Tide Counting

Sit facing the water. Count each wave that breaks. Just the count. When a thought arrives that pulls you off the number, notice it without judgment and start again at one. Your only job is to notice when you have wandered.

Do this for six minutes. You will almost never reach forty before drifting, which is the point. Each restart is the practice.

Breath counting is common, but tide counting is better when available — the cue is external, the pace is irregular, and the act of restarting develops the specific muscle that meditation is about, which is noticing.