I’ve found non-judgmental awareness really useful for noticing how the mind reacts.
But I also feel that sometimes reframing thoughts helps more. Like, if someone unfairly scolds me, trying to understand why they reacted that way can calm my frustration faster than just observing the emotion.
How has non-judgmental awareness worked for you during frustration or conflict?
Sometimes, while practicing spirituality, uncomfortable feelings come up. When I first realized that most thoughts arise automatically, I felt some discomfort. I wanted that feeling to go away, but the more I tried to push it away, the worse it got. The same thing happened when I tried a different meditation technique from the one I had been using.
I came across a Buddhist teaching that suggested not pushing away the thoughts or discomfort when they come up. I tried that, and strangely, it did fade on its own without any effort from my side.
Sometimes, while practicing spirituality, uncomfortable feelings come up—especially when you start questioning things like who you really are.
For me, one moment that triggered this was realizing how many of my thoughts just appear automatically. That felt unsettling. My first instinct was to get rid of that discomfort, but the more I tried, the stronger it became.
What helped instead was simple: I stopped trying to fix it and just let the feeling be there.
And over time, it faded on its own.