Self-criticism: 7-minute noting meditation, on the train

About this practice

When self-criticism shows up on the train, this 7-minute noting session gives you somewhere to put it down. A guided session of about 7 minutes, suited to all levels. Nothing is recorded and no account is needed.

What this works on: self-criticism

Self-criticism is a habit of speech, not an accurate report. The same inner voice repeats whether or not the evidence supports it.

It tends to show up as:

• A running commentary on your mistakes
• Harsh words you would never say aloud to someone else
• Reviewing old failures in detail

The practice is not to argue with the voice, but to speak to yourself in a tone that does not require an argument.

Doing this on your commute

• Headphones on, eyes open or closed depending on your comfort
• Keep one part of your attention on your stop
• Do it standing if sitting is not possible — nobody is watching

Commuting time is already dead time. Nothing is being given up.

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. 0:00Your breathing doesn't have to change yet. Let it be whatever size it currently is.
2. 0:14When something arrives, label it quietly — thinking, hearing, planning, worrying — then return to the breath.
3. 0:29Let the last hour go on its own. You can pick it up again afterwards.
4. 0:43Now let your attention move from the room into your body, slowly, the way you'd move through a doorway you know well.
5. 1:01Feel the air move past your upper lip. It's the coolest spot on the way in.
6. 1:16Count four breaths silently. Then stop counting and just follow.
7. 1:28Notice the space between your shoulder blades.
8. 1:38Let your thumbs rest wherever they landed.
9. 1:48Feel your face. It's probably softer than it was five minutes ago.
10. 2:01Let the exhale carry a little of the record of your mistakes with it. Not all of it. Just a little, one breath at a time.
11. 2:20Give the harsh voice inside a shape, a colour, a temperature. Turning it into something specific makes it easier to hold.
12. 2:37Feel your forearms, from the elbow down to the wrist.
13. 2:49Just the breath, still.
14. 2:58Feel your breath move down your back, all the way to your lower ribs.
15. 3:12Notice the exact moment your attention left. You probably won't catch it. That's normal.
16. 3:26Silence. Let your shoulders drop again if they've crept up.
17. 3:38If noting feels like too much, drop it and just follow the breath. The label is optional.
18. 3:53If you're sleepy, sit up a little. Or let the sleepiness be there.
19. 4:06Follow one full breath from the moment it starts to the moment it ends.
20. 4:20I'll step back. You stay here.
21. 4:30This is not the last time the criticism you would never aim at a friend will visit. That is not bad news. It means you will get more practice.
22. 4:51Feel the weight of the record of your mistakes somewhere specific, then let the floor take a share of it.
23. 5:08Let your breathing find the rhythm it uses when you're almost asleep.
24. 5:21Notice any urge to check something. You can wait two more minutes.
25. 5:34If you feel numb, that's a valid thing to feel. Nothing to fix.
26. 5:47A gap. Don't rush to fill it with thinking.
27. 5:58Notice the gap between the label and the next thought. That gap is what we are practising.
28. 6:13Take one breath that's a little fuller than the others, and let it out through your mouth.
29. 6:28Roll your neck once, slowly, in whichever direction feels good.

Questions people ask

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