, the time of day is important as it affects your ability to focus. The more preoccupied you are in your daily routine, tasks, and interactions, the more difficult it will be to meditate.
The Best Time To Meditate In The Morning
Your set and setting play a critical role during meditation. What’s around you will seep into your consciousness throughout the day. To minimize unavoidable distractions, the best time to meditate is in the morning. When you wake up from a refreshing sleep, your mind is fresh. In the morning hours, our mind isn’t thinking as much as the day progresses.
This quietness really helps with focusing or being mindful. For starters, meditation can be a daunting task because after the first minute or two it gets hard to keep the thoughts at bay. Think of your thoughts as a train, in the morning it’s at the station and the engine has just started. Slowly and slowly, it picks up pace until it reaches a momentum that is hard to stop.
That’s why experts prefer the morning, it makes meditation easier to do. Apart from your mind being fresh and attentive, it also sets a positive tone for the rest of the day. Meditation is an effective tool for focusing, increasing cognition, and mood stabilization. These aspects can really change the whole tone of your day, making the difference between a good or a bad day. With a mindset that is focused and emotionally tuned, you can really conquer your days. So, when you wake up in the morning, try meditating before breakfast.
The Best Time To Meditate According To Yogis
Spiritual teachers of Hinduism claim that 96 minutes before sunrise is the best time to meditate. This time is referred to as Brahmamuhurtha or “The Creator's Time”. This is the time when the earth is still and it's easier to connect with the inner worlds. There is a concept of thoughts emitting energy and being alive. The more attention they are fed, the more they grow and emit stronger energy.
This energy is transmitted in the world around us, not just affecting us but others as well. When we go to sleep, we stop feeding these thoughts. Hence, these thoughts die out and so does the energy. This goes for everyone. Meaning, as everyone sleeps, the thoughts and their energies disappear leaving the world pristine and pure. So, this one and a half hours before sunrise is a period of purity and peace allowing you to tap into higher consciousness.
Other Times To Meditate
Mornings are magical, but not everyone is a morning person. Just because you miss the morning window, doesn’t mean that you can’t meditate or that it won’t be effective. See, meditation can be done anytime during the day or night. While the best time to meditate is in the morning, you can reap the same benefits throughout the day.
Meditation itself holds the benefits; the timing is just an amplification. If throughout the day you feel stressed, then even a short 5-minute meditation can help calm your nerves and refocus your mind. Meditation can be done practically anywhere as long as you have a quiet place where you can be left undisturbed.
Mid-day Meditation
This is usually the most fast-paced duration of the day. By this time, everyone is awake. Energy is peaking and life is fast-paced trying to accomplish all of the tasks for the day. With the first half of the day gone, it's usually time for a lunch break. It’s a time to refuel your body to tackle the second half. But your mind deserves just as much for a refuel if not more. With task upon task, the overwhelmingness can cause stress and cloud our ability to think straight.
This affects productivity and mental health in the long run. While it may seem counterproductive to take a few minutes out from your already packed day to meditate, the benefits are worth the investment. Mid-day meditations can be a bit tougher because your mind is already preoccupied. At the same time, they can be more beneficial. It’s harder to meditate when you’re caught up with a million things. If you can overcome the chatter in your mind, you experience a priceless reality, that nothing is as urgent as we make it to be.
If you’re at work, find a quiet place like a meeting room for a quick break from reality. Is office space not suitable? Maybe go for a walk around the building, a nearby street, or a park. Yes, meditation can be done while walking as well, just apply the same concepts of controlling your thoughts. If you’re at home, then finding a quiet place should be much easier. Just make sure you are left alone without any disturbances, so give everyone in the house a heads up.
After-work or Evening Meditation
After a long day of work, everyone is looking for a way to unwind. For some it's socializing, for others, it's alone time with Netflix. The goal is the same, to relax. As we’ve already talked about, meditation is an optimal exercise to relax.
Meditation can help revitalize our mind and body, getting us ready for a night in or out. Meditating after work is also a great way to overcome tiredness and stress after a hard day’s work. This helps create a boundary between free time and work, a way to capitalize on time.
Meditating Before Sleep
Pro tip: Meditate an hour before going to sleep. For people who have trouble falling asleep, insomnia or low sleep quality then meditation could be your miracle cure. A 2015 study analyzed a group of adults that had sleep issues. The group then practiced mindful meditation.
After six weeks, the adults had fewer symptoms of insomnia and daytime fatigue. Sleep issues stem from thought patterns, anxiety or stress. Meditation aims at minimizing these symptoms. Also, meditation has been shown to increase melatonin, reduce heart rate and blood pressure.
Tips To Meditate
Meditation aims to empty the mind or to focus it on a specific mantra, thought, or spiritual being. This practice is helpful to enhance cognition, reduce anxiety, minimize mental exhaustion, reduce stress, increase self-awareness, decrease blood pressure, and even reduce chronic pain. Just like any other skill, it's not easy until you master it. Initially, it is difficult to not drift away into thoughts, engaging in commentary, or reflecting on whatever pops up. Here are a few tips to help you get the hang of meditation.
Minimize Distractions
Start with the basics. Remove all distractions that divert your attention. Mainly, your phone. Keep it on silent, even a slight vibration can catch your attention. Also, the place you sit or lie down should be comfortable. Since you are aiming for 10 to 15 minutes, if the position is uncomfortable, you’ll be more inclined to move about.
If you’re at home or in the office, and you’ve finally hit that tranquil state, the last thing you want is someone bothering you verbally or physically. So, make sure that wherever you are, you are undisturbed. This is another reason why the best time to meditate is in the morning when most people are asleep.
Focus On Your Breathing
This is perhaps one of the most emphasized teachings of meditation. Focusing on your breath acts as an anchor for your mind. While you’re meditating, pay attention to your breathing, the air flowing in and out. An anchor helps your mind from drifting off. If you do find yourself lost in thought, bring your attention back to your breath.
Don’t try to control or change your breathing pattern, simply observe it in its natural state. You can also start off your meditation with controlled breathwork. This short exercise can get you in the right zone by calming your mind down. However, this is just a warm-up to meditation, not the actual practice itself.
Guided Meditation
There are numerous videos on YouTube and applications that offer a diverse range of pre-recorded meditations. You simply listen and follow the instructions. This is great for starters or overthinkers who need a bit more help focusing. The calm and soothing voices guide your thoughts and push you in the right direction. These voices also act as an anchor for your thoughts.
If focusing on your breath isn’t cutting it, try a guided meditation. There are numerous guided meditations on YouTube and even more web services and applications that offer more than just pre-recorded meditations. Plus, guided meditation offers the same benefits as any other type of meditation.
Consistency Is Key
You might notice that keeping your thoughts in check isn't as easy as it sounds. Despite your dedicated attempts, you just can’t help yourself from thinking. The key is consistency. Think of focus as a muscle, a muscle that needs to be worked out, and over time it becomes stronger. With enough practice, meditation can become a walk in the park. Make meditation a part of your daily routine. Over time your ability to focus will increase along with the duration. Start off with 5-minutes a day and gradually increase the time.
Consistency is what can make it possible. Add reminders to your phone. You can even place a yoga mat in your room where it can easily catch your attention. Think about meditation, the benefits of it, and visualize the positive changes in you; build up the importance of meditation in your life. These are just a few tips to help you make meditation a part of your lifestyle.
Wear Comfortable Gym Clothes
A study in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology reported that clothing has an effect on your behavior and attitude. How you dress affects your subconscious. Your mind loves symbolic meanings. While its effects may not be evident, it’s definitely working in the background. We’ve all felt that surge of confidence throughout our body when we wear a suit and look sharp. Even changing into comfortable clothes after work helps shift us into relaxation mode. Understanding these variables and controlling them can be a gamechanger for performance.
This theory applies to meditation as well. The more relaxed and calm your body is, the easier it is to meditate. This makes gym wear optimal for meditation. Given its comfortability, stretch capabilities, and lightweight fabric - your body will feel at ease. Snug gym wear can also help you sit for longer periods of time. The soft fabric goes gentle on the skin and reduces abrasions. All in all, gym wear takes care of getting your subconscious feeling tranquil and your body comfortable.
Key Takeaway
Meditation can be done anytime throughout the day. Different times of the day have different pros and cons. After taking a closer look at what experts say, the best time to meditate is in the morning. This is because your mind is fresh, there are fewer distractions around you, and the world is emitting pure energy at this time. If you’re not a morning person, then meditate when it’s feasible. The act of meditation is beneficial, the best time is just an add-on.
