Sitting for twenty minutes, twice daily

Commit to 20 minutes, twice a day — the practice period Keating recommends for transformation to occur.

Why it works

Twenty minutes is a practical threshold: short enough to be sustainable, long enough for the mind to cycle through its surface noise and settle into deeper stillness at least occasionally. Twice daily — morning and evening — creates an orientation that bookends the day in silence rather than treating prayer as one more task to fit in. The twice-daily structure also signals that the practice is a priority, which matters for whether it actually continues.

How to do it

1. Commit to a 20-minute morning sit before the demands of the day accelerate.
2. Add a second 20-minute sit in the late afternoon or evening, before dinner if possible.
3. Set a timer so you do not have to manage the duration; use a gentle alarm sound.
4. If twice daily is not sustainable, once daily is far better than not practicing; start where you are.

Evidence

Dose-response relationships in meditation research suggest that regular practice duration correlates with outcomes, though optimal durations vary by practice and individual. Keating’s 20-minute recommendation is traditional and practical; it aligns with the general research direction without being derived from it. (mechanistic)

The 20-minute, twice-daily recommendation is Keating’s traditional guidance; optimal duration for Centering Prayer specifically has not been studied in a dose-response design.

Common mistake

Extending sessions significantly when they feel deep and cutting them short when they feel restless — the timer protects the practice from being shaped by how the sit felt, which is not a reliable indicator.