Hello and welcome to Radio Headspace and to Friday. It's Eve here with you.

So I get asked the following two questions a lot. And they are, how long does it take

to feel the benefits of meditation and what is the shortest amount of time one should practice

to feel the effects. Now there are a few layers to my answer and unfortunately I can't give you

an exact number because I don't think it really exists and the reason it doesn't exist is that we

are all different and our experiences are going to be different. So when it comes to feeling

or experiencing the benefits there are several factors to consider. Firstly it can be helpful to

remember that meditation is a practice where we cultivate a series of skills like increased

attention and focus and non-judgmental attitude and more open and accepting heart. We are also all

born with different skill sets. For some meditation might feel as smooth as a placid lake that reflects

the landscape around it and for others it might be more challenging that lake might feel very

muddy and clouded and the surrounding landscape might be hard to see. It's worth noting that both

of these scenarios may play out at some point in your journey but rather than seeing these as

obstacles to avoiding meditation it's actually all the more reason to practice.

But that can take a little time which brings me on to my second point. We all have very different

lived experiences, some perhaps a little easier and some a little more difficult and this conditioning

can heavily shape or colour our experience. So suppose we remember to approach the practice

free from expectation and with the intention of benefiting others as well as ourselves.

In that case we're more likely to experience the benefits most people associate with a regular

meditation practice. And finally meditation only works if we do it. Remember meditation is skill-based

training. Suppose a musician doesn't continue to practice. They will lose certain skills and if we

don't maintain a practice it can be easy to lose or forget those attitudinal qualities of mindfulness.

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