Welcome.
This meditation is focused on bringing awareness to judgment and softening into understanding and acceptance of our judging nature,
Rather than resisting or rejecting it.
One might think the goal is to eliminate judgment entirely,
To reach a perfect state of inner balance.
But what if judgment is not something we need to get rid of,
But something we are meant to bring awareness to?
Judgment is deeply woven into the human experience.
It often appears as part of how we interpret the world,
How we protect ourselves,
How we seek to understand what feels safe or familiar.
And sometimes it simply arises without effort,
An old pattern of the mind.
In this meditation,
We are not trying to erase judgment.
Instead,
We are invited to notice it,
To meet it with honesty and care.
When we become aware of a moment of judgment,
Whether directed outward or inward,
We gently shift our attention toward something more spacious,
Toward loving kindness,
Toward acceptance.
As we learn to meet others with compassion,
We often discover that we are also softening toward ourselves.
Judgment does not define others.
It reveals parts of us that may still be waiting to be held with gentleness.
So let us begin.
Find a comfortable position.
Take a steady breath.
And together,
We will explore the path from judgment to understanding.
Begin by settling into your body.
Feel the weight of your body supported by the chair,
The cushion,
The ground beneath you.
Let your eyes gently close or soften your gaze,
If that feels better.
Take a slow breath in and a long,
Easy breath out.
Let your breath anchor you to this moment.
Each inhale,
Opening space.
Each exhale,
Releasing tension.
Now,
Bring to mind a recent moment when judgment arose,
Perhaps a thought about someone's behavior,
Maybe a judgment toward yourself.
Allow the memory or the feeling to come gently,
Without force.
Notice how judgment feels in the body.
Does it tighten the chest,
The jaw?
Does it feel heavy,
Sharp,
Guarded?
Just notice.
We are not analyzing it,
Only witnessing.
Now,
Without changing anything,
Silently name what is present.
Judging.
Frustration.
Whatever arises,
Just name it with honesty and clarity.
And now,
With each breath,
Begin to offer a little space around that judgment.
Inhale,
Creating room.
Exhale,
Softening the edges.
If it feels right,
Repeat silently.
May I meet this moment with kindness?
May I hold this in understanding?
Let your awareness expand just a little more.
Imagine the person or part of yourself you are judging.
Can you see them with fresh eyes?
Can you hold their humanity,
Their complexity,
Their pain?
If it feels safe,
Silently offer.
May you be held in compassion.
May I begin to understand.
Feel into the shared nature of judgment and the shared longing to be seen,
To be understood.
We all carry wounds.
We all carry stories.
And we all deserve a little more kindness.
Stay with this sense of openness for a few more breaths.
Let your breath be gentle and natural now.
Let your body feel supported and at ease.
As we begin to close,
Return your attention to the simple rhythm of your breathing.
Feel the inhale.
Feel the exhale.
And if you like,
Silently affirm.
I do not need to be perfect to be whole.
I am allowed to learn and to grow.
I choose understanding for myself and for others.
When you are ready,
Begin to gently wiggle your fingers and toes.
Let yourself return to the room.
And if your eyes are closed,
Softly open them.
Take a moment to notice how you feel compared to when we began.
Let that awareness stay with you as a quiet invitation to meet judgment with presence.
And to let understanding become the doorway to compassion.
