Yoga Timer

Common uses for a yoga timer

Home yoga sessions
Yin yoga holds
Yoga nidra sessions
Pose hold timing
Guided self-practice
Morning flow sessions

A yoga timer serves two purposes: marking the total session duration and timing individual pose holds (especially in yin yoga where poses are held for 3–5 minutes). Use loop mode for repeated pose intervals.

60 minutes is the standard yoga class length — enough time for a proper warm-up, a full sequence of standing and seated poses, and a savasana closing.

Decide the session length before you start

An open-ended practice tends to become whichever poses you like, held for as long as they stay comfortable. Setting the length first turns it into a session with a shape, and it is the difference between practising and stretching.

Twenty minutes is enough for a real sequence. Sixty is a full class. The most common mistake is planning sixty on a day that only had twenty in it, and then doing nothing.

The timer belongs at the sequence level

Timing individual poses in a flowing practice fights the breath, which is what should be setting the pace. The useful role is marking the larger structure — how long on the standing sequence, when to switch sides, when to move to the floor.

For held practices the opposite is true: a yin pose has a duration, and a timer is the only way to hold it honestly. Which mode you need depends on the practice rather than on preference.

Leave time for the end

Savasana is routinely cut when a session runs long, and it is the part most often described by teachers as the one that makes the rest land. Five minutes at the end of a twenty-minute practice is a quarter of the session and still worth protecting.

Building it into the timer rather than leaving it as whatever is left over is the practical fix. If the sequence has to shorten, it should shorten in the middle.

A workable division of time. Protect the closing rest rather than treating it as spare.

Session shapes by length
Total	Warm-up	Main sequence	Cool down	Savasana
15 min	3 min	8 min	2 min	2 min
20 min	4 min	11 min	2 min	3 min
30 min	5 min	18 min	3 min	5 min
45 min	7 min	28 min	5 min	5 min
60 min	10 min	37 min	6 min	7 min
90 min	12 min	58 min	10 min	10 min

In a flowing practice the breath sets the pace — time the sequence, not individual poses.
If the session has to shorten, shorten the middle. Savasana is the part that makes the rest land.

Source: Session structures are established yoga teaching convention rather than a published standard

Sources

Session structures are established yoga teaching convention rather than a published standard , TheTimerLab — accessed 2026-07-28

🔗 Related Timers

Yoga Flow Timer

Yin Yoga Pose Timer

Meditation Timer

45 Minute Timer

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

How long should a yoga session be?

A complete class typically runs 60–90 minutes. For daily home practice, even 20–30 minutes of consistent movement is beneficial. Yin and restorative sessions often run 75–90 minutes due to long pose holds.

Can I use the yoga timer for individual pose holds?

Yes — set a shorter duration (2–5 minutes) and use loop mode to repeat for each pose. This is particularly useful for yin yoga where holds of 3–5 minutes per pose are standard.

What is the difference between yoga timer and yin yoga timer?

The yoga timer sets the overall session length. The yin yoga timer is designed for repeated pose intervals with automatic cycling. Use the yin yoga timer for pose-by-pose practice.

Should I time individual poses or the whole sequence?

It depends on the practice. In a flowing practice the breath sets the pace and timing individual poses fights it, so time the larger structure instead. In a held practice like yin, the pose has a duration and a timer is the only way to hold it honestly.

How long should savasana be?

Around five minutes in a thirty-minute practice, scaling up with the session. It is the part most often cut when things run long and the part teachers most often describe as making the rest land — if the session has to shorten, shorten the middle.