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Meditation timer with bell
General information, not medical advice. Talk to a doctor about any health concern. Keep the volume low, especially for long sessions or sleep. Disclaimer
Choose a length, pick a bell and press Begin. One bell starts your sit, an optional bell marks every few minutes, and three bells end it. The bells are a singing bowl, a temple bell, a chime or a gong; tap one to hear it first.
You can add a breathing guide or a soft background sound. It's free, stores nothing, and works on speakers.
The timer needs JavaScript turned on.
A simple way to sit
- Sit comfortably, upright but not stiff. A chair is fine.
- When the first bell rings, let your attention rest on the breath, or on the sound of the bell as it fades.
- When you notice your mind has wandered (it will), note it kindly and come back. Interval bells can be a gentle reminder.
- When the three bells ring, stay a moment before you get up.
The bells
- Singing bowl: a warm, wobbling ring that lasts about ten seconds.
- Temple bell: deeper, with a long hum underneath.
- Chime: small, bright and short. Good for interval bells.
- Gong: a low, slow swell. Best for the start and end.
All of them are synthesised in your browser from the overtone patterns of real instruments, so nothing is downloaded. Want just a bowl to strike by hand? Use Strike the bowl, or the meditation player on the home page, which adds binaural beats.
The breathing guide
The circle grows as you breathe in and shrinks as you breathe out. Calm 4 · 6 makes the out-breath longer than the in-breath; Even 5.5 is about five and a half breaths a minute; Box adds holds; 4 · 7 · 8 has a long hold and a long out-breath. Breathe gently, never strain, and go back to normal breathing if you feel light-headed or uncomfortable.
Questions
Will the bell ring if I switch tabs?
Yes. The bells are scheduled on your browser's sound clock when you press Begin, so they keep time in a background tab. Locking a phone can pause web audio, so the timer asks your phone to keep the screen on while it runs, where the browser allows it.
How long should I meditate?
There's no single right length. Many beginner courses start with about 5 to 10 minutes a day, and many experienced meditators sit for 20 to 45 minutes. Regular short sits are easier to keep up than rare long ones.
Can I start the timer from a link?
Yes: add ?minutes= and a number to the address, for example ?minutes=20.
Should I meditate with music or in silence?
Either. Some people find a quiet sound makes it easier to settle; others find it a distraction. Our complete guide to meditation music looks at both.