“I’d love to meditate, but I just don’t have the time.”
It’s one of the most common reasons people give for not starting meditation: Many assume you need years of daily meditation to feel the widely-cited benefits of the practices.
People do have growing demands on their time and attention. But this is exactly why directing your attention purposefully is one of the most important skills in the modern age, and the good news is that you don’t need as much time as you may have thought. New research that I co-authored shows exactly when meditation starts to have an effect on the brain.
We Asked Not ‘What,’ but ‘When’
The boom of meditation in the West is supported by decades of psychological literature. Most of this research has sought to determine which neurological changes are triggered by meditation. For years, scientists have documented the brainwave patterns of experienced meditators, compared them to those of non-meditators, and built an increasingly rich picture of the neurological effects of practice.
The research is conclusive: Meditation reduces stress, sharpens attention, builds resilience, and even reduces inflammation. That is why I believe that if meditation were sold in pill form, it would be the most popular drug in the world.
But our study asked a different question: When does meditation “kick in”?
To find out, our team at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) in Bangalore, working alongside researchers from the University of Liège and the University of Ottawa, used 128-channel EEG technology to track brainwave activity second-by-second in 103 participants—all practicing a meditation from the Indian Yogi Sadhguru. These participants were divided into three groups: complete beginners who had never meditated before, novice meditators, and advanced practitioners with thousands of hours of experience.
The results from studying Sadhguru’s seven-minute Miracle of Mind meditation undermined some previous assumptions we had about the effects of meditation.
What the Meditating Brain Does, and When
Across all three groups, significant, measurable changes in brainwave activity began within just two to three minutes of starting meditation. Those effects then peaked at around seven minutes.
To understand what this means for your psychological well-being, it helps to know a little about the brainwaves we were tracking.
Alpha waves (8–12Hz) are the brain’s signature of calm, wakeful relaxation, the mental state you experience in those moments of quiet focus, free from anxiety or distraction. During meditation, alpha power increased steadily and rapidly across all participants.
Theta waves (4–8Hz) are associated with deep internalised attention, creativity, and the kind of absorption that experienced meditators describe as going “inward.” Advanced meditators showed significantly elevated theta from the very first 30 seconds, suggesting that long-term practice doesn’t just change how you meditate but also changes how your brain rests.
Beta1 waves (13–20Hz) reflect alert, engaged focus. Their increase during meditation produces what researchers call “relaxed alertness,” the pleasant state in which the mind is simultaneously calm and awake. This data supports exactly what meditators report anecdotally about the experience of meditation.
Meanwhile, oscillations associated with mind-wandering, drowsiness, and low alertness decreased.
Our research showed that within minutes, the mind was becoming simultaneously more focused, more relaxed, and less prone to wandering.
Many ask, “How do I know when meditation is working?” While the brain changes can be subtle and even unnoticeable, it is important to note that on a psychological level, meditation starts working far sooner than previously assumed.
Sadhguru’s Miracle of Mind Breath-Watching Practice
The meditation used in our study is a yogic breath-watching practice, embedded within centuries of yogic traditions.
The practice is simple: Participants pay attention to the natural movement of their breath. When the mind wanders, as it will, they notice it and gently return attention to the breath. The object of the practice is not to “block” thoughts; rather, it is simply to notice the thought nonjudgmentally and then return to the object of attention (in this case, the breath)
What makes this practice distinct from a mindfulness practice is the rigor and depth of the tradition it comes from.
Our participants were drawn from three clearly defined, verifiable levels of practice: complete beginners; novices who had completed the Shambhavi Mahamudra Kriya programme, a 21-minute daily practice that includes breathwork, chanting, and breath-watching; and advanced practitioners who had completed the Samyamaan intensive eight-day silent retreat.
Meditation Essential Reads
This meant our study could track differences in levels of meditation experience.
The breath-watching instruction itself was simple: Pay attention to your breath, and when you lose it, come back. Yet, as our data shows, even this most basic version of the practice begins to produce measurable neurological change within minutes.
We Need This More Than Ever
Attention spans are shrivelling, mental health conditions are on the rise, and the world feels more unpredictable than ever.
Beyond the neurological benefits we’ve studied, meditation builds some key skills; it encourages us to respond, rather than react. By observing our inner world without judgment, we are better able to navigate the demands on our attention with skill and wisdom.
We know reading delivers multiple neurological benefits, but few people read for the documented neurological benefits that have been studied. Rather, people read to learn.
The same is true of meditation; the neurological benefits are a bonus. The true purpose is to gain greater wisdom, empathy, clarity, and self-knowledge.
Meditation is not just for those sitting in a monastery. It can be slotted into our daily lives when we’re commuting to work, preparing for a meeting, or getting ready for bed.
The next time you hear yourself saying, “I’d love to meditate, but I don’t have time,” I invite you to reframe it as “I want to make the most of the time I have.”
By encouraging you to pay attention to what really matters, meditation will help you to make the most of every moment.
