Empty Cup Dialogues — Part II
How Long Should I Meditate?
The same café.
Same two cups, now half-filled and cooling.
The student glances at a phone timer glowing between them.
Beginners often ask how many minutes of meditation they “should” do. In this dialogue, a teacher and student explore why the clock is less important than rhythm and sincerity.
Student:
Every guide online tells me something different—five minutes, fifteen, an hour. How long am I supposed to sit?
Hei-An:
Long enough for the coffee to cool but not so long it turns bitter.
Student:
So… about ten minutes?
Hei-An:
(laughs) That depends on your taste. Meditation time isn’t measured by a clock; it’s measured by your willingness to return.
Student:
But how do I know what’s “enough”?
Hei-An:
Let’s ask a different question: Enough for what?
Student:
To get calmer, I guess.
Hei-An:
Then stop timing calmness. Time discipline. Five honest minutes every day outshines an hour once a week. Repetition builds the groove where the mind naturally settles.
(The student taps the timer, watching the seconds blink.)
Student:
So consistency is the key?
Hei-An:
Consistency is the doorway; curiosity is the key. Sit for five minutes—but sit as if you’ve never breathed before.
Student:
What if I feel really peaceful and want to keep going?
Hei-An:
Then keep going. The bell is your servant, not your master. You can always reset the timer; just don’t reset your sincerity.
Student:
And if I’m restless?
Hei-An:
Shorten the session, but don’t skip it. Sit through at least one urge to quit. That’s where the real training hides.
(Steam curls from their cups; a drip of espresso falls, slow and golden.)
Hei-An:
Think of practice like brewing tea. If the leaves are strong, a short steep suffices. If they’re light, linger longer. Either way, the water must be hot—your attention awake.
Student:
So I can start small and expand naturally?
Hei-An:
Exactly. Five minutes that grow into ten, ten into twenty—until meditation slips the leash of time altogether. One day, you’ll realize the session never truly ends; it just changes posture.
Student:
Like… living becomes the meditation.
Hei-An:
(smiling)
Yes. The cup empties, and the practice pours into the day.
Duration follows Depth
Start short, stay steady, stretch slowly.
The purpose of minutes is to measure devotion, not success.
Suggested Progression
Week 1–2 → 5 min/day
Week 3–4 → 8–10 min/day
Week 5 + → 12–20 min/day
Add 1 minute per week once daily sitting feels natural.
Practice Prompt
Set a gentle timer for 5 minutes.
When it ends, ask one question: Do I want to stay a little longer?
Sometimes the truest growth begins with “just one more breath.”
Endnote Reflection
Endnote Reflection
When the bell rings, let it remind you not of stopping,
but of beginning again—
this time, in motion.