Meditation timer for beginners

Starting is smaller than you think

Meditation has a marketing problem: it is usually sold as a program, with levels and streak pressure and a narrator's voice. Stripped of all that, the actual practice is plain — sit down, set a modest amount of time, pay attention to breathing until the bell rings. This page gives you exactly that, with a five-minute default because five minutes is a length a beginner can keep every single day, which is the only thing that matters in the first month.

A first session, step by step

1. Leave the duration at 5 minutes. Choose the zen gong bell and set interval to off — fewer sounds, fewer decisions.
2. Press Begin and use the short countdown to find a seat: feet flat, hands loose, back comfortable but upright.
3. After the opening bell, put your attention on the breath — the coolness at the nostrils or the rise of the belly, whichever is easier to notice.
4. When the mind wanders (it will, constantly — this is normal), gently come back to the breath. Every return is the practice, not a failure of it.
5. When the closing bell sounds, do not jump up — listen to it fade, open your eyes, done.

What to expect in week one

Mostly you will notice how noisy an ordinary mind is. That is not evidence you are bad at this; it is the discovery everyone has. The panel below tracks your streak automatically — aim for daily, keep sessions short, and let the length grow when the sitting asks for it.