Quantity over Quality Counts in Meditation!

Many of my students fret about the quality of their meditation sessions. They feel their minds are not as focused as they want; they feel easily distracted with daily worries and, sometimes, give up their meditation practice.

My response is very simple -quantity over quality! It is more beneficial for you to make 10-15 minutes for your meditation practice for at least 4-5 times a week. As you get better at meditating, your mind will start relaxing within a few seconds of starting your meditation practice. Your quality and depth of meditation will improve on its own accord. Accept that, sometimes, your mind will be distracted and just the act of sitting or lying down for 10-15 minutes will help calm you down.

It is good to supplement your practice with a longer 30-45 minute session over the weekend. I often use the analogy of a runner training for a half-marathon race. Most runners will run short distances 3-5 miles during the weekday and a long run (6-8 miles) over Saturday and take rest on Sunday. A similar approach works for meditators too. Get your short sessions done over the weekdays and schedule a long session over Saturday or Sunday. Don't beat yourself up if you miss your scheduled session. Over time, you will enjoy the meditation experience so much that you will automatically find time for it.
Don’t worry about finding perfection in your meditation practice; you will discover practice is perfection!

For additional tips, read "Too Busy to Meditate?"