Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsHealth BenefitsTypesHow to StartWhen It Takes EffectFrequencyIf You StopTips
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Health Benefits
Types
How to Start
When It Takes Effect
Frequency
If You Stop
Tips
Meditation, practiced for millennia in many cultures worldwide, offers many benefits for the mind and body. The term “meditation” encompasses a range of techniques that cultivate a state of focused attention and increased awareness to calm the mind and enhance physical and mental well-being.
Each meditation technique offers a unique approach to supporting well-being. Some practices involve focusing on a particular sensation, such as breathing, a sound, or repeating a mantra. Others emphasize awareness of the present moment without judgment. There is no right or wrong way to meditate—meditation practices are as diverse as the millions of people who meditate.
This article discusses the most popular meditation types, how long they take to work, and how often to meditate to gain the most benefits.
Angelina Ishmukhametova / Getty Images
The Overall Health Benefits of Meditation
Meditation is a valuable self-care practice offering numerous physical and mental health benefits. Research shows that a regular meditation practice:
Types of Meditation
Meditation encompasses many practices, many of which have roots in spiritual practices. People meditate for various reasons, including stress reduction, improved focus, enhanced self-awareness, and spiritual growth. Understanding the different types of meditation can help you find the practice that best suits your needs.
Mindfulness Meditation
Mindfulness meditation involves focusing on the present moment and observing and accepting your thoughts, feelings, and sensations without judgment.
This type of meditation can include meditating while sitting, as well as when undertaking everyday activities, likewalkingor eating. Mindfulness meditation can take some time to adjust to, but even a few minutes a day of mindfulness meditation can reduce stress and improve your mental well-being.
Progressive Muscle Relaxation
Progressive muscle relaxation(PMR) is a two-step technique that helps relieve stress and build awareness of body sensations. It involves progressively tensing and relaxing specific muscle groups throughout the body and noticing how the tension and release feel in each muscle group. PMR can increase body awareness, helping train your body and mind to release physical tension for deep relaxation.
Breath Awareness Meditation
Breath awareness meditation, or mindful breathing, focuses your attention on your breath. Observing your breath’s natural rhythm and focusing on each inhalation and exhalation allows your mind and body to relax, cultivating inner peace. Research shows that breath awareness meditation can help improve focus, attention, and memory.
It can also reduce impulsive emotional behaviors, which may benefit people with impulse-related disorders, such as substance use disorder or binge eating disorder.
Mantra-Based Meditation
Mantra-based meditation involves repeating a mantra—a specific word, phrase, or sound—silently or aloud. As you repeat the mantra, your attention moves away from distracting thoughts and towards the present moment. Mantra-based meditation can help promote relaxation, improve focus, and deepen self-awareness and spiritual growth.
Guided Meditation
Guided meditation involves following a guide’s live or recorded instructions that lead you through specific meditation exercises.
The guide may encourage you to visualize specific imagery or scenery or walk you through various mantras or breathing exercises throughout the meditation. Guided meditation allows you to focus on relaxing and may be helpful for beginners or those who prefer structured meditation.
Transcendental Meditation
Focused Meditation
Focused meditation involves directing your attention to a specific object, a visualization, sound, or physical sensation to keep your attention on the present moment. This practice trains your mind to improve focus and concentration while developing the ability to redirect your attention when it wanders.
Visualization Meditation
Visualization meditation involves imagining a peaceful scene or a specific personal goal or achievement. This technique uses the power of the mind to promote relaxation, enhance well-being, and help achieve personal goals or desired states of mind.
Spiritual Meditation
Spiritual meditation draws upon various religious or spiritual traditions. Practices may involve prayer, chanting, focusing on a deity, or contemplating spiritual texts. Spiritual meditation aims to deepen your connection to a higher power or cultivate inner peace and spiritual growth.
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)
It is a popular meditation technique and complementary therapy for treating anxiety, depression, high blood pressure, chronic pain, and substance use disorders.
Loving-Kindness Meditation (Metta Meditation)
Loving-kindness meditation, also known as Metta meditation, cultivates feelings of compassion and goodwill toward yourself and others. Repeating phrases of kindness and well-being directed toward yourself, loved ones, and strangers fosters positive emotions and promotes a sense of connectedness and improved well-being.
Tackling Insomnia Through Meditation
How to Get Started With Meditation
Starting a meditation practice may seem a little intimidating initially, but it’s a simple way to practice self-care and focus on the present moment. Like any new skill, meditation takes practice. Be patient with yourself and celebrate even small moments of calm. Here are a few tips to get started:
How Long Does Meditation Take to Work?
The time it takes to notice the benefits of meditation varies from person to person. Some people may immediately feel calmer and more relaxed after a single session, while others may need a few weeks of consistent practice to notice changes.
Research shows that even short meditation sessions can produce immediate benefits, such as stress reduction and improved focus.However, lasting changes in areas like anxiety relief, emotional regulation, and improved sleep may take several weeks of consistent practice.
Try not to feel discouraged if you don’t experience rapid changes. With patience and consistency, you’ll gradually cultivate the skills and benefits meditation offers.
How Often to Meditate
Aim for a daily meditation practice, even for a few minutes, to maximize your meditation experience. Consistency builds the skills and discipline required to cultivate a practice that fosters inner peace and supports your well-being.
Incorporating meditation into your daily schedule may take trial and error until you find what works. Experiment with meditation sessions at different times of the day to find a schedule that integrates seamlessly into your routine. Morning meditation may be optimal for some people, while others prefer an evening session to help unwind before bed.
Ultimately, the ideal meditation frequency is the one you can stick with consistently.
What Happens When You Stop Meditating?
Meditation, like any skill, requires consistent practice to maintain its benefits. When you stop meditating, the advantages you gain from your practice may gradually diminish over time.
While you won’t lose the ability to meditate if you take a break, there may be some noticeable changes. For example, you may notice a gradual return of stress and anxiety symptoms or find your focus wandering more than it did when you were meditating regularly.
You can always return to your meditation practice. The skills you develop through meditation can make it easier to restart and quickly regain the benefits. Consistency is vital to maintaining the positive impacts of meditation, but there is always time to resume and reestablish the practice in your daily schedule.
Tips to Improve Meditation
Summary
Meditation offers many benefits for your mind and body, including stress reduction, emotional regulation, and improved focus. There are many types to explore, from mindfulness or loving-kindness meditation to guided or walking meditations.
Begin with short sessions (five to 10 minutes) and aim for daily practice. Remember to be patient and gentle with yourself when you begin your meditation practice. Aim for presence, not perfection, and stay consistent to gain meditation’s benefits.
29 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.Meditation and mindfulness: what you need to know.Cramer H, Hall H, Leach M, et al.Prevalence, patterns, and predictors of meditation use among US adults: a nationally representative survey.Sci Rep. 2016;6:36760. doi:10.1038/srep36760Hoge EA, Bui E, Palitz SA, et al.The effect of mindfulness meditation training on biological acute stress responses in generalized anxiety disorder.Psychiatry Res. 2018;262:328-332. doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2017.01.006Luberto CM, Shinday N, Song R, et al.A systematic review and meta-analysis of the effects of meditation on empathy, compassion, and prosocial behaviors.Mindfulness (NY). 2018;9(3):708-724. doi:10.1007/s12671-017-0841-8Guendelman S, Medeiros S, Rampes H.Mindfulness and emotion regulation: insights from neurobiological, psychological, and clinical studies.Front Psychol. 2017;8:220. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00220Basso JC, McHale A, Ende V, Oberlin DJ, Suzuki WA.Brief, daily meditation enhances attention, memory, mood, and emotional regulation in non-experienced meditators.Behav Brain Res. 2019;356:208-220. doi:10.1016/j.bbr.2018.08.023Shires A, Sharpe L, Davies JN, et al.The efficacy of mindfulness-based interventions in acute pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Pain. 2020;161(8):1698-1707. doi:10.1097/j.pain.0000000000001877Rusch HL, Rosario M, Levison LM, et al.The effect of mindfulness meditation on sleep quality: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2019;1445(1):5-16. doi.org/10.1111/nyas.13996Villalba DK, Lindsay EK, Marsland AL, et al.Mindfulness training and systemic low-grade inflammation in stressed community adults: Evidence from two randomized controlled trials.PLoS One. 2019;14(7):e0219120. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0219120American Heart Association.Mindfulness shows promise as an effective intervention to lower blood pressure.National Institutes of Health: News in Health.Mindfulness for your health.U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.Progressive muscle relaxation.Quek FYX, Majeed NM, Kothari M, et al.Brief mindfulness breathing exercises and working memory capacity: findings from two experimental approaches.Brain Sci. 2021;11(2):175. doi:10.3390/brainsci11020175Pozuelos JP, Mead BR, Rueda MR, et al.Short-term mindful breath awareness training improves inhibitory control and response monitoring.Prog Brain Res. 2019;244:137-163. doi:10.1016/bs.pbr.2018.10.019Álvarez-Pérez Y, Rivero-Santana A, Perestelo-Pérez L, et al.Effectiveness of mantra-based meditation on mental health: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022;19(6):3380. doi:10.3390/ijerph19063380Ooi SL, Giovino M, Pak SC.Transcendental meditation for lowering blood pressure: an overview of systematic reviews and meta-analyses.Complement Ther Med. 2017;34:26-34. doi:10.1016/j.ctim.2017.07.008Burke A, Lam CN, Stussman B, Yang H.Prevalence and patterns of use of mantra, mindfulness and spiritual meditation among adults in the United States.BMC Complement Altern Med. 2017;17(1):316. doi:10.1186/s12906-017-1827-8Yoshida K, Takeda K, Kasai T, et al.Focused attention meditation training modifies neural activity and attention: longitudinal EEG data in non-meditators.Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci. 2020;15(2):215-224. doi:10.1093/scan/nsaa020Wang YT, Huang G, Duke G, Yang Y.Tai Chi, yoga, and Qigong as mind-body exercises.Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2017;2017:8763915. doi:10.1155/2017/8763915Aksu Ç, Ayar D.The effects of visualization meditation on the depression, anxiety, stress and achievement motivation levels of nursing students.Nurse Education Today. 2023;120:105618. doi:10.1016/j.nedt.2022.105618Niazi AK, Niazi SK.Mindfulness-based stress reduction: a non-pharmacological approach for chronic illnesses.N Am J Med Sci. 2011;3(1):20-3. doi:10.4297/najms.2011.320.American Psychological Association.Mindfulness meditation: a research-proven way to reduce stress.Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health.What is loving-kindness (Metta) meditation?NHS Better Health.How to meditate for beginners.Greif TR, Kaufman DAS.Immediate effects of meditation in college students: a pilot study examining the role of baseline attention performance and trait mindfulness.J Am Coll Health. 2021;69(1):38-46. doi:10.1080/07448481.2019.1650052Cearns M, Clark SR.The effects of dose, practice habits, and objects of focus on digital meditation effectiveness and adherence: Longitudinal study of 280,000 digital meditation sessions across 103 countries.J Med Internet Res. 2023;25:e43358. doi:10.2196/43358Riordan KM, Simonsson O, Frye C, et al.How often should I meditate? A randomized trial examining the role of meditation frequency when total amount of meditation is held constant.J Couns Psychol. 2024;71(2):104-114. doi:10.1037/cou0000725Carpena MX, Tavares PS, Menezes CB.The effect of a six-week focused meditation training on depression and anxiety symptoms in Brazilian university students with 6 and 12 months of follow-up.J Affect Disord. 2019;246:401-407. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2018.12.126Geisinger Health System.How to meditate: 8 tips for beginners.
29 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.Meditation and mindfulness: what you need to know.Cramer H, Hall H, Leach M, et al.Prevalence, patterns, and predictors of meditation use among US adults: a nationally representative survey.Sci Rep. 2016;6:36760. doi:10.1038/srep36760Hoge EA, Bui E, Palitz SA, et al.The effect of mindfulness meditation training on biological acute stress responses in generalized anxiety disorder.Psychiatry Res. 2018;262:328-332. doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2017.01.006Luberto CM, Shinday N, Song R, et al.A systematic review and meta-analysis of the effects of meditation on empathy, compassion, and prosocial behaviors.Mindfulness (NY). 2018;9(3):708-724. doi:10.1007/s12671-017-0841-8Guendelman S, Medeiros S, Rampes H.Mindfulness and emotion regulation: insights from neurobiological, psychological, and clinical studies.Front Psychol. 2017;8:220. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00220Basso JC, McHale A, Ende V, Oberlin DJ, Suzuki WA.Brief, daily meditation enhances attention, memory, mood, and emotional regulation in non-experienced meditators.Behav Brain Res. 2019;356:208-220. doi:10.1016/j.bbr.2018.08.023Shires A, Sharpe L, Davies JN, et al.The efficacy of mindfulness-based interventions in acute pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Pain. 2020;161(8):1698-1707. doi:10.1097/j.pain.0000000000001877Rusch HL, Rosario M, Levison LM, et al.The effect of mindfulness meditation on sleep quality: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2019;1445(1):5-16. doi.org/10.1111/nyas.13996Villalba DK, Lindsay EK, Marsland AL, et al.Mindfulness training and systemic low-grade inflammation in stressed community adults: Evidence from two randomized controlled trials.PLoS One. 2019;14(7):e0219120. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0219120American Heart Association.Mindfulness shows promise as an effective intervention to lower blood pressure.National Institutes of Health: News in Health.Mindfulness for your health.U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.Progressive muscle relaxation.Quek FYX, Majeed NM, Kothari M, et al.Brief mindfulness breathing exercises and working memory capacity: findings from two experimental approaches.Brain Sci. 2021;11(2):175. doi:10.3390/brainsci11020175Pozuelos JP, Mead BR, Rueda MR, et al.Short-term mindful breath awareness training improves inhibitory control and response monitoring.Prog Brain Res. 2019;244:137-163. doi:10.1016/bs.pbr.2018.10.019Álvarez-Pérez Y, Rivero-Santana A, Perestelo-Pérez L, et al.Effectiveness of mantra-based meditation on mental health: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022;19(6):3380. doi:10.3390/ijerph19063380Ooi SL, Giovino M, Pak SC.Transcendental meditation for lowering blood pressure: an overview of systematic reviews and meta-analyses.Complement Ther Med. 2017;34:26-34. doi:10.1016/j.ctim.2017.07.008Burke A, Lam CN, Stussman B, Yang H.Prevalence and patterns of use of mantra, mindfulness and spiritual meditation among adults in the United States.BMC Complement Altern Med. 2017;17(1):316. doi:10.1186/s12906-017-1827-8Yoshida K, Takeda K, Kasai T, et al.Focused attention meditation training modifies neural activity and attention: longitudinal EEG data in non-meditators.Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci. 2020;15(2):215-224. doi:10.1093/scan/nsaa020Wang YT, Huang G, Duke G, Yang Y.Tai Chi, yoga, and Qigong as mind-body exercises.Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2017;2017:8763915. doi:10.1155/2017/8763915Aksu Ç, Ayar D.The effects of visualization meditation on the depression, anxiety, stress and achievement motivation levels of nursing students.Nurse Education Today. 2023;120:105618. doi:10.1016/j.nedt.2022.105618Niazi AK, Niazi SK.Mindfulness-based stress reduction: a non-pharmacological approach for chronic illnesses.N Am J Med Sci. 2011;3(1):20-3. doi:10.4297/najms.2011.320.American Psychological Association.Mindfulness meditation: a research-proven way to reduce stress.Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health.What is loving-kindness (Metta) meditation?NHS Better Health.How to meditate for beginners.Greif TR, Kaufman DAS.Immediate effects of meditation in college students: a pilot study examining the role of baseline attention performance and trait mindfulness.J Am Coll Health. 2021;69(1):38-46. doi:10.1080/07448481.2019.1650052Cearns M, Clark SR.The effects of dose, practice habits, and objects of focus on digital meditation effectiveness and adherence: Longitudinal study of 280,000 digital meditation sessions across 103 countries.J Med Internet Res. 2023;25:e43358. doi:10.2196/43358Riordan KM, Simonsson O, Frye C, et al.How often should I meditate? A randomized trial examining the role of meditation frequency when total amount of meditation is held constant.J Couns Psychol. 2024;71(2):104-114. doi:10.1037/cou0000725Carpena MX, Tavares PS, Menezes CB.The effect of a six-week focused meditation training on depression and anxiety symptoms in Brazilian university students with 6 and 12 months of follow-up.J Affect Disord. 2019;246:401-407. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2018.12.126Geisinger Health System.How to meditate: 8 tips for beginners.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.Meditation and mindfulness: what you need to know.Cramer H, Hall H, Leach M, et al.Prevalence, patterns, and predictors of meditation use among US adults: a nationally representative survey.Sci Rep. 2016;6:36760. doi:10.1038/srep36760Hoge EA, Bui E, Palitz SA, et al.The effect of mindfulness meditation training on biological acute stress responses in generalized anxiety disorder.Psychiatry Res. 2018;262:328-332. doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2017.01.006Luberto CM, Shinday N, Song R, et al.A systematic review and meta-analysis of the effects of meditation on empathy, compassion, and prosocial behaviors.Mindfulness (NY). 2018;9(3):708-724. doi:10.1007/s12671-017-0841-8Guendelman S, Medeiros S, Rampes H.Mindfulness and emotion regulation: insights from neurobiological, psychological, and clinical studies.Front Psychol. 2017;8:220. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00220Basso JC, McHale A, Ende V, Oberlin DJ, Suzuki WA.Brief, daily meditation enhances attention, memory, mood, and emotional regulation in non-experienced meditators.Behav Brain Res. 2019;356:208-220. doi:10.1016/j.bbr.2018.08.023Shires A, Sharpe L, Davies JN, et al.The efficacy of mindfulness-based interventions in acute pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Pain. 2020;161(8):1698-1707. doi:10.1097/j.pain.0000000000001877Rusch HL, Rosario M, Levison LM, et al.The effect of mindfulness meditation on sleep quality: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2019;1445(1):5-16. doi.org/10.1111/nyas.13996Villalba DK, Lindsay EK, Marsland AL, et al.Mindfulness training and systemic low-grade inflammation in stressed community adults: Evidence from two randomized controlled trials.PLoS One. 2019;14(7):e0219120. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0219120American Heart Association.Mindfulness shows promise as an effective intervention to lower blood pressure.National Institutes of Health: News in Health.Mindfulness for your health.U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.Progressive muscle relaxation.Quek FYX, Majeed NM, Kothari M, et al.Brief mindfulness breathing exercises and working memory capacity: findings from two experimental approaches.Brain Sci. 2021;11(2):175. doi:10.3390/brainsci11020175Pozuelos JP, Mead BR, Rueda MR, et al.Short-term mindful breath awareness training improves inhibitory control and response monitoring.Prog Brain Res. 2019;244:137-163. doi:10.1016/bs.pbr.2018.10.019Álvarez-Pérez Y, Rivero-Santana A, Perestelo-Pérez L, et al.Effectiveness of mantra-based meditation on mental health: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022;19(6):3380. doi:10.3390/ijerph19063380Ooi SL, Giovino M, Pak SC.Transcendental meditation for lowering blood pressure: an overview of systematic reviews and meta-analyses.Complement Ther Med. 2017;34:26-34. doi:10.1016/j.ctim.2017.07.008Burke A, Lam CN, Stussman B, Yang H.Prevalence and patterns of use of mantra, mindfulness and spiritual meditation among adults in the United States.BMC Complement Altern Med. 2017;17(1):316. doi:10.1186/s12906-017-1827-8Yoshida K, Takeda K, Kasai T, et al.Focused attention meditation training modifies neural activity and attention: longitudinal EEG data in non-meditators.Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci. 2020;15(2):215-224. doi:10.1093/scan/nsaa020Wang YT, Huang G, Duke G, Yang Y.Tai Chi, yoga, and Qigong as mind-body exercises.Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2017;2017:8763915. doi:10.1155/2017/8763915Aksu Ç, Ayar D.The effects of visualization meditation on the depression, anxiety, stress and achievement motivation levels of nursing students.Nurse Education Today. 2023;120:105618. doi:10.1016/j.nedt.2022.105618Niazi AK, Niazi SK.Mindfulness-based stress reduction: a non-pharmacological approach for chronic illnesses.N Am J Med Sci. 2011;3(1):20-3. doi:10.4297/najms.2011.320.American Psychological Association.Mindfulness meditation: a research-proven way to reduce stress.Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health.What is loving-kindness (Metta) meditation?NHS Better Health.How to meditate for beginners.Greif TR, Kaufman DAS.Immediate effects of meditation in college students: a pilot study examining the role of baseline attention performance and trait mindfulness.J Am Coll Health. 2021;69(1):38-46. doi:10.1080/07448481.2019.1650052Cearns M, Clark SR.The effects of dose, practice habits, and objects of focus on digital meditation effectiveness and adherence: Longitudinal study of 280,000 digital meditation sessions across 103 countries.J Med Internet Res. 2023;25:e43358. doi:10.2196/43358Riordan KM, Simonsson O, Frye C, et al.How often should I meditate? A randomized trial examining the role of meditation frequency when total amount of meditation is held constant.J Couns Psychol. 2024;71(2):104-114. doi:10.1037/cou0000725Carpena MX, Tavares PS, Menezes CB.The effect of a six-week focused meditation training on depression and anxiety symptoms in Brazilian university students with 6 and 12 months of follow-up.J Affect Disord. 2019;246:401-407. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2018.12.126Geisinger Health System.How to meditate: 8 tips for beginners.
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.Meditation and mindfulness: what you need to know.
Cramer H, Hall H, Leach M, et al.Prevalence, patterns, and predictors of meditation use among US adults: a nationally representative survey.Sci Rep. 2016;6:36760. doi:10.1038/srep36760
Hoge EA, Bui E, Palitz SA, et al.The effect of mindfulness meditation training on biological acute stress responses in generalized anxiety disorder.Psychiatry Res. 2018;262:328-332. doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2017.01.006
Luberto CM, Shinday N, Song R, et al.A systematic review and meta-analysis of the effects of meditation on empathy, compassion, and prosocial behaviors.Mindfulness (NY). 2018;9(3):708-724. doi:10.1007/s12671-017-0841-8
Guendelman S, Medeiros S, Rampes H.Mindfulness and emotion regulation: insights from neurobiological, psychological, and clinical studies.Front Psychol. 2017;8:220. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00220
Basso JC, McHale A, Ende V, Oberlin DJ, Suzuki WA.Brief, daily meditation enhances attention, memory, mood, and emotional regulation in non-experienced meditators.Behav Brain Res. 2019;356:208-220. doi:10.1016/j.bbr.2018.08.023
Shires A, Sharpe L, Davies JN, et al.The efficacy of mindfulness-based interventions in acute pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Pain. 2020;161(8):1698-1707. doi:10.1097/j.pain.0000000000001877
Rusch HL, Rosario M, Levison LM, et al.The effect of mindfulness meditation on sleep quality: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2019;1445(1):5-16. doi.org/10.1111/nyas.13996
Villalba DK, Lindsay EK, Marsland AL, et al.Mindfulness training and systemic low-grade inflammation in stressed community adults: Evidence from two randomized controlled trials.PLoS One. 2019;14(7):e0219120. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0219120
American Heart Association.Mindfulness shows promise as an effective intervention to lower blood pressure.
National Institutes of Health: News in Health.Mindfulness for your health.
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.Progressive muscle relaxation.
Quek FYX, Majeed NM, Kothari M, et al.Brief mindfulness breathing exercises and working memory capacity: findings from two experimental approaches.Brain Sci. 2021;11(2):175. doi:10.3390/brainsci11020175
Pozuelos JP, Mead BR, Rueda MR, et al.Short-term mindful breath awareness training improves inhibitory control and response monitoring.Prog Brain Res. 2019;244:137-163. doi:10.1016/bs.pbr.2018.10.019
Álvarez-Pérez Y, Rivero-Santana A, Perestelo-Pérez L, et al.Effectiveness of mantra-based meditation on mental health: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022;19(6):3380. doi:10.3390/ijerph19063380
Ooi SL, Giovino M, Pak SC.Transcendental meditation for lowering blood pressure: an overview of systematic reviews and meta-analyses.Complement Ther Med. 2017;34:26-34. doi:10.1016/j.ctim.2017.07.008
Burke A, Lam CN, Stussman B, Yang H.Prevalence and patterns of use of mantra, mindfulness and spiritual meditation among adults in the United States.BMC Complement Altern Med. 2017;17(1):316. doi:10.1186/s12906-017-1827-8
Yoshida K, Takeda K, Kasai T, et al.Focused attention meditation training modifies neural activity and attention: longitudinal EEG data in non-meditators.Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci. 2020;15(2):215-224. doi:10.1093/scan/nsaa020
Wang YT, Huang G, Duke G, Yang Y.Tai Chi, yoga, and Qigong as mind-body exercises.Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2017;2017:8763915. doi:10.1155/2017/8763915
Aksu Ç, Ayar D.The effects of visualization meditation on the depression, anxiety, stress and achievement motivation levels of nursing students.Nurse Education Today. 2023;120:105618. doi:10.1016/j.nedt.2022.105618
Niazi AK, Niazi SK.Mindfulness-based stress reduction: a non-pharmacological approach for chronic illnesses.N Am J Med Sci. 2011;3(1):20-3. doi:10.4297/najms.2011.320.
American Psychological Association.Mindfulness meditation: a research-proven way to reduce stress.
Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health.What is loving-kindness (Metta) meditation?
NHS Better Health.How to meditate for beginners.
Greif TR, Kaufman DAS.Immediate effects of meditation in college students: a pilot study examining the role of baseline attention performance and trait mindfulness.J Am Coll Health. 2021;69(1):38-46. doi:10.1080/07448481.2019.1650052
Cearns M, Clark SR.The effects of dose, practice habits, and objects of focus on digital meditation effectiveness and adherence: Longitudinal study of 280,000 digital meditation sessions across 103 countries.J Med Internet Res. 2023;25:e43358. doi:10.2196/43358
Riordan KM, Simonsson O, Frye C, et al.How often should I meditate? A randomized trial examining the role of meditation frequency when total amount of meditation is held constant.J Couns Psychol. 2024;71(2):104-114. doi:10.1037/cou0000725
Carpena MX, Tavares PS, Menezes CB.The effect of a six-week focused meditation training on depression and anxiety symptoms in Brazilian university students with 6 and 12 months of follow-up.J Affect Disord. 2019;246:401-407. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2018.12.126
Geisinger Health System.How to meditate: 8 tips for beginners.
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