Is It Better To Meditate Once Or Twice A Day?

Many individuals struggle to get in the habit of meditation, let alone have it stay as part of their daily life. 

There are several ways to experience the benefits of meditation, without necessarily meditating, but being in a meditative state, even though being in a meditative state can set the tone to create a routine around it.

One way to be in a meditative state for those who are short on time, are through meditation rings. 

But for those who’ve decided to embark on the life-changing journey, is meditating once a day enough, or should we meditate twice a day? 

There isn’t a black and white answer, just like there isn’t one for how long you should meditate, but at the very least, 10 to 20 minutes is a good start. 

And over time, this count can get increased to 40 minutes where people tap into parts of themselves where they describe having more spiritual experiences, even if your beliefs when meditating have no significance and meditation is something to be open for. Almost as if it’s a box of surprises. 

The longer you meditate, the longer you set yourself up for experiencing intensified calmness, among other things. But meditating for one long session can feel intimidating, and when you are a beginner, you want to make meditation as inviting as possible. 

Sometimes, it does take for some to have two 10 to 20-minute meditation sessions to experience the benefits. 

After all, meditation is a bit like brushing your teeth or any important habit so, from that perspective, it makes sense to do it twice a day. 

Building Momentum

I often compare meditation to exercise. The more repetitions you make, the more you are likely to enter a flow state and create a cycle you don’t want to break out from. 

But it can also backfire because doing meditation twice a day can feel like too much for you to handle, so it’s important you’re careful here and if you feel like the meditation becomes unbearable, you can stop. 

It’s preferable to take a break than to quit the practice altogether. Consistency comes first, then time meditating. 

And while it’s true that longer meditations will often equate to amplified gains from meditation, in the case of meditation an intensified feeling of peace, doing it twice a day isn’t for everyone and neither does it guarantee the intensified benefits since your mind has to be at the right place, but you can since you set yourself up for it. 

But one benefit you’re likely to get from double meditation is building momentum, almost as if you reach a new standard for yourself and by setting the goal higher, you may be drawn to complete the goal to push past beyond your perceived limits. 

And, the opposite can happen as well.  Because you see this big wall ahead of you, meditation becomes more intimidating. 

But breaking down the meditation to twice a day can make it seem less intimidating than it actually is because the meditation seems shorter than it actually is. 

Say you want to meditate for 40 minutes, but at the same time, it seems like too much to handle. What you can do is break down the meditation into two 20-minute practices, one in the morning and one in the evening. 

By doing the one in the morning, the next one feels less intimidating. However, upon reaching the 20-minute mark, you may find yourself able to continue that same meditation since you’re already in the flow state, and starting a new one would be starting out from scratch. 

Will Meditating Twice a Day Provide Additional Benefits?

From a disciplinary point of view, meditating twice a day is getting to know where you stand in the meditation as in what you are capable of handling. 

Successful meditators don’t necessarily meditate twice a day, but some do. And it’s usually ideal for those who are up for a bigger challenge or manage their time in such a way that doing it twice makes sense. 

However, when it comes to the benefits and magnified feelings of tranquility, unless you are in a flow state, meditating twice a day may or may not have an impact if you are starting out. Meditation is a trainable discipline. 

It takes time to enter a profound state where your mind and body are in one place. Half the time you try to get yourself to a state of flow, whereas another half, you are actually meditating. 

So from that point of view, rather than riding the wave of tranquility that you’ve built up with the first meditation, you’re re-entering it from a second meditation. 

The benefit is that you train yourself to enter that state quicker, which, in turn, can turn you into a better meditator. 

Conversely, by getting into a meditative state quicker, you get more out of the meditation and you’re able to experience magnified benefits indirectly faster. 

Mixing It Up

There’s nothing wrong with experimenting to find what works best for you when meditating. Perhaps it’s once a day or twice a day for you. I personally find once a day to be enough for me. 

But feel free to track your progress with both to have something measurable to go after. Do you feel better after two weeks of meditating twice a day or do you feel no different than from meditating once a day? 

The risk of doing it twice a day is the commitment and expectation you put on yourself, which, in turn, if you miss a day, you risk falling out of habit if you let it get to you. But the truth is, almost everyone relapses, no one is perfect. 

Meditating once a day is enough and better than not meditating at all. Fortunately, you can use meditation apps to track your progress and stay on track and thus, making it easier for you.

So if you’ve been meditating twice a day, and occasionally meditating once a day, there’s nothing wrong with that. What’s important is that you keep the practice as part of your daily routine. 

For some, it can be liberating that they can meditate with so much flexibility, almost when they feel like whereas others feel like not having a schedule takes away their sense of accountability. 

Allow yourself to find how meditation works best for you, be it once or twice a day, even if that means missing a day or two about the practice, if the end result is gonna mean you’re able to stick with it long-term. 

Final Thoughts

I strongly advocate for getting into meditation one step at a time and slowly building up, since the practice is a paradigm shift of the body and mind. 

So, from this perspective, two shorter meditation practices once a day that adds up to forty minutes can replicate the benefits of an entire forty-minute meditation. 

Meditation can be a big commitment for many on a psychological level, and if they break down the practice into smaller pieces, and assuming they are able to remain in a meditative state throughout the entire timespan, two 20-minute meditations can be as equally fulfilling as a longer session. 

The only benefit of one big session is that we’re already riding a wave, which some find harder to get into. 

since getting the mind to quiet down is one of the hardest things, since we aren’t used to letting our thoughts run around freely, only to bring them back to the present through the observation of these thoughts. And applying a principle of non-judgment, as tempted as we can be at times. 

Looking at the big picture, there aren’t rights or wrongs with meditation. All that matters is what works for you, and no one has the authority to invalidate your own experience. If you see yourself making progress with meditation, you are.