We’re all trying to adjust to the “new normal,” but calm and mindfulness are essential no matter what’s going on around us. Many people integrate meditation into their self-care routines, but it doesn’t have to be a strictly solo practice. Couples meditation offers several benefits for both partners. While there are plenty of resources to help you get started, some basic advice can guide you as you take your mediation journey together.

Key Benefits of Meditation

With meditation, we usually focus on benefits for individuals. Yet even those can impact how we relate to our partners. Meditation helps build three important skills: concentration, mindfulness, and compassion. With concentration, you learn what distracts you and how to remain in the present moment. Mindfulness allows you to observe your feelings, thoughts, and sensations. Meditation also broadens your compassion toward yourself, your partner, and others around you.

Headspace mentions even more benefits of meditation. By helping you become less reactive, mindfulness can lead to better conflict resolution and compromise. Growing in awareness improves compassion, empathy, and listening skills. These can also lead to better intimacy in multiple facets of a couple’s relationship.

Building a Common Space

We tend to think of meditation as a solo effort – something we do alone in a quiet space. Writing for MeetMindful, life coach Jason Nik points out that tandem meditation can help remove distractions, create a shared peaceful space, and develop better intimacy. He adds that meditation should be a judgment-free zone: Judging each other can bring imbalance and hamper your practice. Awareness is another key principle. With our senses heightened, Nik says, connecting through touch becomes especially useful for couples. Nik also has some suggestions for delving into the practice:

• Seek a quiet place free of interruptions.
• Choose comfortable clothing.
• Sit facing each other, holding hands.
• Don’t forget to breathe.
• Start with five-minute sessions and gradually increase their duration.

Unique Approaches for Every Couple

Different couples have different needs, of course. What works for one may not be useful for others. For instance, neurodivergent people may not be able to hold eye contact as Nik recommends. If you have physical limitations, sitting cross-legged may be a no-go. These examples illustrate why tandem meditation must be flexible enough to accommodate each partner’s needs.

Headspace’s guide also points out that each couple’s dynamic impacts their efforts. For some, building a physically shared space as Jason Nik suggests can be beneficial. Others may need to meditate at the same time but in different rooms. The end goal, as Headspace reveals, is focusing on each other to develop and nurture a shared connection.

Of course, sitting in a space either together or apart may not work for either of you. In that case, the Zoe Report’s Yola Robert passes along more expert advice. Moving or walking meditation can work as a couples practice, so try taking a mindful hike together. You can also work in short sessions as part of date night or even just sitting together and chatting.

Yep, There’s an App for That

Meditation apps mostly focus on solo practice, but several include features and exercises for couples. Headspace’s guide includes guided couples meditation techniques plus a one-minute meditation for two. Insight Timer, another popular app, shares a 14-minute guided mindfulness exercise. Of course, apps aren’t the only sources for couples meditation. YouTube hosts thousands of guided mediation videos offering a huge range of methods and techniques.

Can meditating together help you stay together? Thanks to its potential benefits, couples meditation can help you and your partner grow closer and develop a healthier relationship. With so many resources available, the key is finding which ones work best for you.