What this timer is for
A meditation timer is a small but real piece of practice infrastructure. The whole point of sitting is to stop running the clock in your head - and yet without a timer, half of every session goes to wondering whether the time is up. A timer takes that wondering off the table. You set the length, you sit, and the bell tells you when to stop. Nothing else asks for your attention.
Timglas adds one quiet thing on top of that: silence while you sit, with the sand making time visible if you peek, and a single clear cue at the end. No talking app trying to guide you, no half-minute coaching beforehand, no chatter at the close - just the same simple bell every time. That stillness is what most days actually need.
Pick a session length
Four lengths cover almost any meditation session. Start short and work up - most teachers agree that a steady ten minutes a day beats a heroic thirty once a week. Times below assume an unguided sit; add a couple of minutes if you like to settle before the timer starts.
Short - 5 minutes
A quick reset. Long enough for a few breath cycles, short enough to fit before a meeting, on a lunch break, or as the very first habit on day one. If you only ever sit for five minutes, that still counts.
Standard - 10 minutes
The most common starter length, and the floor in most beginner curricula. Long enough for the mind to actually settle, short enough that almost anyone can sit through it without bargaining. Aim for this every day for two weeks before reaching higher.
Half - 20 minutes
The classic Vipassana and mindfulness session. Long enough to leave the planning mind behind and notice the deeper rhythm of the body and the breath. The right next step once ten minutes feels routine.
Long - 30 minutes
Serious daily practice. Most established traditions consider thirty minutes a meaningful sit; longer sessions are usually reserved for retreats. Set this length when you're ready to make stillness a real part of your day.
When the meditation timer earns its keep
Reach for the meditation timer whenever you want a fixed window of stillness without watching the clock. It's especially useful when you need to:
- Anchor a morning routine - sit before the day takes over and the inbox starts asking.
- Reset before a stressful meeting, hard conversation, or any moment that's about to need calm.
- Cool down after a workout or a run, while the body is already willing to be still.
- Decompress at the end of the day, separating work-mind from sleep-mind with a clean line.
- Build a streak - a daily ten-minute sit is one of the most consistent ways to keep the habit alive.
How to meditate
There's no secret technique. The instructions are short and almost the same in every tradition:
- Pick a posture you can hold without fidgeting - sit upright in a chair with your feet flat on the floor, or cross-legged on a cushion if that's comfortable. Lying down is fine if you're sure you won't fall asleep.
- Close your eyes, or let them rest with a soft gaze on a spot a few feet ahead. The face stays relaxed, the shoulders drop.
- Pick something simple to attend to - the feeling of the breath at the nose, the rise and fall of the belly, the contact of the body on the seat, or a quiet ambient sound. One of those is enough.
- When the mind wanders - and it will, dozens of times - gently notice that it has, and bring attention back. No judgement, no replay, no scolding. Notice, return.
- When the bell sounds, take a slow breath, open your eyes, and pause for a moment before standing. Notice how you feel. Carry the calm into whatever's next.
Frequently asked questions
What's the right duration to start with?
Five minutes for the first two weeks. The goal early on is consistency, not depth - sitting every day for five minutes teaches your mind that this is a real thing you do, and the habit settles. After two weeks, move up to ten minutes and stay there for a while. Most experienced meditators sit between ten and thirty minutes a day; almost no one starts there.
Do I need to sit perfectly still?
No. Comfort matters more than rigid stillness. If your foot falls asleep, move it. If your back starts to ache, adjust your posture. The only thing to avoid is restless fidgeting, because the body's stillness helps the mind's stillness. Lying down works too, as long as you don't drift off - most beginners find sitting upright keeps them more alert.
What if my mind keeps wandering?
That's the practice. Noticing that the mind has wandered and gently bringing it back is the actual rep - like a curl at the gym. Every time you notice and return, you're training the muscle. A 'good' session isn't one where the mind never wandered; it's one where you noticed it wandering and returned, again and again, without making a story out of it.
Should I use audio guidance or sit in silence?
Both have a place, but silent sitting builds an independent practice you can take anywhere. Guided meditations are great for new meditators who don't know what to do with the mind, and for tired days when you need someone else's voice to lean on. As the practice settles, silence becomes the more useful default - and that's exactly what this timer is built for.