Meditation Timer Articles

Meditation Timer

Not too long ago, yoga and meditation were considered too off the mainstream for most people; they were practices for the extremists, the "hippies" and the "tree huggers".  Fortunately, as more people seek better ways to become fit, improve their health and reduce stress, yoga and meditation have become much more popular. Today, celebrities, baby boomers, college students and people from every walk of life are enjoying yoga and meditation as part of their lifestyle.

While meditation is definitely a learned practice, it can be made much easier for beginners with the use of aids such as a meditation timer. What are meditation timers For? Meditation timers are similar to other timers and alarms, in that they can be set for a certain time of day or a certain length of time. However, regular timers and alarm clocks can be very distracting or jarring when used to time your meditation sessions. Especially when you're first learning the practice of meditation, distractions such as ticking or the changing of digitally displayed numbers can be aggravatingly distracting.

This makes them pretty counterproductive. Also, if you've just spent ten or twenty minutes achieving calmness and serenity, the last thing you want is a loud, grating alarm to jerk you back to the everyday. Again, this would work against everything you're trying to achieve. How Are meditation timers Different? meditation timers are created specifically to time your meditation sessions without a lot of fuss or distraction and also to gently call you out of meditation.

You can time sessions from five minutes long to an hour or more, without having to reset the timer. Some meditation timers will even let you set them for several consecutive time intervals, which is handy if your meditation requires you to change breathing styles or techniques one or more times per session. Also, the sounds available for alarms are much more varied and soothing than you'll find with other timers. There are several different sounds available in many models, although variations of the gong sound are most popular.Which Timer is Right for Me?

Each person is an individual, so no meditation timer is right for everyone. The best one for you will depend on your budget, your chosen style or décor, and your meditation needs. meditation timers are more costly than a cheap kitchen timer or alarm clock, but they aren't unreasonably expensive. However, if you're on a tight budget, one of the less expensive models with limited sounds might be best. If you want something that will blend in with an area you've set aside and decorated for meditation, you may want one of the pyramid or other designs, which blend well with a Zen-type environment.

How Do I Use a meditation timer? When you're just starting out in meditation, one of the most difficult things to learn is to focus for long periods of time. By setting your meditation timer for ten or fifteen minutes or so, you can clear your mind of questions about whether you've meditated long enough, are running late for work, or other pesky distractions. You can also use it to time different breathing patterns. After a few sessions, you'll find that your meditation timer makes learning to meditate much easier and more successful.