“Nonjudging means bringing an attitude of neutral observation to any encounter, without labeling things as good or bad or resisting the encounter. Contrary to your natural human tendency to judge your experiences, mindfulness teaches you to simply observe your experiences, because this is what leads to insight. Nonjudging doesn’t mean eradicating judgmental thoughts. It means that if judgmental thoughts arise, you notice them without acting on them. Instead of using a judgmental thought as a jumping-off point for other thoughts, you simply think, There’s a judgmental thought.” (Marotta 2013, 64).
Inquiry:
Ask yourself: “Do I spend most of the day in my head—judging whether I like vs. don’t like what’s happening and whether I’m okay vs. not okay or can I simply observe my experience from a neutral perspective?”
Practice:
Mindful Observation—Nonjudging. Notice when seeing from a lens of judgment. If you are thinking in value judgments (good vs. bad, right vs. wrong, success vs. failure); using evaluative words (should vs. shouldn’t, must vs. mustn’t); or feeling the fallout from these thoughts in negative emotions (anger, frustration or disappointment) judgment is at play. Make a mental note Judging, then reel the mind back to seeing through the lens of neutral non-judgmental awareness.
