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Noting

If you have been practising the previous methods diligently, you will no doubt have noticed the immense benefits of meditating regularly, and are ready to focus on another important aspect of meditation: learning how to observe your thoughts in a detached way.

So often when we sit down to meditate, we end up getting distracted by our thoughts. But the goal of meditation is to enter that place behind and beyond all thoughts. This is where the witnessing aspect of consciousness resides – the impartial state of being which is the “gateless gateway” to entering the formless dimensions of being. To get here it helps if you know how to observe your mind objectively. One of the simplest and most direct ways to do this is to use a method called “noting.”

The basis of this method is to make a mental note of the kinds of thoughts that pass through your mind. For example, let’s say you start thinking about work. Instead of allowing yourself to get carried away by the stream of ideas and images associated with your job, you simply make a mental note of the associated thoughts with a label like: thinking about work. Similarly, note other thoughts as they arise with remarks such as thinking about breakfast, hearing a noise outside, remembering what happened yesterday. Once you’ve labeled a thought, let it go without judgment. Labeling thoughts makes it much easier to do this.

As you become more adept at this practice, you will develop even simpler labels, such as anxiety, sound, memory, or fantasy to make a note of the different types of thoughts that arise. Once you have mastered this method, you should be able to recognize thoughts as soon as they begin to arise in your mind, letting them go quickly and easily without even needing to label them.

THE PRACTICE

Begin by closing your eyes. Take a deep breath, hold it for a moment, and then exhale slowly and gently through pursed lips. Repeat this two or three times. Next, spend a few minutes scanning your body, releasing any tension you notice along the way. Remember to use your breath as an aid.

After that, simply watch your mind. If you start to think about something, make a mental note of the thought, and then let it go. Repeat this process over and over: noting your thoughts as they arise.

When you are ready, prepare to open your eyes. But before you do, dedicate the peaceful energy and mental silence cultivated during this meditation towards continuing this practice as you go about your day. Label whatever thoughts arise throughout the day. Doing so will diminish your emotional reactions to the people and events around you, as well as detach your awareness from the interpreting ego that generates all this activity.

SUMMARY

The practice of noting heightens the distinction between the flow of thoughts and the part of your mind that observes them objectively. Getting in touch with this observing part of your mind cultivates the witnessing aspect of consciousness, which opens us up to the formless state of being that is our true nature.

REMEMBER: As you cultivate more mental silence, you will become more accepting of what is without judgment or criticism. Your emotional reactions to the people and events around you will also diminish, replaced by a sense of equanimity.