How long should a beginner meditate?

A beginner does not need a heroic meditation session. Ten attentive minutes can teach more than forty minutes spent fighting the body and watching the clock. Start with a duration you can practise consistently — often five to ten minutes — and allow it to grow as sitting becomes more natural.

Traditionally, yoga values abhyasa: sustained practice over time. That principle matters more than an impressive number of minutes. Meditation becomes transformative through returning, again and again, not through one unusually long sitting.

As your practice develops, you may extend the time and refine the preparation with asana or pranayama. The purpose is not to collect meditation minutes but to develop steadiness of attention and a deeper familiarity with the awareness in which thoughts, sensations and emotions appear.