How to Note and Label

Shinzen Young

How to Note and Label

Some Definitions
Theg
oa
lofmi
ndf
ul
ne
s
spr
a
c
t
i
c
ei
st
opr
e
c
i
s
e
l
yt
r
a
c
kwha
ty
ou
r
ee
xpe
r
i
e
nc
i
nga
ndt
ol
e
t
t
hi
ng
sc
omea
ndg
owi
t
hde
t
a
c
hme
nt
.Toc
r
e
a
t
eas
t
r
uc
t
ur
ef
ort
ha
tt
ooc
c
ur
,we

l
lof
t
e
nus
e
noting, and sometimes labeling as well.
DEFINITION: Noting
To note something means to notice it and then focus on it intently (but gently!)
for a few seconds, unless it happens to immediately vanish.
To facilitate this process, you have the option of accompanying the noting with labeling.
DEFINITION: Labeling
To label means to think or say a word or phrase that describes what you are
noting.
The relationship between mindfulness, noting, and labeling is as follows: Labeling is
designed to facilitate noting; noting is designed to facilitate mindfulness.

Pacing and Voice Tone

As a general principle, note and label at a leisurely pace, allowing approximately 4-6 seconds
between each labeling.
When you speak the labels out loud, intentionally use a low, gentle, matter-of-fact, almost
impersonal tone of voice. When you think the labels, create the same tone in your mental
voice.
The leisurely pace allows you to soak in and savor each experience as you note it. The tone
of voice helps put you in a deep state.

Noting
An act of noting usually consists of two parts:
1. An initial noticing, which takes place in a fraction of a second, and
2. A period of intently focusing on what you noticed. This typically lasts for several
seconds, during which you intentionally soak into it and open up to it. This second
pa
r
ti
st
r
a
di
t
i
ona
l
l
yr
e
f
e
r
r
e
dt
oa
s
pe
ne
t
r
a
t
i
ng
or
knowi
ng
,
butwewi
l
lof
t
e
nr
e
f
e
r
t
oi
ta
s
s
oa
ki
ng
.

Thus, noting consists of a sequence of well-defined noticings and highly focused soakings.
We will refer to what gets noted (Touch, Feel, Image, Talk, Relaxed, Peace, Blank, Quiet) as

c
a
t
e
g
or
i
e
s
.
As
s
oc
i
a
t
e
dwi
t
he
a
c
hc
a
t
e
g
or
yt
obe noted is a word or phraseits label.
Whe
ny
ounot
eava
ni
s
hi
ng(

Gone
)
,t
he
r
e

sonl
yt
henot
i
c
i
ngpa
r
t
,s
i
nc
ey
ouc
a
nnotsoak
into something that is not extended in time and space.

2006 Shinzen Young All rights reserved.

How to Note and Label.doc Created 2/25/2006 Revised 10/16/2006

How to Note and Label

Shinzen Young

Labeling
Noting need not be accompanied by labeling, and labeling may be mental or spoken. This
gives us three possibilities:
1. Just noting without intentionally labeling.
2. Mental labels accompanying the noting.
3. Spoken labels accompanying the noting.
Within the spoken labels there are three sub-types:
a. Sub-vocal labels (Mouthed, whispered, or sotto voce labeling that would be
inaudible to people near you.)
b. Ordinary spoken labels.
c. Strongly spoken labels.
(Obviously the latter two can only be done in appropriate environments.)
This gives you a spectrum of 5 possibilities analogous to gear positions in a car. We will
r
e
f
e
rt
ot
he
s
e5pos
s
i
bi
l
i
t
i
e
sa
s
l
a
be
l
i
ngmode
s
.

The standard way to label when you work on your own is to freely shift back and forth
between labeling modes. You may shift frequently or seldom as circumstances dictate. By
circumstances, I mean what is going on inside you (how focused or scattered you are) and
what is going on around you (whether there are people you might disturb, etc.) As a general
principle, as soon as you get spaced out or caught up, immediately shift to a stronger mode of
labeling. Once you get well focused, you can drop to a weaker mode of labeling if you so
desire.

Stronger Labeling Mode

Strongly spoken labels

Normal spoken labels
Sub-vocal labels

Weaker Labeling Mode

Mental labels
No labels

Some
t
i
me
s
,i
nor
de
rt
of
or
t
i
f
yy
ourpr
a
c
t
i
c
eorc
he
c
ki
nonwha
ty
ou
r
ee
xpe
r
i
e
nc
i
ng
,a
facilitator may ask you to note using a specific mode of labeling, such as (ordinary) spoken
labels, strongly spoken labels, mental labels, and so forth. The instruction will be formulated
s
ome
t
hi
ngl
i
ke
,
Nownot
eXXus
i
ngs
poke
nl
a
be
l
s
.

Howe
v
e
r
,i
fy
oua
r
ej
us
tg
i
ve
nt
hei
ns
t
r
uc
t
i
on,
Not
eXXwi
t
houtf
ur
t
he
rs
pe
c
i
f
i
c
a
t
i
on,
assume that this means to note in the standard way, i.e. shifting freely between noting modes.

2006 Shinzen Young All rights reserved.

How to Note and Label.doc Created 2/25/2006 Revised 10/16/2006

How to Note and Label

Shinzen Young

Noting the Noting

Af
r
e
que
nt
l
ya
s
ke
dque
s
t
i
onr
e
ga
r
d
i
ngl
a
be
l
i
ngi
s
:
Making a mental label is obviously an
instance of Talk. Should I note or label it as such?
The answer is no.

Dividing the Attention between the Label and the Labeled

As a general principle, put no more than 5% of your attention on the labeling process itself.
The other 95% goes into the soaking and opening process.
An exception to this is the case of strongly spoken labels, which are used when you really

hi
tt
hewa
l
l
a
ndne
e
dape
r
i
odofc
ont
i
nuousf
e
e
dba
c
kt
of
i
g
htt
hr
oug
ht
hewa
nde
r
i
nga
nd
unconsciousness. When using strongly spoken labels, 20% or even more of your attention
should go into really listening to the labels. That way as soon as the label stream ceases, you
have instant feedback letting you know that you are getting spaced out and caught up.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: Not
i
ngma
ke
smet
hi
nkal
ot
.It
hi
nka
bouti
fI

m doi
ngi
tr
i
ght. I think about what to look
for next. I think about thinking about thinking. What should I do?
A:

Just be patient. Those are common initial reactions. They tend to go away with time as the
noting categories become more second nature for you, and your mind simply gets tired of
playing games with itself.
Remember, you can always practice
even coveragefor awhile if you need a break from
the headiness of noting and labeling. One of the reasons for including even coverage as one
of the focusing methods is t
opr
ovi
deapa
s
s
i
vepr
oc
e
dur
et
oc
ont
r
a
s
twi
t
ht
he
doi
ng
n
e
s
s

of noting.
Another thing you can try is to make your noting voice more impersonal and matter-of-fact.
Tha
tma
yhe
l
pr
e
duc
et
he
t
r
i
ppi
n
goutony
our
s
e
l
f
a
s
pe
c
ty
our
e
por
t
e
d.

Q2: It seems that a lot of my labels are just guesses.

A:

Tha
t

soka
y
.Youha
vet
os
t
a
r
ts
ome
whe
r
e
.Conf
i
de
nc
ec
ome
swi
t
he
xpe
r
i
e
nc
e
.

Q3: It seems that my labels often come late, after the fact, especially with regard to tracking
Talk.
A:

Tha
t

soka
y
.Youa
r
es
t
i
l
lmuc
hmore alert than you would be otherwise.

Q4: A lot of stuff is always going on at once. When I try to label it all, it speeds me up and
makes me frenetic.
A:

I
t

soka
yt
omi
s
ss
t
uf
fa
sl
onga
sy
our
e
a
l
l
yf
oc
usonwha
ty
oudol
a
be
l
.

2006 Shinzen Young All rights reserved.

How to Note and Label.doc Created 2/25/2006 Revised 10/16/2006

How to Note and Label

Shinzen Young

Q5: The noting and espe

c
i
a
l
l
yl
a
be
l
i
n
gs
e
e
mt
oi
nt
e
r
f
e
r
ewi
t
horc
ha
ng
et
het
hi
ngI

mf
oc
us
i
ng
ons
oIc
a
n
tde
t
e
c
twha
t

sr
e
a
l
l
yt
he
r
e
.
A:

Sur
ey
ouc
a
n.Wha
t

sr
e
a
l
l
yt
he
r
ei
swha
t
e
ve
rwa
st
he
r
e
, plus any change produced from
the act of paying attention to it. In this practice our task is (1) to be specific about where
we

r
ef
oc
us
i
nga
nd(
2)t
os
oa
ki
na
nds
a
vori
t
.Anys
e
ns
or
ye
xpe
r
i
e
nc
ei
sava
l
i
dc
a
ndi
da
t
e
for focusing on, even if that experience has been caused by or modified by the act of
focusing itself.

Q6: Noting and es

pe
c
i
a
l
l
yl
a
be
l
i
ngs
e
e
mt
or
e
i
nf
or
c
eas
t
r
ongs
e
ns
eofa
n
I
doi
ngt
henot
i
ng
.
A:

Tha
t

sna
t
ur
a
la
tt
hebe
g
i
nni
ng
.
Ats
omepoi
ntt
henot
i
ngg
oe
sona
ut
opi
l
ot
.J
us
ta
sy
ouc
a
n
dot
hec
ompl
e
xt
a
s
kofdr
i
vi
ngac
a
rwi
t
houtne
e
di
ngmuc
hofa
dr
i
vi
ngs
e
l
f
,
e
ventually
y
ouc
a
nqui
c
kl
ya
nda
c
c
ur
a
t
e
l
yl
a
be
lc
ompl
e
xphe
nome
nawi
t
houtne
e
di
nga
me
di
t
a
t
i
ng
s
e
l
f
c
ont
r
ol
l
i
ngt
hepr
oc
e
s
s
.Whe
nt
ha
tha
ppe
ns
,t
hes
e
ns
eofdi
s
t
a
nc
ebe
t
we
e
nnot
e
ra
nd
noted collapses.

Q7: Ij
us
tk
e
e
ps
a
y
i
ng
Touch Touchove
ra
ndove
ra
ndove
ra
g
a
i
n.Wha
t

st
hepoi
nt
?
A:

Remember that noting is not just noticing. Each time you note something you should
intentionally soak into it and open up to it. In other words, you should intentionally infuse
clarity and equanimity into what you note, each time you note. When you note that way
you are doing something very powerful to reprogram the deep mind. You are not wasting
your time even if you just note the same banal thing over and over.
I know that this can be challenging, because initially you may not get any immediate
positive feedback to indicate that something is changing deep down. At some point though,
you begin to sense your awareness penetrating down into the thing noted, softening and
purifying the sensory circuits that lie below. When that happens, you start to get immediate
t
a
ng
i
bl
ef
e
e
dba
c
kt
ha
tt
henot
i
ngi
sdoi
ngs
ome
t
hi
ngus
e
f
ul
,a
ndy
oudon
tbe
gr
udg
et
he
f
a
c
tt
h
a
ty
ou
r
enot
i
ngt
hes
a
met
hi
ngove
ra
ndove
r
.Be
f
or
ey
our
e
a
c
ht
ha
tpoi
nt
,t
heg
oi
ng
is tough and slow. After you reach t
ha
tpoi
nt
,y
ourpr
a
c
t
i
c
es
nowba
l
l
supwa
r
ds
;y
ou
v
e
pa
s
s
e
dt
he
br
e
a
koutpoi
nt
i
nt
hee
xpone
nt
i
a
l(
hoc
ke
ys
t
i
c
k)g
r
owt
hc
ur
ve
.

Q8: Why should I note and label?

A:

There are many reasons. Here are a few.

For one thing, the gentle loving tone that you create in your voice as you label can be
very powerful. Your own voice can put you into a deep state of reassurance, safety, and
self-a
c
c
e
pt
a
nc
e
.We

l
lr
e
f
e
rt
os
uc
has
t
a
t
ea
se
qua
ni
mi
t
y
.
Not
i
nga
ndl
a
be
l
i
nga
l
l
owy
out
of
oc
usonj
us
twha
t

spr
e
s
e
nti
nt
hemoment. This
reduces overwhelm, which in turn reduces suffering.
Noting and labeling allow you to break experiences down into manageable parts and deal
with them one at a time. A 500-pound weight will crush you, but ten 50-pound weights
can be carried one at a time.

2006 Shinzen Young All rights reserved.

How to Note and Label.doc Created 2/25/2006 Revised 10/16/2006

How to Note and Label

Shinzen Young

Several of the noting categories that we use represent windows of opportunitypleasant

aspects of experience (such as rest and flow) that are often present but usually go unnoticed and hence un-enjoyed. The noting categories are set up to call your attention to
such windows of opportunity.
Q9: I cannot seem to separate Image from Talk. Any suggestions?
A:

I
tde
pe
ndsonwha
ty
oume
a
nby
s
e
pa
r
a
t
e
.

If by separate you mean preventing Image and Talk from happening at the same time, or
stopping them f
r
om i
nt
e
r
a
c
t
i
ngba
c
ka
ndf
or
t
h,t
he
ny
ou
r
er
i
g
ht
.Ne
i
t
he
ry
ounora
ny
o
ne
e
l
s
ec
a
ns
e
pa
r
a
t
et
he
mi
nt
ha
ts
e
n
s
e
.Howe
ve
r
,t
heg
oodne
wsi
st
ha
tt
he
r
e

snone
e
d
whatsoever to separate them in that sense.
But, even when Talk and Image are intertwined, it is still possible to experience them as
qualitatively and spatially distinct sensory events.
Qualitatively speaking, Image is visual, photic. Talk is verbal, acoustic. Spatially speaking,
Image tends to be centered more forward. Talk tends to occur further back, in your head.
So,i
fy
ouc
a
ndi
s
t
i
ng
ui
s
he
xt
e
r
na
ls
i
g
ht
sf
r
om e
xt
e
r
na
ls
ounds
,y
ouc
a
n
s
e
pa
r
a
t
e
i
n
t
e
r
na
l
images from internal conversations.
Special exercises may also be helpful in this regard.

Q10: Can you summarize some basic guidelines for the noting and labeling process?
A:

Sur
e
.Fi
r
s
tc
omewha
tIc
a
l
lt
he
3oka
y
s
.

I
t

soka
yt
og
ue
s
s
.
I
t

soka
yt
omi
s
s
.
I
t

soka
yt
obel
a
t
e
.
The
nt
he
r
ea
r
et
heg
ui
de
l
i
ne
sf
or
s
hi
f
t
i
ngg
e
a
r
s
.

If you are noting without labels and are getting spaced out or caught up, start to
mentally label.
I
ft
ha
tdoe
s
n
the
l
p,modul
a
t
ey
ourme
nt
a
lvoi
c
et
obemor
eg
e
nt
l
ea
ndma
t
t
e
r
-of-fact,
even if that seems artificial and contrived.
If that does not help, speak the labels out loud in that gentle and matter-of-fact tone.
If that does not help, use strongly spoken labels.
If the effort to speak the labels causes uncomfortable reactions (judgment, resistance,
emotion, and so forth) label those reactions Talk, Feel, and so forth.
Thos
er
e
a
c
t
i
onsa
r
epr
ooft
ha
ty
ou
r
edoi
ngt
heprocedure correctly. The stronger
labeling mode is forcing you to go toe-to-toe with unconsciousness!

2006 Shinzen Young All rights reserved.

How to Note and Label.doc Created 2/25/2006 Revised 10/16/2006

How to Note and Label

Shinzen Young

Q11: Idon
tl
i
ket
ol
a
be
l
.
A:

Thes
ol
ut
i
oni
se
a
s
y
.Youdon
th
a
vet
o!Buti
fi
t

sac
hoi
c
ebe
t
we
e
ne
f
f
or
t
f
ul
,
uncomfortable, unnatural, labeling on one hand, and being grossly spaced out on the other,
go for the labels!

Q12: When I focus on Image, I get a homogeneous rapid-fire sequence of risings and passings.
They come much too fast and furious to note and penetrate individually. If I were to try to
labe
le
a
c
hone
,I

ds
oundl
i
keama
c
hi
neg
un.Wha
tdoIdo?
A:

Thi
st
y
peofphe
nome
nac
a
nha
p
pe
ni
na
nydoma
i
n,buti
t

spa
r
t
i
c
ul
a
r
l
yc
ommoni
nI
ma
g
e
Space and Talk Space.
So, let me answer generically. Let X stand for whatever the rapid activity is.
Just not
e
X,g
one
i
nt
heus
ua
ll
e
i
s
ur
e
l
ypa
c
et
oa
c
knowl
e
dget
ha
ty
oua
r
ec
ont
i
nuous
l
y
detecting both activation and vanishing.
Don
tt
r
yt
ol
a
be
le
a
c
hi
ndi
vi
dua
la
c
t
i
va
t
i
onorva
ni
s
hi
ng
.Ra
t
he
rj
us
ts
oa
ki
nt
ot
heove
r
a
l
l
field. In this case the labels are just r
e
mi
ndi
ngy
ouwha
ty
ou
r
ef
oc
us
i
ngon.Youa
r
es
or
tof
labeling the average experience rather than each individual phenomenon.

2006 Shinzen Young All rights reserved.

How to Note and Label.doc Created 2/25/2006 Revised 10/16/2006