Practicing Non-judgement
“When we begin to operate from a place of non-judgement, we open to unimagined options, alternatives, and possibilities.”
What Happens When We are in Judgement?
Judgement is the foundation of dualistic thinking. It is usually an unnoticed action of weighing one thing against another and making a choice. This process generally happens so quickly that we fail to even notice that we have made a judgement or excluded possibilities.
When we pay attention to our thoughts, we learn that the voice of judgement is strong, habitual, and authoritative. We begin to see that our automatic response is really patterned thinking that declares opinions about almost everything. It expresses opposite absolutes like good or bad, black or white, like or dislike, and okay or not-okay.
Effects of Judgement on Decisions
Jon Kabat Zinn calls judgement a veil. But, we can also think of it as a ‘consciousness cloud’. When judgement rules our thinking, we are clouded or separated from a wealth of unexplored and unexpected possibilities. Judgement limits us and excludes us from things we don’t imagine.
Windows or doors close with judgement, and the effect of this closure on creativity and imagination is significant. From a spiritual perspective, judgement causes the third eye (Ajna) to slam shut. We shut off access to higher consciousness, intuition, and foresight when this happens and the result is restrictive, stagnant, and imprisoning.
Non-Judgement and Perception
When we begin to operate from a place of non-judgement, we open to unimagined options, alternatives, and possibilities. We begin to see previously unseen potentials as we access greater wisdom, intuition, and creativity.
This week, add non-judgement to your mindfulness practice. You may want to let those you work and interact with know that you are practicing a different method of decision-making. This may allow you room to work through the process without worry (oh, or judgement).
Practice
Try using these step as you become mindful of non-judgement:
- Slow down the decision-making process. Don’t make a quick decision based on habit or what was previously ‘known’. It might help to blink a few times. This can act as a signal to yourself to shift to mindfulness.
- Notice the thought. This is a crucial first step.
- Don’t forget to breathe.
- Ask if there is judgement present in the process. Is there duality such as like/don’t like, good/bad, okay/not-okay?
- Evaluate the programming and pattern in your thinking. If you’re in the familiar “I’ve got this one down”, place, then your expert is in control. Check back on our post on ‘A Beginner’s Mind’ to revisit what happens when our internal ‘expert’ has taken over.
- Identify what is real, instead of what you think is real.
- Make a connection to your heart during the process.
Be kind to yourself as you may begin to notice strong judging patterns in your thinking. Remind yourself that these are old habits and with regular practice the pattern will fall away.
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