#115 Nonjudging (Quality 1)

     "Nonjudging = Impartial witnessing, observing the present moment-by-moment without evaluation and categorization"

       Cardaciotto L. Assessing Mindfulness: The Development of a Bi-Dimensional Measure of Awareness and Acceptance. PhD Thesis, Drexel University, 2005.

dspace.library.drexel.edu/retrieve/4264/Cardaciotto_LeeAnn.pdf

     "Mindfulness is mirror-thought. It reflects only what is presently happening and in exactly the way it is happening. There are no biases. Mindfulness is non-judgmental observation. It is the ability of the mind to observe without criticism." 

        Gunaratana VH. Mindfulness in plain English. Boston: Wisdom Publications, 1991. quoted by L Cardaciotto (above)

     Sounds idealistic, yet if one is serious about mindfulness as a way of being and embarks on a lifelong journey of training, one cannot help but to become progressively more mindful. Our brains are "plastic" ie will learn the skills we repeatedly - and dare I say mindfully - practice!