"Noting" - A Meditation Technique To Increase Awareness

"Noting" is a mindfulness meditation technique that helps you to increase your awareness and label experiences as they arise. In this meditation, I'll guide you through a short experience to note each thought as it arises. When you practice this technique regularly, you'll begin to notice when the mind starts to wander more quickly and be able to gently redirect it back to your anchor. Let's try it together.

Transcript

Today I'm going to teach you about noting.

Noting helps to increase awareness around your thoughts while seated for meditation.

When you become more aware of your thoughts or when you're thinking,

You're better able to redirect your attention to your desired anchor point.

In this case,

Your anchor is your breath.

To begin,

You'll start seated with a tall spine.

Spine is tall like a tree.

Crown reaches towards the sun.

Shoulders soften.

Eyes close.

Hands rest comfortably in your lap.

Connect with your breath.

Notice the touch of air inside of your nose as you breathe.

The coolness of the inhalation and the warmth of the exhalation.

Without trying to change the breath in any way,

Just watch the breath flow in and out of you for a few breaths.

Imagine that you're at a train station and you're standing on the platform.

When you stand there,

You watch the trains come and go.

These trains are like your thoughts.

Some thoughts arrive,

While others depart.

Noting is the ability to recognize when thoughts appear.

In this case,

The trains.

So for the next few minutes,

I want you to continue to stand on the platform and watch your thoughts.

When you notice a thought appear,

Say to yourself,

Thinking,

Then redirect your attention back to your breath.

Be gentle with yourself as you begin to notice your attention and mind wander.

This is natural.

Each time a new thought arrives,

Note it and gently redirect your focus back on your breath.

When you're ready,

Start to shift your awareness back into the room.

Draw your hands together at heart center.

Pause to notice the effects of your practice.

Notice if anything has shifted to your left.

Notice if anything has shifted to your right.

Notice if anything has shifted to your left.

Notice if anything has shifted for you physically,

Mentally,

Or emotionally.

Then take a gentle bow and thank yourself for taking the time and the patience today to practice and learn something new.

So while you go through your meditation practices,

Either in the morning or the evening,

Start to incorporate noting into your practice.

Become aware of your thoughts.

When you notice your mind drifting away from the breath,

Say to yourself,

Thinking,

Notice how the experience becomes easier once you become more aware of your thoughts.

Namaste.