Between the Pulses

What to expect

Attention rests on one small point of touch, and you note what changes there. A pulse of soft clicks comes faster and faster. The words fall away, and the clicks blur into a hum. Then you turn to the gaps between the touches, as the clicks slow and spread out. Last, the touches join up and the body fills back in, like colour. We made this experiment for ourselves first, to find out what attention does once the words can’t keep up.

How to listen:

• Sitting or lying down, awake. A fingertip or the tip of the tongue makes a good point of touch.
• When the clicks go faster than words, let the words go. The attention keeps going without them.
• No music: a quiet floor, binaural tones and the pulse. Headphones bring out the tones, but it works without them.
• Never while driving.

About

Safety and aftercare. The fast pulse is part of the practice. If it’s too much, turn it down or stop. When the clicks end, let the whole body fill back in before you get up.

Credits. Noting what changes, and letting the words go when they can’t keep up, draws on Anālayo’s teaching on mental labelling.

Written by Lee and Lucas + Twins. Voice: Lee.

Transcript

Arriving

Feel what is holding you up.

Let your weight go into it.

Feel where the hips rest.

Backs of the legs.

Both hands.

Let all of it be held.

Stay awake through all of it.

Move whenever you need to.

Part One: One small point

Choose one small point of touch.

A fingertip, or the tongue.

Rest your attention right there.

Feel what is touching it.

When something changes there, note it.

One quiet word, said inside.

Any plain word will do.

Let the clicks set the pace.

Note what changes.

Same is a word too.

Note what changes.

Part Two: Faster

Now note a little faster.

Keep pace with the clicks.

Note what changes.

Faster now, keep up.

Shorter words, or half a word.

Note what changes.

Let the words fall behind.

Words are slower than touch.

Let them go.

Keep feeling, without them.

Just the feeling, going on.

Stay with the touch itself.

Part Three: The gap

Let the pace slow down.

Feel the touch with each click.

Touch, then a gap.

Turn toward the gaps.

Between one touch and the next.

Look into the gap.

Wait for the next touch.

Look into the gap.

No need to name it.

Look into the gap.

Listen into it, too.

Look into the gap.

Keep looking, softly.

Look into the gap.

Part Four: Like colour

Now let the touch return.

The same small point.

Let the separate touches join up.

Let it fill in, like colour.

Across the hand, or the mouth.

Feel it reach the arms.

Chest and belly.

Both legs.

Face and head.

The whole body, filling in.

The breath moving by itself.

Part Five: The room around you

Hear the room around you.

Feel the air on your skin.

Take a fuller breath.

Move whatever wants to move.

Stretch as much as you like.