Non-Judgment Day is Near:
A Series on Reducing Judgmental Mind
Transforming Judgmental Mind
( Class 1 ), March 15, 2012 MP3
An overview of the series. Three intentions to reduce judging when you meditate. What are you afraid would happen if you stopped judging? Discerning mind is reality based; judging mind is not. Judgments of others are about us; people’s judgments of us are about them. Mindfulness dethrones judgmental thoughts. Practice: Count Your Judgments.
The Psychological Origins of Judging Mind
( Class 3 ), April 5, 2012 (Audio Pending)
Non-Judgment Day is Near
( Class 4 ) , April 12, 2012MP3
The four wise efforts to reduce judging mind; the importance of focusing on the positive. Includes instructions for Rick Hanson’s “Soaking in the Good” practice.
You Cannot Judge and Understand at the Same Time
Essay, March 22, 2012 ( Class 2 )PDF
Reducing Judging in Meditation
Essay, March 22, 2012 ( Class 2 )PDF
What if You Were Already in Heaven, But Just Hadn’t Noticed?
( Class 5 ), April 19, 2012MP3
The power of gratitude as a spiritual practice and a balance to negative judgments. We create reality by what we chose to pay attention to and, given our negativity bias, gratitude is an essential reality need. Includes two guided gratitude meditations.
Love Made Easy
Printed essay, May 17, 2012, ( Class 6 )PDF
We can vastly increase our ability to feel friendly towards others through intentional practice. Lovingkindness, or metta, is a powerful antidote to judgmental mind, and it resonates strongly with who we most deeply are. Practice: metta meditation for easy being.
The High Spiritual State of Love for Oneself
( Class 7 ), May 31, 2012MP3
Love for oneself is a deep spiritual blessing. When you are filled with self-love you can most easily benefit others. The world needs your self-love. Includes lovingkindness (metta) practice for oneself, as well as a practice to be friendly to all of one’s experience.
Holy Annoyance: The Spiritual Benefits of Difficult People
( Class 8 ), June 7, 2012 MP3
Difficult people catalyze our spiritual development, accelerating our practice of patience, strength, and generosity. We disarm our enemies when we rehabilitate them in our hearts, connecting with their humanity, while opposing harmful behavior. Includes a guided meditation on friendliness towards difficult people.
Working with Criticism and Social Rejection
( Class 9 ), June 14, 2012MP3
It is much healthier to expose oneself to outer criticism than to protect against it with inner criticism. We only need take on criticism that is specific, non-judgmental, and something we can learn from. To collapse into unworthiness, or blame of oneself or another is unhelpful. Mindfulness practice helps us greatly with social rejection.
Self-Awareness Undercuts Self-Consciousness
( Class 10 ), June 21, 2012 MP3
The more we are aware of our experience, the less we worry about other people’s opinions about us. Our practice empowers us as we realize more and more that no one knows our experience but ourselves. This makes us more light-hearted, authentic and spontaneous.