Meditation Timer

About the meditation timer

This is a distraction-free meditation timer with a Tibetan singing-bowl chime. You set how long you want to sit, optionally add an interval bell, and press Begin. A bell rings to open the session, again at each interval if you set one, and once more to close. Nothing else competes for your attention: no ads inside the timer, no countdown numbers flashing, just the bell and the silence between.

The bell is generated live in your browser with the Web Audio API rather than loaded as a sound file, so it works offline once the page is open and never streams audio from a server. Common sit lengths are 10 minutes for a daily habit, 20 minutes for a deeper session (the standard in Transcendental Meditation), and 45 minutes for retreat-style practice.

A dedicated timer matters more than it sounds. Glancing at a clock or a phone breaks concentration and invites notifications, the exact opposite of what a sit is for. A bell-only timer removes the urge to check the time: you trust the chime to tell you when the session ends, so attention can settle on the breath. The audible interval bell does the same job mid-session, nudging a wandering mind back without you opening your eyes.

How to use it

Two inputs control the session. Length sets the total minutes; the interval bell, if greater than zero, adds a chime every N minutes as a gentle anchor.

Total session   = Length (minutes)
Interval bell   = rings every N minutes (0 = off)
Bells heard     = opening + (Length / N - 1 interior) + closing

1. Set the length in minutes. The big display shows the time remaining.
2. Add an interval (optional). Enter 5 to be reminded every five minutes, or leave it at 0 for silence in between.
3. Press Begin. The opening bell rings. Pause and resume any time with the same button.
4. Let it close. The final bell signals the end, and the button shows Done.

Worked example

Suppose you want a 20 minute sit with a reminder bell every 5 minutes.

1. Length: 20 minutes, so the display starts at 20:00.
2. Interval: 5 minutes.
3. Interior bells: 20 / 5 = 4 marks, but the final one coincides with the end, so you hear 3 interior bells (at 5, 10, 15 minutes).
4. Total bells: 1 opening + 3 interior + 1 closing = 5 chimes across the session.

Suggested durations

Pick a length that you can repeat daily. Consistency builds the habit faster than occasional long sits.

A practical way to grow the habit is to add a minute or two each week rather than jumping lengths. If 10 minutes feels comfortable for a fortnight, try 12, then 15. The interval bell becomes more useful as sessions lengthen, because the gaps where the mind drifts get longer. By the time you reach 30 minutes, a chime every 10 minutes keeps the sit anchored without feeling intrusive.

Common pitfalls

• Phone auto-locks and pauses audio. Some mobile browsers throttle background tabs and mute audio when the screen sleeps. Keep the screen on and the tab in front for a reliable closing bell.
• Starting too long. A 45 minute first session usually ends in frustration. Begin at 5 to 10 minutes and extend only once the habit sticks.
• Interval set equal to length. If the interval matches the total, the only interior mark lands on the closing bell, so you hear no mid-session reminders. Use a shorter interval.
• Silent device. The bell is real audio, so a muted phone or a browser with autoplay blocked will play nothing. Unmute and allow sound for this tab.
• Relying on it as an alarm. This is a meditation timer, not a guaranteed wake alarm. Do not depend on it to wake you from sleep.
• Refreshing mid-session. Reloading the page resets the timer. Avoid navigating away once you have pressed Begin.

Related tools

Frequently asked questions