What Differences Can I Expect From A 30-min To A 60-min Meditation Session?

[Afonso]

I'm doing 30 minutes consistently and it fits well into my schedule. 

How different my results will be if I increase it to 60 min sessions?

[aclokay]

Hi I'm like you doing 30 minutes a day usually.

Personally, I think the barrier is physical. My body / back gets more tired for sitting more time.
Longer meditation session just feel like a different arbitrary number has passed on the clock.

I would suggest, just giving it a try. I mean, everybody will get different things. I say the only way to know is to try.

Also, what results are you expecting ? 

Edited February 11, 2017 by aclokay

[Tancrede Pouyat]

Even 2x30 is worse than 1x60.

To illustrate, a Vipasana retreat is just 12h of meditation for 10 days straight - you could do it at home - but you get absolutely amazing results. 

[LifeandDeath]

There's no right or wrong time frames.

I've was doing 1 hour a day, then dropped to 1/2 hour per day. I've been meditating for 15 months now. I think I get just as much out of 30 mins as I do 60 mins. Although I didn't do 60 mins so perhaps I could be further down my path if I did... but I'm not going to go down that road of analysis! ha ha 

Here's some pointers I've picked up from reading different stuff, mostly Daniel Ingram's book, Mastering Core Teachings of Buddha: Free link here: http://static.squarespace.com/static/5037f52d84ae1e87f694cfda/t/5055915f84aedaeee9181119/1347785055665/

• A good present mindful 1 minute is better than an unpresent unmindful 10 days - so basically if you have 30mins you can really get powerful results - if you have longer then better 
• It is also true that if you do longer meditation in one go than you can achieve quicker and deeper results - depending on what you are intending to get out of meditation 
• Retreats like @Tancrede Pouyat said are good to get some real momentum - i.e. getting over certain blocks to your practice. Daniel Ingram mentioned it's like pushing a bolder over a hill. So if you had an option of either 1 hour every day for 6 months, or half an hour every day and 1 week retreat, he would choose the retreat. He explained it like, a daily meditation is a small push of the bolder up the hill. Possible to get it over, but he would rather spend a week with one big push to get the bolder over the hill then his daily pushes will take him to the next hill. The hill is a metaphor for any emotional/mental blocks or resistance. 
• Basically, work with what works for you, and the truth is some people only need 15 mins a day, where others need 2 hours. There will be varied results depending on the individual, intention and quality of focus and approach in meditation. 

I hope this helps 

[justaname]

You can't be aware of the differences because of the circumstances."But how?Isn't the increase in time going to provide me with more results?"you may ask.

Well...no.The result always depends on how hard it feels to sit there until your timer finally stops.For example:

If you meditate for 30 minutes a day for 15 days and it feels like a torture,then you make more progress than when you meditate 30 minutes a day for 30 days and you feel comfortable, because when meditation feels like a torture you have to reach the same level of comfort at the same amount of time.Basically,by being forced  to accept that torture and come in peace with it ,your meditation skills grow faster.

[Mrkvn8]

Expect some serious purging and negative emotions as you're adding more minutes. During and outside of mediation. Restlessness, depression  

If you gradually add 10 minutes each month, and you've been meditating for 1hr for a month, it will subside. 

[Shin]

If your objective is to realize who you really are, add 30 minutes of self-inquiry (right after your meditation would be nice).

[Toby]

Meditation is not something that you get something out of. You cannot plan or demand any results based on how long or often you meditate.

[LifeandDeath]

9 hours ago, Toby said:

Meditation is not something that you get something out of. You cannot plan or demand any results based on how long or often you meditate.

I agree but also like to add more definition.

I think the 'timeframe' is something we can not demand or is something that is not set, so someone can achieve high results in only moments, where others could take decades to gain limited progress. 

In saying that I think there are meditation practices that have general "outcomes" that people intend to achieve, which have mapped progress and repeatable outcomes found throughout variety of mediation teachings. Although, every individual will have a different path, there are still 'levels' and 'experiences' that people generally go through meditation. It's not a guarantee but it's a general rule like a lot of things in life - and naturally has exceptions. I think it's very different for different people. But if you want 'peace of mind' then you meditate, read up on the concepts, do guided meditations, do self-inquiry, follow instructions, and commit to the practice and one will generally achieve peace of mind. Or concentration states if that's what someone wants to develop. Or raised consciousness on nature of reality, etc.

 

[Harikrishnan]

I started meditating from march last year and my goal this year was 1 hr. i hit like 52 min max Sds. but went back to 30 min after some try. what i noticed is i get lost in thoughts after 30 min and my mind want to get out of whole meditating thing. and other thing is i think of time while meditating for long time.