In short: noting meditation means softly labeling what you experience ("rising, falling", "thinking", "hearing") to stay present with it. The method was developed by 20th-century Burmese teachers, especially in the Mahasi tradition, from the Buddha's instruction to know each experience as it is: "When a mendicant is walking they know: 'I am walking.' When standing they know: 'I am standing.' When sitting they know: 'I am sitting.' And when lying down they know: 'I am lying down.' Whatever posture their body is in, they know it." (MN 10).
The root in the Buddha's teaching
"When a mendicant is walking they know: 'I am walking.' When standing they know: 'I am standing.' When sitting they know: 'I am sitting.' And when lying down they know: 'I am lying down.' Whatever posture their body is in, they know it."
MN 10 · The full teaching: Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta.
"They know: I am walking" is the seed of noting. The modern method extends it to everything: breath, sounds, thoughts, feelings, each simply known and named.
Read the full guide
A 10-minute noting practice
- Settle (1 minute). Sit comfortably. Feel the belly move with the breath.
- Note the breath (3 minutes). As the belly rises, silently: "rising". As it falls: "falling". Light, like a whisper in the mind.
- Note what pulls you away (4 minutes). A thought: "thinking, thinking". A sound: "hearing". An itch: "itching". Then back to "rising, falling".
- Note feelings (1 minute). "Pleasant", "unpleasant", "neutral". No judging, just knowing.
- Rest (1 minute). Drop the labels and simply know.
Tips
- Keep the label light. The word is a pointer, not the practice. Most of your attention stays on the experience.
- Note late is fine. "Thinking" after a long daydream is a perfect note. That moment of knowing is the practice.
- If labels feel noisy, drop them and simply know, as in the sutta. Some people prefer this.
Try it
Noting works well while walking: see walking meditation. For calm and insight together, read samatha and vipassanā. A guided start: Practice.
Questions people ask
What is noting meditation?
Noting is a method of mindfulness where you softly label what is happening, such as 'rising, falling' for the breath or 'hearing' for a sound, to stay present. It was popularized by 20th-century Burmese teachers in the Mahasi tradition, based on the Buddha's instruction to know your experience as it is (MN 10).
Should I note out loud?
No, silently. Keep the label light, about 5% of your attention; the other 95% stays with the experience itself.