A new study led by Dr. Gabriela Górska and Dr. Paweł Holas from Warsaw University has found that a single 10-minute mindfulness meditation only improves wellness and compassion if you truly focus on the physical sensations of breathing.
Without the right kind of attention, the benefits of meditation almost disappear.
Why This Matters for You
As a private meditation teacher, I see the same mistakes in too many beginners I work with: many people “do” meditation, but they’re not truly practicing mindfulness.
This research confirms what I’ve taught for years — it’s not just about listening to a meditation track; it’s about how you pay attention.
If you learn to truly focus on your breath and bodily sensations during meditation, even short sessions can boost compassion and emotional balance.
What the Study Found
The study, published in Scientific Reports (Nature Group, 2025), tested 83 adults with little to no meditation experience. Participants were split into two groups:
- Meditation Group → Listened to a 10-minute guided mindfulness session recorded by an experienced meditation teacher.
- Control Group → Listened to a neutral narration about Poland’s Magurski National Park, matched in tone and length.
- Afterwards, participants watched short videos of people experiencing distress. Using the Socio-Affective Video Task (SoVT), they rated their feelings of:
- Compassion → warmth and care for others. Willingness to help → motivation to act kindly
- Personal distress → emotional overwhelm
Key findings from Dr. Górska and Dr. Holas’s team:
Simply listening to a short mindfulness meditation did not automatically make people more compassionate or less distressed. However, those who fully focused on their breath and body sensations showed significantly higher compassion scores. In other words, mindfulness works best when you actually enter a mindful state — passive listening to a guided meditation isn’t enough.
Expert Insight
Lead author Dr. Gabriela Górska from the Robert Zajonc Institute for Social Studies explained:
“Our results suggest that it’s not the act of meditation itself but the quality of attention during the practice that matters. Focusing on breathing and bodily sensations seems to activate the mechanisms that increase compassion.”
As someone who has taught hundreds of private meditation students, I can confirm this aligns perfectly with real-world experience. Many beginners assume that sitting still or playing a guided track is enough. But the real transformation happens only when you actively engage your attention.
How to Get the Benefits of Meditation
Here’s how to make your practice as effective as possible based on Dr. Górska’s findings:
1. Focus on Your Breath: Pay attention to the rise and fall of your chest or belly. Each time your mind wanders, gently bring it back to the breath.
2. Tune Into Your Body: Notice sensations like warmth, tingling, or tension. This “embodied awareness” is the foundation of mindfulness. Good practiced for this include Body Scan and Somatic Meditation.
3. Go for Quality Over Quantity: A focused 5-minute session is more powerful than a distracted 20 minutes.
4. Set an Intention: Before starting, silently say: “May I be fully present and approach this practice with kindness.” Intention primes your mind for wellness and compassion.
5. Practice Consistently: The study measured just one session, but long-term evidence shows repeated practice builds stronger empathy and emotional balance.
Bottom Line
This study from Warsaw University shows that mindfulness meditation works — but only if you do it right.
So now you know what to do if meditation doesnt work. It’s not about just sitting still; it’s about showing up with awareness. When you focus on your breath and tune into your body, you activate the mental mechanisms that make compassion and emotional balance grow.
Paul Harrison is a meditation teacher with 20+ years of experience and a deep passion for helping others. Known for his empathy and authentic approach, he’s dedicated to guiding individuals and teams toward mindfulness, clarity, and well-being.