45 minute meditation timer
A bell every 15 min for 45 min, 3 bells in all. Starts with 10 sec to settle in.
Space start/pause R reset Esc stop
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A bell every 15 min for 45 min, 3 bells in all. Starts with 10 sec to settle in.
01
What this one is for
A 45 minute meditation timer is a long sit by everyday standards, and the kind of thing you grow into rather than start with. Three quarters of an hour is past the point where willpower carries you; the body has to be comfortable enough that you are not negotiating with a knee for the last ten minutes.
The bells at fifteen and thirty minutes break it into thirds. Used as a single sit, they are re-anchors and posture checks. Used the other way, they are a schedule: sit for fifteen, walk slowly for fifteen, sit for fifteen. Alternating sitting and walking is standard in many retreat settings, partly because it keeps the legs from becoming the only thing you can think about, and a bell is the usual way the change is signalled.
Walking meditation does not need space. A few metres back and forth, slowly, with attention on the feet, does the job. When the bell goes, stop where you are and go back to the cushion.
02
Good for
- A long sit once thirty minutes feels comfortable
- Alternating sitting and walking in fifteen-minute blocks
- A retreat-style session at home on a free morning
- Sitting with a group where a bell marks the changes
03
How it runs
A bell every 15 min for 45 min, 3 bells in all. Starts with 10 sec to settle in. Press Start, or hit Space. The digits turn green while a work block runs and grey on rest.
The only sound is one soft bell: at the start, at each interval, and at the end. No ticks before it. Mute with the speaker button for a silent sit. The screen stays on while the timer runs.
Change anything in Settings under the timer. The last setup you used on this page is remembered in your browser.
Questions people ask
- What does the bell sound like?
- A single soft tone, generated in the browser rather than sampled, with a long fade. It is honestly a synthesised bell and not a recorded singing bowl, but it is quiet and consistent, which is what a forty-five minute sit needs.
- Does it keep the screen on?
- Yes for as long as the page is in front. The wake lock is requested on start and released when you stop or reset. Over forty-five minutes a bright screen will drain a phone noticeably, so turn the brightness down manually first.
- Can I change the interval?
- Yes, in Settings. Twenty-two and a half minutes is not a round number, so if you want two halves instead of three thirds, set the total to 45 and the interval to 22 and accept the extra minute at the end.
- Will it sound if the phone locks?
- The clock is right regardless, because it is derived from timestamps rather than counted. The sound is not: the bell only plays while the page is open, so keep the tab in front, especially if you are using the bells to time walking.