Does anyone meditation with a timer? Or not?

[EFreethought]

Does anyone use any timer or timer app when meditating? Why or why not?

 

I have used a timer app on my phone for a few years. Here is the one I use: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.multiordinal.mhp&hl=en_US&gl=US  I know a lot of people love the Insight Timer app, but I do not want to have to log in to the app each time I use it, and I do not want to save logins on my phone. I do not use my phone to manage money or buy things; I only use it as a phone, a camera and a timer.

 

With the winter storms here in TX, the power has gone out a few times. I meditated without the app a few days ago (since I did not want to use up my battery), and honestly I am not sure how long I went. I think it was about 20 minutes, but it could have been as little as 10, and as much as 30.

 

 

Edited February 5, 2023 by EFreethought

[Barnaby]

1 hour ago, EFreethought said:

Does anyone use any timer or timer app when meditating

I use Repeat Timer Pro.

 

Works for me 😊

[dino]

then you will just think only about the time...

[Barnaby]

5 hours ago, dino said:

then you will just think only about the time...

Yeah, I see what you’re saying.

 

It’s a hack, to fit meditation into a daily schedule.

 

But in practice, I find that once I enter a deeper meditative state, the notion of time dissolves and I’m often surprised by the timer

[Netero]

It depends. I think a timer is a great luxury to have, especially if you have a tight schedule and can only afford so much time.
I'm especially thinking about morning meditations before work. "Sorry that I'm late, boss. Zoned out blissfully in my meditation again, you know". 

 

On the other hand, there is a mental caveat about a timer which has more to do with ones attitude towards practice. "When is that damn thing going to ring, I'm getting tired of this shit". I used to have this mentality in the beginning. I've meditated 10 min yesterday and 30 min today -- that means I'm x3 times more spiritual! Which is an absurd notion. Clichés are rightfully shunned because of their simplicity, but these sayings became clichés because simplicity is the seal of truth -- in meditation, it's all about quality over quantity. 
 

I've lost track of time as well, 15 min feeling like 2 min, so a timer is just a pragmatic solution. 
 

I'm certain I'm not the only one to have experienced this, but I have often been attuned to my "internal clock" during sleep, often waking up a minute or two before my alarm rang. It's a curious phenomenon, and while I'm sure it could be developed further, a timer just seems much more practical
 

 

[-ꦥꦏ꧀ ꦱꦠꦿꦶꦪꦺꦴ-]

I use a timer because I have a tight schedule and do most of my practice in the morning before going to work. 
 

I recommend the timer from the Plum Village app, nice gentle bells and chimes you can choose from and can set the alarm to ring in intervals if you need. Very useful.

[doc benway]

I use a timer only if I need one, eg practicing before work or a meeting, etc. In the morning I can get a sense of the time from the local crows and the ambient light. I also have a pretty good feel for how long I’ve been sitting.

I currently use the Insight Timer app but don’t like how commercial it’s become. The timer is nice with lots of flexibility but lately I just need a simple  bell at the end. I may have to try the Plum Village app.

[RobB]

I use Insight Timer. It can be programmed easily for various durations and I ignore the rest of the features. It also has the best selection of 'bongs' and 'bings' that I've found. Super spiritual! When I started sitting regularly, I also found myself waiting for the timer to go off but that was about me - not about the timer. Still happens...

[Mandrake]

I do both.

 

It depends also on what's happening internally and what I'm trying to accomplish. If it's training samadhi, then every minute is training the mental factors needed. Just like lifting weights in the gym actually do stuff whether you're lifting for 15 minutes or one hours.

If it is a process that is unfolding, then that takes precedence over any imposed time limit.

 

 

M

[Camellia]

I use a timer due to schedule constraints. I like Insight Timer too, and have created presets for meditation, yoga, qigong, etc.

 

12 hours ago, RobB said:

It also has the best selection of 'bongs' and 'bings' that I've found.

Agree 😅

[Geof Nanto]

I use a 30 minute sand timer. It works well for me because 30 minutes is the minimum I like to sit for but don’t like to have it as a defined time marked by an end chime.

 

 

[Nungali]

I would use an alarm to know when to start a  meditation ... for the midnight meditation .  Or if I was up late beyond midnight already , I would set it for the dawn one . The noon and sunset one was done visually .  I never needed a timer as I just did my meditation as instructed  and that is  'as long as it takes ' , usually less than 15 mins , but it was set ( meaning it was 'active' meditation - 'awareness' ; not some state where I could not tell how much time passed .  Perhaps if  i did enter into some state like that at the end of each session ( where the 'set' meditation has a space for more free form 'contemplation' ) I would mentally 'set' a time .

 

But please dont tell me people are getting specific meditation timers with  little gong noises and such ......   ummm , whats wrong with a phone timer where you can choose an alarm sound you like ? 

 

I would even go as far as to suggest that if you are buying crap and trinkets like that for 'meditation' ..... you need to assess  what you are meditating on and how and why  ... and if it is getting through to you .  ( meaning are your ' unconscious drives'  that lead your 'conscious' behavior being affected by your meditations ? )

[awaken]

Thirty minutes is not enough for a full practice session. A full workout takes at least two hours.

 

三十分鐘是不夠完全練一場的。完全練一場至少需要兩小時。

[-ꦥꦏ꧀ ꦱꦠꦿꦶꦪꦺꦴ-]

22 hours ago, Nungali said:

But please dont tell me people are getting specific meditation timers with  little gong noises and such ......   ummm , whats wrong with a phone timer where you can choose an alarm sound you like ? 

 

I would even go as far as to suggest that if you are buying crap and trinkets like that for 'meditation' ..... you need to assess  what you are meditating on and how and why  ... and if it is getting through to you .  ( meaning are your ' unconscious drives'  that lead your 'conscious' behavior being affected by your meditations ? )

We aren’t buying anything, just using free timers.

 

The problem with the sounds on standard phone timers is they are quite loud and harsh, not really that nice to bring you back to reality after a good session. 

[Cobie]

 

 

On 05/02/2023 at 10:33 AM, EFreethought said:

Does anyone use any timer or timer app when meditating? Why or why not? …

I don’t. I kind of have an internal timer.

 

 

Edited February 10, 2023 by Cobie

[Nungali]

22 hours ago, Cobie said:

 

 

I don’t. I kind of have an internal timer.

 

 

 

and then ...  it gets interesting ;

 

I used to set an alarm for my midnight meditation . After a while I would wake up automatically just as or before the alarm went off . Then after a while I  I would instantly wake up, alert and fully awake, very quickly .... bing !   Then a moment later the alarm would go off . So I eventually stopped using it . Auto wake up, do my meditation go back to sleep . But then the next stage was, some mornings I had no memory of waking up and doing it and could not be sure I actually did it .  So I thought to make note of that ;

 

Here I am , past midnight 'pinching' myself - yes I am definitely awake . I will do this each time . Some times I had a memory of it in the mornings , other times not .  So I started leaving myself a note to say I had been awake and done my meditation.  Some mornings I had no recollection whatsoever of doing it that night , yet there was the note on the bedside table .  

 

Sleep walking is weird enough ... but to be getting up and doing meditating in the middle of the night ( which involves recitations and actions as well ) , fully conscious and having no recollection of that is a strange feeling .   ( Who is that 'other guy' doing these night medications that I have no memory of  -  'night self ' ,  who is that guy that wakes up in the morning and will not remember this? )  .

[Nungali]

On 2/11/2023 at 7:03 AM, Pak_Satrio said:

We aren’t buying anything, just using free timers.

 

The problem with the sounds on standard phone timers is they are quite loud and harsh, not really that nice to bring you back to reality after a good session. 

 

Well, I dont like  that  on an ordinary alarm either . My phone alarm selected is very placid and starts off low building in volume .

[Miffymog]

I have this one I've been using for some time, although no longer available on Amazon, I think you can find it in other stores.

 

I like it because you have a selection of some very pleasant chimes to choose from and because I didn't want to use my phone during my medication practice.

 

At the time it was quite expensive, but has been well worth the purchase.

 

As for whether I use a timer ot not, most of the time yes, but I sometimes don't just to see how long my natural medication duration has gotten to.

 

 

https://a.co/d/caspdfQ

 

 

 

[Master Logray]

I used an apps that can customize ring tone, block calls, set interval timers e.g. one ring for 1/2 hour and another for 1 hour.   Nowadays just put a big clock in front, tired of waiting it to ring.