Taming the Monkey Mind: How Unified Mindfulness Became My Anchor
More than a year ago, while attending a drawing class, I found myself opening up to a fellow student about my ongoing search for a meditation system that truly resonated with me. I shared how I’d been exploring various traditions—Tibetan Buddhism, Zen, Vipassana, Metta (loving-kindness) and yoga-based meditations. I was curious not just about the spiritual side of meditation, but also about practices that offered a clear, grounded, and scientific framework for understanding how the mind works.
She listened and then said, "You might really love Unified Mindfulness."
She was right.
Developed by Shinzen Young, Unified Mindfulness is a system that weaves together the classical meditation traditions with a modern, secular, and scientifically-informed approach. What drew me in was the clarity, precision, and accessibility of the UM system.
How It Works
How It Works
Unified Mindfulness breaks down experience into three primary sensory categories:
See – Visual experience (internal images or external sights)
Hear – Auditory experience (inner talk, mental sounds, or outer sounds)
Feel – Body sensations and emotional tones
You can focus on just one of these senses, or combine them in practices like "See-Hear-Feel", which train you to observe your moment-to-moment experience without judgment or resistance.
A key component of the system is noting and labeling. This means mentally naming your experience as it arises—for example, "see", "hear", or "feel"—to support clarity and concentration. Labels are typically soft and brief, and depending on your focus and pace, you might label once every few seconds or with each noticeable shift in experience. The rhythm is up to you—it can be steady or more intuitive.
When I’m walking, I love using "See-Hear-Feel Out"—a technique that anchors awareness in the external environment. For example: the trees (see), the sound of birds (hear), and the feeling of the wind on my skin (feel).
On the cushion, I often shift to "See-Hear-Feel In", tuning into my internal world: mental images, inner dialogue, and bodily sensations.
Why it works
Unified Mindfulness trains three core attentional skills:
Concentration – The ability to focus on what you choose
Clarity – The ability to notice sensory details with precision
Equanimity – The ability to allow experiences to arise and pass without pushing or clinging
These three pillars, when practiced consistently, naturally lead to a reduction in suffering. For someone like me—whose mind often races with ideas, distractions, and the occasional storm of inner dialogue—this practice has been a game changer. It quiets the ADD "monkey mind" and gently brings me back to presence.
From Practice to Teaching
What started as a personal tool quickly became something I shared with others. I’ve now taught Unified Mindfulness to friends and in retreats in Portugal—while walking in nature or simply sitting down on a cushion.
It invites you to observe, to allow, and to train your attention in a way that directly reduces suffering.
If you're someone who appreciates a very accessible and grounded way of meditating, yet still wants depth and clarity, Unified Mindfulness might just be your anchor too.
Check out my services like my group sessions or 1 on 1 guidance sessions to see how I can support you.
