The Scribe's Ledger

Noting gives the wandering mind a small job. Each time something happens, you give it a quiet one-word label, then let it go. The labels aren’t the point. They keep you awake to each moment as it passes, and they show you how much is going on without you having to chase any of it.

The working

1. Sit comfortably with your back upright, close your eyes, and rest your hands on your belly or in your lap.
2. Feel the belly move as you breathe. As it rises, note silently rising. As it falls, note falling.
3. When a thought pulls you away, note thinking, thinking, then return to the belly.
4. Note other things the same way when they take your attention: hearing for a sound, itching or aching for a sensation, wanting or planning for the mind’s moods.
5. Keep the notes soft, about a tenth of your attention. Most of it stays on the experience itself, not the word.
6. Don’t search for things to note. Note only what is strongest right now, then go back to rising and falling.

Closing

Stop noting and simply rest for a few breaths. Notice how it feels to be here without labels, then open your eyes.