Gabrielle Bernstein is #1 New York Times Best Selling Author, International Speaker and Spirit Junkie. One of our favourite authors, we’re super excited to have Gabby in our Meet the Author feature this month! Here Gabby talks all things Judgement Detox, as part of her latest book launch.
How does the Judgment Detox work?
The Judgment Detox helps you become aware of your judgment and provides spiritual and practice tools for healing it. The healing begins when readers understand the ways that they’ve used judgment to avoid their deep-rooted pain. When we address the root cause behind our judgment we begin to truly heal our perceptions of ourselves and the world. Each step builds upon the next and is simple to apply. The other reason this process works is because it gets you into the habit of auditing your judgment daily.
This six-step practice offers many promises. Petty resentments will disappear, compassion will replace attack, the energy of resistance will transform into freedom and you’ll feel more peace and happiness than you’ve ever known. I can testify to these results because I’ve lived them. I’ve never felt more freedom and joy than I have when writing and practicing these steps.
The Judgment Detox is an interactive process that calls on spiritual principles from the text A Course in Miracles , Kundalini yoga, the Emotional Freedom Technique (aka Tapping), meditation, prayer and metaphysical teachings. I’ve demystified these principles to make them easy to commit to and apply in your daily life. Each lesson builds upon the next to support true healing. When you commit to following the process and become willing to let go, judgment, pain and suffering will begin to dissolve.
And the miracles keep coming. Once you begin to feel better you start to release your resistance to love. When you’re in harmony with love you receive more of what you want. Your energy attracts its likeness. So when you shift your energy from defensive judgment to free-flowing love your life gets awesome. You’ll attract exactly what you need, your relationships will heal, your health will improve and you’ll feel safer and more secure. One loving thought at a time creates a miracle. Follow these steps to clear all blocks, spread more love and live a miraculous life.
What are some things that make us prone to judging right now?
Politics is at the top of the list. The 2016 election made division more present than ever before. Our divided political views are at an all-time high, and the separation is felt throughout the world. Many people have retreated into their corners and are constantly defending against attacks and attacking back. We’ve forgotten our commonality and we focus on what separates us.
Social media is another reason we’re more judgmental today than we were years ago. Every time we turn to Instagram, Twitter or Facebook the judgment cycle begins. Social media makes us judge others and judge ourselves. We scroll through images and posts and immediately begin comparing ourselves to others and judging their views and choices. The opportunity to judge is constantly at our fingertips.
What changes did you notice once you changed your attitude?
When I started to witness how my judgmental nature made me feel, right away I could see why my life wasn’t flowing. Judgment made me feel weak, sad and disconnected. It even caused me physical pain. Once I was I was able to step away from the judgment and witness how it made me feel, I could truly understand how much it was blocking my happiness. I began experimenting with a process to heal my judgment, and I created the Judgment Detox. Practicing these steps has given me an incredible sense of freedom and peace. My relationships are stronger, I feel safe to be honest and real, and I’m in alignment with the woman I want to be.
What one change can people make to make a noticeable difference?
One simple thing you can begin to do today is to witness when you’re judging and as quickly as possible change the subject. Recognize that your judgment doesn’t serve you or the world, and ask yourself what the compassionate response would be instead. Or be silent in the midst of other people’s judgment and gossip. Your silence is extremely powerful, and it begins the process of the Judgment Detox journey.
In terms of your career, do you feel an expectation to always have everything together?
No. In fact, I believe it’s very helpful that I don’t. The more I go through personally the more authentic lessons I have to teach. I’ve committed to always exposing the ways I detour into fear and teach the practices I use to return to love. This is why my work resonates with people. I keep it real and learn all the time!
When you look back on the old you, can you believe how far you’ve come and what’s the biggest change?
Yes, I can believe it. I’ve worked really hard on my spiritual condition and my personal growth. My willingness to change and my bravery to heal are what I admire most about myself. I’m really proud of my personal recovery and I’m not surprised by how far I’ve come. I know everyone has the capacity to do the same. I’ve witnessed thousands of people wake up to their loving nature, strengthen their faith and manifest miracles. I’m committed to helping many more do it, too.
If you could encourage people to make one change to their daily lives to bring about real change, what would it be?
Be kinder to others. When you practice random acts of kindness, your entire life will change. When you are kind to others you get an oxytocin boost and you feel great about yourself. And kindness is contagious! Your act of kindness will inspire someone else to be kinder too.
In your book, you outline a six-step process for the Judgment Detox. You say “being the nonjudgmental witness of your judgment is the first step in this detox.” You also have a great sentence: “The practice of witnessing our darkness is a brave and sacred act of love.” Why is this the first step? Can you talk more about the importance of this?
In Step 1 you’ll get intimate with your judgment, identify the triggers underneath it and get honest about how it makes you feel. You’ll be guided to uncover the stories from your past that spark your judgmental behavior, and you’ll come to understand how all judgment is a disowned part of your own shadow. This authentic audit of your behavior is a necessary first step. Without it, you can’t move on to the next phase of healing. The spiritual path to clearing judgment begins with your honest inventory. And, of course, we can’t take an honest inventory if we’re judging ourselves the whole time! So being gentle with yourself and recognizing that you are doing something courageous in order to heal is essential.
So, what do you do when you are surrounded by people or in a situation with friends who are being judgy and gossiping?
When you live the Judgment Detox practice you’ll feel less and less comfortable when you gossip or say anything negative about someone. The reality is that you will slip up, your ego will get the best of you and you’ll want to justify your anger at times. Accept that this will happen, but have a plan for how you’ll clean it up. It’s fine to fall back into old behavior but try to be aware of it.
What’s a spiritual running buddy, and how can having one help to ensure a successful Judgment Detox?
A spiritual running buddy can be someone you meet in a yoga class, a person you know through social media, a lifelong friend or even a spouse. All that’s required from this person is their willingness to support you and receive support as you both venture down your spiritual paths. When you practice these principles with your spiritual running buddies, you bring momentum to your practice. When one or more gather in the name of love, miracles arise. The collective consciousness of love elevates your practice and supports your commitment. Maybe you set up a local Judgment Detox book club or even host one online through a Google Hangout. If you have friends and family who are on a spiritual path and want to heal their judgment, invite them along for the ride!
Buy Gabby’s book and receive a free online workshop when you buy via https://gabbybernstein.com/bookgift/