This thread is for those interested in practicing Ping-Pong Noting [aka Social Noting] with other practioners to be able to connect.
As far as I can tell, Ping-Pong Noting as I currently discuss it was developed by Kenneth Folk. The technique involves two [or more, I suppose] practioners -- who are connected via Skype, phone, or some other gadget or technology [but it can also be done in person!] -- "noting" back and forth between each other.
As Kenneth recently posted on his website: "Social noting offers a window into another human’s moment-by-moment experience, sharing and receiving in a profoundly intimate but non-threatening way. Social noting builds on an ancient Buddhist mindfulness (satipatthana) technique, making it interactive.
"Two (or more) people can call out their experience together, back and forth, ping pong style (or around a circle), using simple, one-word labels for experience as it arises. 'Seeing, hearing, tasting, touching, smelling, thinking, fear, joy, loneliness, love, anger, connection, itching, tingling, burning, pressure, lightness, heaviness, anxiety, hope'… all of these experiences can be shared with another human being as they occur, two people becoming one, simultaneously witnessing and normalizing each others’ experience. Social noting is the closest thing we have to Mr. Spock’s Vulcan mind meld from the original Star Trek television show. But social noting doesn’t feel kooky or even invasive; it just feels great."
A Ping-Pong Noting [or PPN] session can last 10 minutes, 20 minutes, 30 minutes -- or however damn long you want it to! -- 45 or 60 minutes: This is a decision made between the two practioners before the session begins.
Kenneth recommends that: "It is understood that this call is exclusively for the purpose of noting together; there will be no ordinary conversation, and when the agreed-upon time has ended, both people will say goodbye and hang up. This agreement to just note, without chitchat, and to promptly end the call when the timer ends, is what makes the pop-noting protocol work."
You can read Kenneth's complete article here
The Pop-noting ProtocolWhat I recommend is that people who are interested should simply post their forum names on this tread. One should also include 1) the general times [and time zone!] and days an individual is available, 2) the length of the sessions they'd be interested in, 3) the method of communication they'd prefer to utilize for the practice, 4) your cutting edge of practice AND meditative techinques you utilize, and 5) your goals and aspirations for engaging in social noting. Then, folks who are interested in participating can contact that person via the "messages" function on the site. After receiving the private message, the communications can continue from there -- in private.
Obviously, I don't recommend putting ANY personal information [phone numbers, emails, addresses, etc.] on this thread. Simply put the above listed data and then continue the communications in private.
If you post on the thread that you are interested in social noting, but, down the line, find that your circumstances change, you can always come back and EDIT your information on the thread, thus changing your details, or simply writing "I am not available for Social Noting at this time," etc.
PPN is a great way to reinforce practice. It is also a great way to create and sustain SANGHA -- a community of practioners.
) and see if the group practice shows additional benefits, or interesting stuff like tuning into the same ñanas. For that to be possible I don't know if the notes should include body parts, eg. tension-throat, compression-chest, etc.
