Judge Not
By Lynn Felder, RYT
There's a Buddhist saying that goes something like this: If you want a little peace, let go a little. If you want more peace, let go some more. If you want complete peace, let go completely.
For a while, I have been aware of the amount of time I waste micro-judging. You know what I mean: all those thousands of thoughts we think, maybe even comments we make, largely meaningless opinions about this or that. They're mainly things such as: I like this; I don't like that; that person is wearing his hat wrong; I wonder how I'm doing (in yoga class or wherever).
They aren't discernments, which are important decisions about what's right or wrong for us. They're just random opinions that don't amount to much except wasted brain activity or breath.
The main problem with these thoughts and comments is that they interfere with our happiness. Do I really need to judge my teapot or the size of my right big-toe bunion? Or can I just let them alone and be happy and present in the moment?
So I thought of applying the "letting go" saying to my micro-judging habit: If you want a little peace, judge little. If you want a lot of peace, judge less. If you want complete peace, judge NOT!
Our yoga "practice" teaches us that it's about practice, not perfection. So I'm practicing non-judging, and it feels good.
Copyright by Lynn Felder January 2008. Lynn Felder is an award-winning journalist, a yoga teacher registered with the Yoga Alliance and the author of the DVD “Gentle Yoga for Cancer Patients,” available at www.artsofyoga.com.
You’re welcome to “reprint” this article online as long as it remains complete and unaltered (including the “about the author” info at the end), and you send a copy of your reprint to lynn@artsofyoga.com and link to www.artsofyoga.com.