3-minute noting meditation for tension headaches, at night

About this practice

Slow, spoken guidance for tension headaches. A noting session you can do at night. A guided session of about 3 minutes, suited to all levels. Nothing is recorded and no account is needed.

What this works on: tension headaches

Tension headaches follow a band of tightness across the forehead and around the skull, usually the product of long staring, jaw clenching and neck position.

It tends to show up as:

• A band of pressure across the forehead
• Pressure behind the eyes
• Ache worsening through the day

Softening the jaw, eyes and neck interrupts the pattern early. Once a tension headache settles in it is harder to shift.

Doing this at night

• Skip the clock — knowing the time rarely helps at night
• Keep the room dark, and use headphones rather than a speaker
• Expect to be awake for a while without treating that as a problem

Any practice at night works better with the display off. Looking at a screen resets the whole thing.

How noting works

Noting is a technique from insight practice: when something arises, you give it a single plain label — thinking, hearing, planning — and return to the anchor. The label creates a small distance between you and the content.

• Use one word, not a sentence — explaining means you have joined in
• Label and return; do not follow the thought to see where it goes
• Drop the labelling if it becomes effortful and just follow the breath

What happens, minute by minute

1. 0:00If you're sitting, let the chair do the work of holding you upright.
2. 0:13You are the one noticing, not the thing being noticed. Stay on that side of the line.
3. 0:28Now let your attention move from the room into your body, slowly, the way you'd move through a doorway you know well.
4. 0:46Let the breath be shallow if shallow is what your body wants.
5. 0:59Notice if your breathing is faster than you expected. Don't correct it. Just note it.
6. 1:13Now the right shoulder. Let it be a centimetre lower than it was.
7. 1:26Say to yourself: this is uncomfortable, and I can stay with it for one more breath. Then take that breath.
8. 1:43Feel the weight of the band around the forehead somewhere specific, then let the floor take a share of it.
9. 2:00Let your belly rise first, then your chest, then the tops of your lungs.
10. 2:14Think of the pressure building behind the eyes as a guest that arrived without knocking. You can let it stand in the hallway.
11. 2:32Notice how quickly your mind labels things: good, bad, boring, nice.
12. 2:44A label is enough. You do not need to follow the thought to see where it goes.
13. 2:59Before you move, notice one thing that's fine right now.

Questions people ask

Meditation is a practice, not a treatment. If you are dealing with ongoing distress, please also reach out to a professional.