Habits of Mind

Daily Reflection
Our minds seem to have this bad habit of making immediate judgments. We see a mother shouting at a small child in a store and we think, "wow, she really shouldn't shout at her child like that; she isn't a very good mother." Or, my neighbor is always banging around in his garage at 11:30pm when I am trying to get to sleep and he should really be more mindful of others. He should change his habits. He is inconsiderate. Notice how the mind is assigning a meaning to another person's actions. This happens very quickly, and most of the time, we are unaware of it. This is why yoga is such an important practice. The practice of yoga can help us slow down our thinking, notice our thinking and become more aware of these automatic habits of our minds. Yoga can help us to stop making assumptions about others and to stop judging their actions so quickly. It can make our thoughts more neutral. For example, "isn't it interesting that the mother is shouting or isn't it interesting that my neighbor is doing something in the garage at 11:30pm. I wonder what it is?" Helping our minds react in a more neutral way can lead to greater compassion with others and better relationships. No one wants to be judged.

In your journal today write down 3 examples of situations in which you judged another's behavior very quickly, without thinking about it. As you go throughout your day, notice this habit of mind as you encounter each experience. Write down the results. What was the experience? What did your mind tell you? Now, take a step back and change this to a more neutral event. Replace what your mind tells you with, "isn't it interesting that...." What has this exercise told you about yourself and your habits of mind?

Swami K