NOTING

How to mindfully note our experiences.

Introduction

Mindful noting is emotionally calming and healing. It is so powerful because we are not creating stressful me. We are only noting the experience. Example, “there is anger” vs “I am so angry”. Mindfulness first three attitudes are non-judgment, patience and beginner’s mind. Bare noting does not add a me personality to it.  It is just the noting the experience. Mindfully greatly reduces our stress levels, by not making or taking it too personal. 😊 

Breathing

Begin by sitting comfortably, focusing awareness on your breathing. As you feel each breath, carefully acknowledge it with a simple note: “in-breath, out-breath,” saying the words silently and softly in the back of your mind. This will help you keep track of the breathing, which gives your thinking mind a way to support awareness rather than wandering off in some other direction.

Then as you get quiet and as your skill grows, you can notice and note more precisely, “long breath,” “short breath,” “tight breath,” or “relaxed breath.” Let every kind of breath show itself to you.

Sensations

As you continue to develop your meditation, the process of noting can be extended to other experiences as they arise in your awareness. You can note the bodily energies and sensations that come up, such as “tingling,” “itching,” “hot,” or “cold.”

Feelings

You can note feelings, such as “fear” or “delight.” You can then extend the noting to sounds and sights.

Thoughts

Thought types such as “planning” or “remembering.”

In developing the noting practice, stay focused on your breathing unless a stronger experience arises to interrupt your attention. Then include this stronger experience in the meditation, feeling it fully and noting it softly for as long as it persists— “hearing, hearing, hearing” or “sad, sad, sad.” When it passes, return to noting the breath until another strong experience arises. Keep the meditation simple focusing on one thing at a time. Continue to note whatever is most prominent in each moment, being aware of the ever-changing stream of your life.

At first, sitting still and noting may seem awkward or loud, as if it interferes with your awareness. You must practice noting very softly, giving ninety five percent of your energy to sensing each experience, and five percent to a soft note in the background. When you misuse noting, it will feel like a club, a way to judge and push away an undesirable experience, like shouting at “thinking” or “pain” to make it go away. Sometimes, in the beginning, you may also feel confused about what note to use, looking through your inner dictionary instead of being aware of what is actually present. Remember, the practice of noting is much simpler than that; it is just a simple acknowledgment of what is present.

Soon you will be ready to bring the practice of noting and inquiry directly to the difficulties and hindrances that arise in your life. The most common difficulties that the Buddha described as the chief hindrances to awareness and clarity are grasping and anger, sleepiness and restlessness, and doubt. Of course, you will inevitably encounter many other hindrances and demons, and will even create new ones of your own. Sometimes they will besiege you in combinations, which one student called “a multiple hindrance attack.” Whatever comes, you will need to begin to see these basic difficulties clearly as they arise.

Source- https://jackkornfield.com/how-to-begin-naming/

Adapted with permission