2 Hour Meditation Timer
A 2-hour meditation for deep retreat practice — the longest sit in this series, paced by interval bells every 30 minutes. Free, in your browser, no sign-up — press start and the bells handle the rest.
About this timer
A two-hour sit is the longest session in this series, and it belongs to deep retreat practice. In some Vipassana traditions, sits of this order are undertaken as adhiṭṭhāna — "strong determination" — sittings, in which the practitioner resolves not to open the hands, eyes, or legs for the full period. Whether or not you take on that resolve, two hours asks for an established practice underneath it; this is not a duration to attempt out of curiosity alone.
Discomfort is not a side effect at this length — working with it is much of the practice. Aches will arise and intensify, and the standing instruction across long-sit traditions is to observe them with equanimity before acting: many sensations crest and dissolve under steady attention. Be honest with your limits all the same — sharp, numbing, or radiating pain is information to act on, and a slow, deliberate adjustment costs far less than an injury.
The preset sounds a soft interval bell every 30 minutes, giving the two hours four quiet waypoints without breaking the container of the sit. Prepare as you would for a retreat period: an empty stretch of calendar, light food well before sitting, water taken beforehand rather than kept at hand, and a posture built for the long haul — hips well above the knees, with support exactly where your body needs it.
Suggested timer setup
- Duration
- 2 hours total
- Segments
- One 120-minute meditation segment with a soft interval bell every 30 minutes — already set when you open this page
- Bells
- A gong to open and close suits the gravity of a two-hour sit; the interval bell marks each half hour quietly
Treat this as a retreat period rather than a daily sit: clear the full window, silence every notification, and settle the posture with unusual care before the opening bell.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is a 2-hour meditation for?
Experienced practitioners engaged in deep or retreat-style practice. Two hours is the longest session in this series and assumes long sits are already familiar territory — typically a base of regular 60- to 90-minute sitting. It is not a duration to attempt early in a practice, and nothing about it makes shorter sits less valid.
What is an adhiṭṭhāna or strong-determination sit?
In some Vipassana traditions, practitioners periodically take a resolve to sit for a set period — often one to two hours — without opening the eyes, hands, or legs. The stillness itself becomes the object of practice: sensations that would normally trigger movement are observed with equanimity instead. It is an advanced practice best learned within a tradition that teaches it.
How do I deal with pain during a 2-hour sit?
First distinguish discomfort from harm. Aching, pressure, and heat are the normal territory of long sitting, and observing them with equanimity rather than reacting at once is central to the practice — many such sensations shift or dissolve under steady attention. Sharp, numbing, or radiating pain is different: adjust slowly and deliberately, because no sit is worth an injury.
How is this 2-hour timer set up when the page opens?
It opens with a single 120-minute meditation segment that includes a soft interval bell every 30 minutes — four quiet waypoints across the sit — plus a bell at the start and end. Every part of that is adjustable in the settings, from the interval to the bell sound and volume, and your changes are saved automatically in the browser.