The 1 Minute Meditation

It might surprise you to find out that in 60 seconds, you can completely reset your mindset. Doing a one-minute meditation can be incredibly effective as it offers us a perfect opportunity to take a break, step away from what we are doing, breathe deeply, and recharge. What’s more, setting aside one minute each day is accessible for even the busiest person.

How to do a 1-minute meditation?

Here’s how you can experience the benefits of meditation in just 60 seconds. Find a comfortable seated position, whether you are in your home, office, outdoors, or even sitting in your parked car. Then, close your eyes and focus on your breathing. Breath control in a 1-minute meditation is quite beneficial because of the immediate cognitive connection, which creates a calmer state of mind.

It’s done with eyes open. So let’s begin.

Settle into your seat. Begin by taking a seat, or if necessary, standing. The important thing is to feel where your body is touching the seat and touching the ground.

Scan the body. Sense where your bottom is touching the seat. Sit up straight or stand straight but not stiff. Make sure your feet are completely touching the ground, connecting you to the earth. Your eyes are open, so take in the surroundings of where you are. Lower your gaze slightly.

Connect with the breath. Pay light attention to your breath as it goes out.

Follow the out-breath. At the end of the out-breath, let there be a gap while the in-breath is happening. And in that gap you have natural awareness: it’s there already, you don’t have to create it. So, follow the breath out, and out, and out. As thoughts arise, treat them as you would anything else you encounter: Notice it, and use that noticing to bring you back to the out-breath and ride it out. Out, and out, and out.

Eating With Your Senses: Engage all of your senses before enjoying a meal. This is especially helpful for those of us learning to appreciate our food, taste each ingredient, and understand feelings of satiety.

Get More From Your Workout: Get into the optimal frame of mind before your next gym session with this short meditation.

Goodnight: Soothe the mind and body in readiness for rest. If you’re having trouble falling asleep, this one-minute meditation can help set you up for a good night’s sleep.

Unlock even more health benefits with a daily meditation practice

There are loads of reasons we might feel like skipping our mindfulness meditation practice, the biggest is usually that we may find it difficult to set aside time in our busy schedules. When we become aware that just 60 seconds per day is enough to ease anxiety and improve our mood and focus, it makes it even more doable to create a morning meditation practice.

Some people claim that they just don’t have the time to practice meditation. These are the people who need to meditate the most. While it’s a good idea to follow a longer practice that includes 10 to 15 minutes of deep breathing or meditation, taking just one minute can still help you calm your mind and clear your head. So this Monday, take a minute to destress with a one-minute meditation.

Sometimes the best thing you can do during a busy, hectic day is to simply stop. If you’ve been sitting at a computer or staring into a phone, the action of looking away from your screen and physically moving from it can bring you clarity. Especially when you’re overwhelmed, taking just 60 seconds for a breath can do wonders.

In order to get the most out of your minute, follow a brief but effective meditation practice. You can do this in silence, or you can listen to one of the audio meditations below, which feature relaxing sounds timed to one minute. You can also set a 60-second timer on your phone — just remember to keep your device in your pocket for the duration of the meditation, so you won’t be tempted to look.