Labeling Meditation

This 12–15-minute meditation helps you develop mindfulness by labeling your thoughts, emotions, and external experiences. By gently observing and naming sensations without judgment, you create mental space and reduce the emotional charge of daily stressors.

Perfect for anyone seeking clarity and a deeper connection to the present moment.

Transcript

We can start with settling into the body,

Finding a comfortable position,

One that is alert but not stiff,

Noticing how the body feels now,

How the feet feel on the floor,

How your butt feels in the chair,

And with each exhale you can just let your shoulders drop a little further from your ears,

Letting your breath fall into a natural rhythm,

Noticing what it feels like for the air to come in and out of the body.

When the mind wanders,

We just come back to the breath with no judgment and maybe some loving kindness.

As you breathe,

Notice as the mind wanders,

Falls on various thoughts or feelings,

Practice intentionally labeling them,

Depending on what the thought is,

Will depend on the label,

Doesn't really matter what you label it,

Just that you're intentionally labeling,

So you think about food,

You might think dinner or shopping list,

But you're labeling the thoughts,

Filing them away,

Same with emotions,

A certain sensation may trigger the label boredom,

Another trigger might be freedom,

Another emotion label might be fear or anger or joy,

You're just noticing what comes up by itself,

Labeling it and returning to the breath,

As you sit and watch the breath,

The mind will naturally wander and you're out to experience the difference between the sensation and the label you give it,

Opening your awareness to your environment,

You might hear a sound and label the sound bird or car or plane,

You might notice a smell,

Label that breakfast or smoke and you're noticing the sensations that come and then the label you assign to the outside external factors in your environment,

Coming back to the breath,

See if you can sit and breathe and notice the sensations without adding any labels to them,

Just the sensations,

This is how my feet feel on the floor,

But without the labels,

This is how my butt feels in the chair,

Noticing the sensation rather than the label,

You can take one or two more slow,

Deep breaths when you're ready,

Gradually bringing your awareness back to your surroundings,

Opening your eyes and noticing your environment,

Seeing if you can notice it without labeling it.