Noting meditation - the practical insight

“If you do the technique, you will see all of this and more. If not, reading about it won’t help you. It’s just another content trap, but a seductive one for us pseudo-intellectuals.”
- Daniel M. Ingram

Meditation is a powerful tool for personal growth and self-discovery. In my early practice, I discovered a particularly effective technique that brought me insights and breakthroughs. To this day, I consider it the cornerstone of my practice and the foundation that I fall back on when things become difficult or when I want to delve deeper into new territories of insight. In this blog post, I'd like to share this technique with you and offer some valuable tips for successful implementation.

The technique is simple: make a quiet, mental note of one word for each experience in each moment. Start by focusing on the sensations of breathing and quickly note each one as "rising" or "falling." This is the fundamental instruction for insight meditation. When the mind wanders, you can note other sensations such as "thinking," "feeling," "pressure," "tension," "anticipating," "pain," "pleasure," and so on.

As you walk, you can note the movement of your feet as "lifting," "moving," and "placing." And as you go about your day, you can note other sensations that arise. The key is to be consistent and continuous, noting as often as one to five times per second.

At any time, while doing anything, try to make a small mental note of what you are doing. Notice anything your mind comes up with. Notice it, watch it arise, pass away, and then note the next thing.

Here are some tips to help you get the most out of this technique:

• Don't get too caught up in finding the perfect label for each experience. Simple noting is best, and the goal is to keep moving forward.

• Keep your noting consistent and continuous, no matter what arises.

• If something derails your practice, fearlessly note it the next time it arises.

• Be honest and precise in your noting.

With this meta-awareness of your own awareness, you'll gain insight into its true nature and the nature of any phenomena by noting each sensation and the ones that follow. This practice is closely related to koan practices such as "What is it?" and is a powerful way to deepen your understanding of yourself and the world around you.

I can't emphasize enough the importance of this technique in my own personal practice. Its simplicity belies its astonishing power, and I hope you’ll try it and experience its benefits for yourself.

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This article is based on the works of Daniel Ingram - “Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha: An Unusually Hardcore Dharma Book” and “Manual of Insight” by Mahasi Sayadaw, both of which I highly recommend.