Time to Meditate
Devices to help your manage time - for artistic and meditative practice
By Lee Ju-Lyn
If there is one issue that Buddhist artists or artistic Buddhist have in common, it is with managing time. As artists, we often already have to balance several jobs with our creative pursuits and also spiritual aspirations!
While I know the Buddhist ideal is not to rely on the material, I've researched and found the following time-keeping devices helpful with my mindfulness practice personally and I would like to share.
But why not just use (the obvious) smart phone clock/alarm or other app? Besides the clock or timer apps on the smart devices, there are, of course, many productivity apps offering to limit distractions and improve focus. Despite trying, I want to avoid picking up my phone and ending up being distracted with… well, the multitude of distractions… and I didn't want my meditation session to end with toggling my phone either.
A timer
I think timers are the most reliable meditation time counters for many people.
In a way, it is motivating and relaxing and easy to use - just set the amount of time you want to spend meditating and hang on until the beep.
I have timers from the local "two dollar" shops which are straight forward enough, but the drawbacks to them is when I might be on a "meditation roll" and enjoying my concentration and would rather meditate longer, but I get interrupted by the beep and abruptly I will open my eyes to turn off the alarm.
So I have something like this: Ticktime Pomodoro Hexagon Visual Magnetic Flip Time
It works with a gyroscope-like-mechanism such that the timer is set by the way the device is facing up. The numbers on the side of the hexagon refer to the number of minutes, and one would put down the device with the number of minutes pointing upwards. This makes it easy to extend a meditation session, i.e. by picking it up and rotating and setting it down.
The volume is adjustable as well, and it comes with a silent mode. It's meant to help time study sessions so it beeps several times and stops, just in case one is in the library, or any quiet place.
The disadvantage is the price and it being another thing to charge.
A chiming clock
I got the idea for getting a chiming clock from one of Thit Nanh Hant's books, where he explained how when he was giving a talk, he would have a bell ringer who would ring the bell every 20 minutes or so, to remind everyone to be mindful of the breath, periodically.
Well, a timer would serve the same purpose except when one neglects to set it, during busy times of the day. So I use a version of this bird clock that chirps at every hour: Mark Feldstein & Associates Audubon Singing Bird Wall Clock.
Considering how I have been using my other clocks for more than 10 years, a nice one is a worthy investment. I place mine with some plants near a window, and have been enjoying the bird calls. Many times I worked too late into the night, and it was this clock that reminded me it was time to go and sleep. There is an in-built light sensor to the clock, so if the lights in the room it's in are switched off at night, they wouldn't sound and disturb one’s sleep.
For meditation purpose, I would simply try to meditate until the next time the bird chimes, and there is less need to set the timer sometimes.
If birds are not to your liking, there are variants of the product featuring dogs and cats. Other chiming clock options are obviously the cuckoo clock types, and some “rococo-esque” musical ones from Seiko.
A watch with vibrating alarm
All the above are quite fine for the home, but this one is specially useful at meditation centers or meditation retreats. At these occasions, portability and keeping relatively silent is important, and yet, timing is still important to keep, to adhere with the itinerary or group programme, and of course, to help one’s meditation practice.
This casio watch could be set to vibrate at alarms and also set to buzz every hour, and I use it in the same way as a chiming clock. There are beeping alarm watches which has the same function, but those are disruptive to others, and can be embarrassing at the library. Some smart watches may have similar functionalities but they also tend to distraction with their other functionalities.
The drawback is that the vibration can be quite gentle and barely noticeable when I am physically active, although it is usually enough to alert me during meditation sessions.
Honestly, I feel kind of awkward sharing this article but we are trying out with some lifestyle interests that might be relevant to fellow Buddhist artists/ artistic Buddhists.
There's no ad profit from the above placements! Genuinely hope you find it useful!