Progressive Release Noting

In each of the four phases of progressive release noting (aka "the dutch sequence"), one progressively drops an aspect of the form, until you are left with nothing but just sitting.

Core Instructions:

Practices:

1) There is Freestyle Noting

2) Freestyle Noting

3) Freestyle Noting

4) Silence

1) There is ______ 2) ______

3) ______

4)

1) Freestyle

2) Freestyle

3) Freestyle

4) Silence

1-2 Words

1) Sequential 2) Sequential 3) Spontaneous 4) Silence

3+ players

X minutes

Additional Notes:

  • With each phase of this practice sequence, something is dropped. Between Phase 1 & 2, the "There is" drops. Between phase 2 & 3, the sequential order of noting drops, and between phase 3 & 4, the noting itself drops, leaving simple silence.

  • Some people like to mark the shifts between these phases with a bell, while others like to invite participants to take their cue from the facilitator on when to shift between phases.

  • When facilitating this practice virtually, it's recommended that you organize people in small groups of 3-5–at least for the first two phases, while the order is sequential. In order to breakout into multiple small groups online, you'll need to delegate your facilitation of the phase shifts to others in the group. It's recommended that you delegate this to someone who has some social meditation facilitation training experience, or someone who has experience doing this practice, or barring that, a brave volunteer.

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