Meditation: Cultivating Non-Judgement

Join Vanessa Bouffard, LCSW, for a gentle 12-minute guided meditation designed to help you soften the inner critic and deepen your practice of non-judgment. Set in a tranquil and calming atmosphere, this meditation invites you to pause, breathe, and simply be — without needing to fix, change, or label your experience.

Through Vanessa’s soothing guidance, you’ll explore mindfulness techniques that support greater self-awareness and compassion, while being gently encouraged to notice thoughts and emotions as they arise—without attachment or aversion. This is a space for quiet reflection, deep listening, and allowing.

Whether you're new to meditation or returning to the practice, this session offers a nourishing reset and a reminder that you are allowed to meet yourself—and the moment—exactly as it is.

Transcript

As we settle into this space, allow yourself to arrive fully. Let go of whatever came before this moment. Gently close your eyes or soften your gaze. Begin to draw your awareness inward.

Invite a few slow, deep breaths:

• Inhale through the nose…
  
  
  
• Hold…
  
  
  
• Exhale slowly through the mouth.
  
  
  

Let the breath anchor you into the here and now. Feel the ground beneath you. Let your shoulders drop, your jaw unclench. Allow yourself to be supported—just as you are.

Bring awareness to the breath. Let each inhale bring clarity. Let each exhale soften and release.

Now, gently bring your attention to your inner dialogue. Without trying to change anything, just observe:

• What kinds of thoughts have you had about yourself today?
  
  
  
• Were there moments of criticism or comparison?
  
  
  
• Did you feel “not enough,” or perhaps “too much”?
  
  
  

If any judgments arise—even now—about your ability to meditate, about how you're sitting, about what you’re thinking—notice them. See if you can simply name them, gently, like a breeze brushing past:

“Ah, judgment.”
“That’s a critical thought.”
“There’s comparison.”

Imagine each judgment as a cloud in the sky of your awareness. You are the sky—vast, open, unchanging. The clouds come and go, but the sky remains.

Now, slowly expand this awareness outward:

• Have you judged someone else recently?
• Was there irritation, dismissal, or assumption?

Bring those moments to mind. Not to shame, but to witness.
Allow them to float past—just as gently.
We are all human. We are all learning. There is space for all of it.

Now, imagine yourself walking through a lush garden. This is the garden of your heart—your truest self. In this space, nothing is judged. Every flower blooms in its own time. Every path winds perfectly. Every imperfection is part of the beauty.

As you walk, notice stones along the path. Each one represents a judgment you’ve carried—some recent, some old. One by one, you pick them up, hold them gently, then set them down beside the path.

You no longer need to carry them. They are not who you are.
 With every stone you release, feel your heart grow lighter, more open, more free.

Begin to deepen your breath again. With each inhale, breathe in compassion.
With each exhale, let go of judgment.

Try this gentle affirmation on the breath:

• Inhale: “I witness with kindness.”
• Exhale: “I release with love.”

Feel free to place one hand over your heart and one over your belly. Feel the warmth, the rise and fall, the truth of your being—worthy and whole.

As we prepare to close this meditation, take a moment to sit with this gentle truth:
Judgment is often a mask for fear, misunderstanding, or pain.
But when we meet ourselves and others with curiosity and understanding, we invite healing.

Ask yourself:

1. Where in my life can I replace judgment with curiosity?
2. How do my judgments shape the way I see others?
3. How might I respond differently to myself and others if I approached my thoughts and feelings with understanding instead of critique?
4. What would it feel like to say, “That’s interesting,” instead of “That’s wrong”?

Let these questions gently guide you inward, like a lantern lighting your path.

“It’s easy to judge. It’s more difficult to understand. Understanding requires compassion, patience, and willingness to beleieve that good hearts sometimes choose poor methods. Through judging we separate. Through understanding we grow.” - Doe Zantamata

As we move forward, may we trade harsh self-judgment for gentle curiosity.

Take one last deep breath in — welcoming compassion.
Exhale — releasing judgment.

When you’re ready, gently return to the space around you. Let this sense of openness stay with you throughout your practice and your day.