Free tool · No sign-up
Free Meditation Timer with Bells & Rain Sounds
Choose a manageable length. You can keep your eyes open and use sounds or your feet on the floor as an anchor.
Even 5 minutes eased negative feelings in a large trial. See the evidence
Adjust your practice · optional
Before you start (optional) — how tense do you feel?
Background · plays with your practice; switch anytime
5:00
Ready when you are
Sit comfortably and rest your attention on your breath or the sound around you. When your mind wanders, that's normal — notice it and come back.
If you feel distressed or disconnected, stop and look around the room. You do not need to finish.
Done. Before you get up, notice the room around you and how your body feels.
A short practice counts, however you feel.
Continue with Scripture and prayer
How do you feel now? Optional
And now — how tense do you feel?
Make room for next time · optional
Choose something you already do, then pair it with this practice. No daily target to keep.
Add a reminder to your calendar · optional
Your calendar app sends the reminder, with a link back to this practice. Nothing is sent to us.
Choose a length, press Start and sit. A soft bell marks the beginning and the end, and you can choose a nature sound in the background. It runs in your browser with no app or sign-up.
How to use the timer
- Choose how many minutes you want to sit.
- Pick a background: silence, rain, a stream, ocean waves, forest, wind, birdsong or a campfire. Add an interval bell if you like.
- Press Start, sit comfortably, and rest your attention on your breath or the sound.
- When your mind wanders, notice it and come back. When the bell sounds, look around before you stand.
Meditation with nature sounds, bells or silence
A rain meditation uses the steady sound of rain as the anchor for your attention: when your mind wanders, come back to the sound. The rain is a real recording, in a light or a steadier version, softened and looped seamlessly in your browser. The bell is a synthesized singing-bowl tone. Some people find a steady background sound makes it easier to settle; others prefer silence. Try both and keep whichever feels easier, and use headphones if you share a room. You can also choose a stream, ocean waves, forest ambience, wind, birdsong or a crackling campfire. Switch sounds using the background buttons, even while the timer is running. Set your device volume low before you start; sounds fade in gently.
Rain recordings: “rain loopable” by Ylmir, CC0, via OpenGameArt. Other nature recordings are CC0 from Freesound; see the audio sources and licenses.
Who should be careful
Sitting quietly is low-risk for most people, but it is not always comfortable. If you feel dizzy, distressed, or flooded by difficult memories, open your eyes, look around the room and stop. Do not use the timer while driving or doing anything that needs your full attention. If meditation regularly leaves you feeling worse, talk with a doctor or mental health professional.
What the research says
A 2014 review of 47 trials of meditation programs found moderate evidence of small improvements in anxiety, depression and pain, and low evidence for stress. Those programs involved weeks of guided training, not a single timed sit. NCCIH notes that meditation is usually considered to have few risks, while a 2020 review found that about 8% of participants reported a negative effect, most often anxiety or depression. We do not claim that rain sounds or bells have a particular effect.
A 2026 trial found modest immediate reductions in negative emotions from brief guided practices compared with usual internet use. An analysis of the same trial found no higher likelihood of distressing experiences in meditation participants than controls. Neither paper tests this unguided timer or guarantees a comfortable session.
- Simonsson O, et al. Personalized prediction of response to three meditation practices: A randomized controlled trial. Behaviour Research and Therapy. 2026. PubMed
- Simonsson O, et al. Adverse Experiences in Brief Meditation Practices: Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR Mental Health. 2026. Original study
- Goyal M, Singh S, Sibinga EMS, et al. Meditation programs for psychological stress and well-being: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Internal Medicine. 2014. PubMed
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Meditation and Mindfulness: Effectiveness and Safety. NCCIH
Common questions
How long should I meditate?
Start with a length you can manage, often two to five minutes. A short session you repeat is more useful than a long one you avoid. You can stop or pause at any time; the timer is a setting, not a target.
What do the interval bells do?
An interval bell rings softly every minute or every five minutes. Some people use it as a reminder to check where their attention has gone; others find it distracting. Leave it off if you prefer an uninterrupted sit.
Are the background sounds real recordings?
Yes. Rain, stream, ocean, forest, wind, birdsong and campfire sounds are CC0 field recordings, looped with crossfades in your browser. Only your selected sound loads. If a rain recording cannot load, the timer uses generated rain; other unavailable sounds show a message and the timer continues in silence.
Does the meditation timer work with my screen locked?
Keep the page open and your screen unlocked. The timer asks your device to keep the screen on where supported, but browsers may pause sound or timing when the screen locks or you switch apps. The countdown catches up when you return, but bells may be missed.
Is the meditation timer free?
Yes. It runs in your browser with no app, account or download, and nothing you do in it is stored on our servers.
What should I focus on while the timer runs?
Pick one simple anchor: the feeling of breathing, the sound of the rain, or your feet on the floor. The 5-minute meditation and morning meditation guides walk through a session step by step.