Course:
SHIFT Meditation Series
Start: 00:00
This is a space to lay down the weight of judgment, the sharp inner voice, the measuring stick, the silent comparison. Here, we practice something else: curiosity, noticing, wonder.
Let your body settle into a comfortable position. Let your face soften, let your jaw unclench, let your belly expand a little more as you breathe. Take a deep breath in… and a soft, steady breath out. You don’t have to “get it right” here. There’s nothing to fix, only something to feel.
Inhale through your nose… exhale through the mouth like a gentle sigh. Again, inhale… 2… 3… exhale… 2… 3… 4… With each breath, allow a softening to begin.
Imagine judgment as tightness: a clenched hand, a held breath. And curiosity as openness: a palm relaxed, a breath unforced.
Let your body model this shift:
Inhale… I open.
Exhale… I release harshness.
Inhale… I make space.
Exhale… I allow what is.
Now, bring to mind a recent moment where you judged yourself. Not to relive the pain, but to hold it differently. What was the voice, what was the story, what was the rule you broke? Notice it.
Now ask gently: What was I really needing in that moment? Was I trying to protect myself, or prove something, or feel safe? Let yourself feel the humanness behind the harshness.
Say inwardly:
Of course I felt that.
Of course I said that.
Of course I judged, because something underneath needed care.
Noticing is not the same as agreeing, but it is a beginning.
Now let’s invite a shift. Imagine a gentle observer beside you, one who watches with kindness, not with criticism. They are not here to grade you. They are here to learn.
Become that observer. Turn your attention inward, with a curious gaze. Ask: What’s really going on here? What part of me needs to be heard, not silenced? What if this moment isn’t a failure, but a clue?
Let curiosity swirl through your body like a breeze. Not pushing, just opening, noticing.
Inhale… I wonder why.
Exhale… I release “should”.
Inhale… I soften the lens.
Exhale… I choose gentleness.
Let these questions replace conclusions. You do not need all the answers. You just need space to explore.
Breathe in this new posture, this soft lens.
Repeat gently:
I don’t have to be perfect to be worthy.
My patterns are messengers, not verdicts.
I can meet myself with wonder instead of war.
I am learning. I am listening. I am opening.
Feel your face soften. Feel your breath deepen. Feel judgment loosen its grip. Let your breath be your exhale of control. Let your presence be your inhale of trust.
As we near the close of this practice, bring your attention back to your body. Wiggle your fingers… wiggle your toes… feel the presence of your body in the chair, on the floor, wherever you are… notice the space around you.
Before you open your eyes, say inwardly or aloud:
I shift from proving… to exploring.
I meet myself with compassion.
I choose curiosity.
When you’re ready, gently open your eyes and take this new lens with you into your next thought, your next breath, your next choice.
