Do you have compassion for other human beings or are you the judgmental type?

Who am I to judge? Should you? Can those that hold themselves in higher regard than others honestly say that they have never made a mistake? Probably not. I know that I am in no position to judge others. Very few people are. I’ve made my share of mistakes as have you. Once you forgive yourself, you can convey that compassion outward.

A common side effect of practicing yoga is the awareness that the practice provides. The awareness is of ourselves, how we feel – physically and mentally. Are we angry with ourselves for making a mistake? Do we use that anger to judge ourselves? Once we determine what our issues are we can make positive changes to improve our quality of life. We need to change anger and frustration to compassion, starting with ourselves.

As you develop your mindfulness through your yoga practice, consider practicing being non-judgmental. Start with yourself. Years ago I heard a phrase on the radio and it has since stayed with me; “You can’t move forward by looking in the rear-view mirror”. Give yourself permission to move forward. If we hold onto our mistakes and keep looking back at them, judging ourselves or others, we can never move forward.

I have always believed that everything happens for a reason. Bad things can happen to make us stronger or more appreciative of what we have. Contrary to what we might want to believe, good things happen because of someone’s hard work, someone’s endurance of hardships, someone’s outlook or hope.

Jealousy is a big part of being judgmental. You think someone has more than you? More what? Money, success, better looks? They might prefer to have something that you live with: health, security in love, a special talent, or maybe a supportive family. Maybe they view your lifestyle as more normal than theirs, but who determines what is normal? Or who gets to judge if your life is the normal one?

People grow up with their ancestral morals. The views of past generations may not apply to today’s world. Normal 50 years ago certainly is not normal in today’s world. Your awareness can change the way you judge others. Tap into your subconscious kindness. Instead of judging someone as wrong, decide that other people’s opinions or actions don’t necessarily define them.

Do you typically judge people’s status in the world by how they look or how they are dressed? Try skewing your outlook towards practicing some open-minded compassion for other human beings. You can change your perceptions of others.

Instead of judging those who are less fortunate try empathizing with them. Maybe people somehow get into their situations and cannot find a way out? Maybe they need help, or simply hope. Some people may not be lucky enough to have the strength to endure all that life shells out.

Sometimes people look at others and instantly judge if the other person is inferior to them. Other times we can see that there is some goodness in every human being. These are two totally different perceptions of humanity. If we could have even a little less judging maybe the world would be that little bit easier to deal with. Tip the scale towards compassion.

Sometimes people take their judgments to new levels. If they are angry at themselves (or someone else for that matter) compassion for others might be a difficult task. If you are judging yourself or others as wrong, remember that you are in control of your attitude. You can decide to move towards positivity and compassion.

Our outlook on any given day is our decision. We can feel guilt or anger and judge accordingly, or we can move on with positivity. Do we allow our anger to ruin the day? No, we need to change our outgoing attitude to make ourselves and others happy.

There is no magic switch or potion that can turn you from a judgmental person to non-judgmental. It is an ongoing practice. You will always meet new people and your practiced perspective of those people will vary. Keep in mind that every little bit of compassion counts. Then practice as often as you can.

Every single day is yours. You get to do whatever you want with it. You decide. Waste a day being judgmental, angry, and aggravated with yourself or others? Or practice compassion.

Those who are quick to judge might miss out on something special. Everyone has some kindness inside of them that needs to be shared. Being judgmental doesn’t make you happy. Don’t miss out on your own kindness – or the kindness others have to offer.

As you relax in savasana at the end of your next yoga session, be mindful of your compassion. Consciously release any negative judgments of yourself you are holding onto. You will feel lighter. Then practice this compassion with others. Make a commitment to yourself to try. That’s all I ask.

Let’s promote some peace and compassion.