MINDFULNESS
How to Do Effective 1-Minute Meditation Sessions for Mental and Physical Health Benefits
Learn three simple techniques to get you started on a journey to a better well-being.
Do you have time to meditate?
If not, here’s a popular Zen proverb that is perfect for you.
“You should sit in meditation for 20 minutes every day, unless you’re too busy. Then you should sit for an hour.”
In other words, you really can’t afford not to meditate, if you’re spending so much time being busy that you allow your time to control you — instead of you controlling your time.
Taking time to take care of you is one of the best decisions you can make. You deserve to set aside time to do what is necessary for your well-being.
This is something I had to learn for myself and I’m so glad I did!
Why?
It is because so many of the benefits that I had read about meditation prior to practicing it myself have proven to be truly achievable.
I feel better, look better, think better, perform better…I know that I am better in every aspect of my life — including mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. And this translates into fulfillment and success in other areas of my life, and I am so grateful!
And you can realize the same benefits too!
The key, though, is consistency. This is why I am sharing some 1-minute meditation exercises because I’ve found that it is easier to stick with it when meditating in 1-minute intervals.
Doing this helped me to work up to doing the extended 20-minute to 1-hour meditation sessions, over time. So, this is a great way for you to learn meditation or enhance your practice if you already meditate.
Benefits of Meditation
No doubt you already know that a quick Google search will reveal plenty of scientific and psychological research studies on the benefits regular meditation. But, here is a list of a few positive effects of meditating.
Meditation can:
- Relieve stress
- Improve brain function
- Enhance emotional well-being
- Increase attention span
- Lower blood pressure
- Increase energy levels
- Decrease anxiety
- Improve depression
- Enhance memory
- Improve sleep
- Reduce pain
- Control appetite
And there are many other benefits that are by-products of these that together can help you live a healthier, longer, more fulfilled life.
You do want to be healthier and live a longer more fulfilling life, right?
Of course you do.
Well, you’ll be pleased to know that meditation is meditation.
Even if it’s not a long, drawn-out process with you sitting on the floor, eyes closed, legs folded like a pretzel, and palms up resting on your knees with your thumb and middle finger touching.
You can meditate 1 minute at a time whenever and where ever you choose and still reap the benefits of meditation.
1-Minute Meditation Technique — #1
Breath Awareness
My personal favorite meditation guide is Deepak Chopra, and this 1-minute meditation is taught by him.
It is simply focusing on your breath for 60 seconds, which will help you regain clarity, calmness, and focus to handle the demands of your day.
How to:
- Sit down (eyes closed or open) and relax a bit.
- Count full, actively intentional breaths: Inhale-1, Exhale-2 (do this 15 times focusing closely on taking the breaths).
That’s it!
Do this every day, and once you get the hang of it, you’ll notice that you can quickly shift to a different state of awareness whenever you feel stress or anxiety coming on or if you just need a mini mental break.
1-Minute Meditation Technique — #2
Mindful Walking
This technique is a walking meditation that involves active awareness while walking, and you can do this when walking anywhere at anytime.
It is simply focusing on your breathing and the steps you take for 60 seconds. This will teach you to bring your awareness to the here and now, which promotes peace within and a deeper connection to the self.
How to:
- Inhale while slowly placing your foot on the ground.
- On the exhale, be consciously aware as you take the next step. And so on to keep this up for 1 minute.
That’s it!
You can do this every day as well. If your mind wanders with either technique, simply bring your focus back to your breathing.
1-Minute Meditation Technique — #3
Body Scan
With this technique, the idea is to focus your attention on specific body parts while relaxing each part.
How to:
- Begin by focusing on the top your head and make a conscious effort to relax your scalp.
- Do the same with your eyes, cheeks, mouth, jaw, neck, shoulders, chest, arms, belly, legs, and feet.
That’s it!
As you notice each part of your body, consciously focus and relax that part of the body as you move from head to toe.
How Meditation has Changed My Life in Many Ways
I believe that the most significant way that meditation has changed my life is by having positive effects on my mental health, by helping me raise my awareness and training me to focus my attention whenever I need to do so.
Our world is so constantly busy all around us, even when we don’t even realize how much so. There are so many distractions and actions going on at once within and outside of ourselves. There is so much noise! Meditation brings me calm and quietness from within.
It can do the same for you as well.
“Meditation is not a way of making your mind quiet. It is a way of entering into the quiet that is already there, buried under the 50,000 thoughts the average person thinks every day.” — Deepak Chopra
The immediate relaxation alone is something that made a big difference for me. Meditation helped me realize that I had been holding my muscles tense in my neck and shoulders, which I now know to consciously release through a relaxation response, which causes the brain to release chemicals relax muscles and organs and put the body in a state of calm.
Another life-changing discovery about meditation that I became aware of is that it increases gray matter in the brain!
The brain’s gray matter is important for memory, sense of self, empathy, and stress. I have definitely noticed this as a factor in me having more motivation and a better mood.
Meditation has been a catalyst for me to take better care of myself overall.
I started out small and the 1-minute meditations led to 2 minutes, which led to 5 minutes and so on, just like the old proverb about the 10,000-mile journey beginning with the first step. I took the first step.
I committed to the 1 minute and it led me on a journey of healing that I am so grateful for. The benefits are in the quality of the meditation, so don’t worry about quantity. It will come.
Be Encouraged!
When you first start, meditation may not come to you naturally. It is a learned skill that will require you to be patient long enough to train your mind to relax in awareness.
Think of your mind as a muscle. Training muscles to be strong doesn’t happen overnight.
So, practice with 1-minute meditations and work up to 2, 3, 5, and 10 minutes and longer. This is what I did. I also took the time to do some studying about meditation, which helped me discover just how fascinating the practice is and how it has helped countless people.
As you practice and study meditation, you’ll train your mind and become better at meditating. Doing this has helped me develop a deeper connection with my inner self and improve various aspects of my life.
I recommend meditation to everyone seeking to improve his or her life.
Get in Touch
Audrey Malone is a freelance writer, professional resume writer, and editor, including editor for Medium publication, ILLUMINATION’S MIRROR.
She’s also the owner and founder of ExpertResumeWritingServices.com.
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