Meditation · Mindfulness
Meditation
Timer
A clean, distraction-free meditation timer with opening and closing bells, optional interval bells, and a session log. Just set your time and sit.
Quick presets
10:00
ready
Duration (minutes)
Interval bells
Ring every N minutes (0 = off)
Bell sound
Session note
📋 Session Log
📖 How to Use the Meditation Timer
1
Set your duration
Start with 5–10 minutes if you're new to meditation. Even 5 minutes daily produces measurable benefits. The opening bell signals the start of your session; the closing bell signals the end. You don't need to watch the timer — just sit with your eyes closed until you hear the bell.
2
Use interval bells
Interval bells (every 5 or 10 minutes) can help you stay present during longer sessions — each bell is a gentle invitation to notice whether your attention has drifted and to return. Many teachers recommend intervals for beginners as a gentle anchor. For experienced meditators, you may prefer no intervals.
3
Build a streak
Consistency matters more than length. A 10-minute daily practice produces stronger long-term benefits than a 60-minute weekly session. The session log tracks your history. Notice how your focus and mood change over weeks of consistent practice.
4
What to do during the timer
Simply follow your breath. When your attention wanders — and it will — notice the thought without judgment and return to the breath. That return is not failure; it is the practice. There is no such thing as a bad meditation session — only a session where you noticed you'd drifted many times.
Research context: A meta-analysis of 47 clinical trials (Goyal et al., 2014, JAMA Internal Medicine) found that mindfulness meditation programmes showed moderate evidence for reducing anxiety, depression, and pain. Even brief daily practice (10–20 min) has been shown to reduce activity in the default mode network (mind-wandering brain) and increase activity in attentional control regions. Regular meditators show measurable structural brain changes after 8 weeks of daily practice.
Frequently Asked Questions
What type of meditation should I do? ▾
This timer works for any meditation technique. The most studied and accessible for beginners is mindfulness of breath: simply sit comfortably, close your eyes, and pay attention to the physical sensation of your breathing. When your mind wanders (it will), notice the thought without engaging it and gently return attention to the breath. Other techniques include body scan (systematic attention to each body part), loving-kindness (repeating phrases of goodwill toward yourself and others), mantra repetition, or open awareness (resting in the quality of awareness itself). No technique is "better" — consistency with any technique is more important than which you choose.
How long should I meditate? ▾
For beginners, 5–10 minutes daily is a solid starting point. Research on MBSR (Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction) typically uses 45-minute daily sessions, but studies on shorter sessions (10–20 minutes) show meaningful benefits. The key variable is consistency, not length — 10 minutes every day is more beneficial than 45 minutes once a week. As your practice develops, gradually extend if you'd like. Many experienced meditators sit for 20–30 minutes twice daily, but there's no universal prescription.
My mind won't stop during meditation — am I doing it wrong? ▾
No — this is the most common misconception. The goal of mindfulness meditation is not to stop thinking. It's to notice when you've gotten absorbed in a thought and to return attention to the present moment. Every time you notice you've wandered and come back, you're doing it correctly — that noticing and returning is literally the exercise. A session with 100 wanderings and 100 returns is a good session. The mind's natural tendency to wander doesn't diminish with practice — but the time before you notice the wandering does get shorter.
How to Use the Meditation Timer
Meditate without watching the clock — set a duration, let the bells guide you.
01
Set your duration
Choose from preset times (5, 10, 15, 20, 30 minutes) or enter a custom duration. If you're new to meditation, start with 5–10 minutes.
02
Choose your bells
The opening bell signals when to begin. The closing bell ends the session. Interval bells can be set to chime every few minutes — useful for refocusing a wandering mind.
03
Start and close your eyes
Press Start and put your phone face-down or close the tab. The app only needs to play the bells — you don't need to watch it.
04
Maintain a streak
The tracker logs consecutive days of meditation. Even 5 minutes daily is transformative over weeks. Consistency beats duration.
💡 When your mind wanders (it will — constantly), just notice it without judgment and gently return to the breath. This noticing-and-returning IS the practice. It's not a failure.