0 votes
by (120 points)
I am new and have read the booklet (watched the videos on how to meditate).
  
1. Should we set an alarm clock to our meditation session at home to 30 mins or an hour so that we know when to stop? if not, I may be thinking from time to time if it's time yet.

2.  During our sitting meditation, do we say some words to ourselves in our head throughout the meditation: "rising, falling, rising, falling, etc." and when an emotion comes: "pain, pain, .... happy, happy..."?  do we always say some words during the meditation to note what is going on in our body?
by (120 points)
Thanks. I have 3 further questions:

1. Is it possible that there are moments when there is nothing to note and so we won't be saying any word in our head?  

2. If we note like this ALL DAY long while we are doing something else (e.g. work), how can we focus on work?  

3. Will we be multi-tasking if we are doing our work and note at the same time?
by (680 points)
1. For those moments you could use the note "knowing", "knowing" or "calmed", "calmed."

2. In some activities you cannot note (studying, reading), in many others that are repetitive and do not require much thinking you can note.

3. I'll say that instead or multi-tasking you are more focused on the activity, you are just reminding yourself of what you are doing.

2 Answers

+2 votes
by (8.5k points)
Welcome. To answer your questions

1. Yes, set an alarm

2. You always keep the note/word in your mind noting whatever experience arises. This applies to everything; not just bodily sensations. When seeing note seeing, hearing note hearing, etc. When thinking note thinking, when happy or sad, liking or disliking, note happy or sad, liking or disliking.

You should keep noting like this all day long from the moment you wake up until you fall asleep. In this way your practice will progress quickly and you will reap the benefits of mindfulness at every moment.
by (120 points)
Thanks. I have 3 further questions:

1. Is it possible that there are moments when there is nothing to note and so we won't be saying any word in our head?  

2. If we note like this ALL DAY long while we are doing something else (e.g. work), how can we focus on work?  

3. Will we be multi-tasking if we are doing our work and note at the same time?
by (680 points)
1. For those moments you could use the note "knowing", "knowing" or "calmed", "calmed."

2. In some activities you cannot note (studying, reading), in many others that are repetitive and do not require much thinking you can note.

3. I'll say that instead or multi-tasking you are more focused on the activity, you are just reminding yourself of what you are doing.
0 votes
by (680 points)
You could use this meditation timer, in case you have an Android device:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.yuttadhammo.BodhiTimer&hl=en&gl=US
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