Hello,
This is Preeti and this is a guided meditation called the forgiveness meditation.
Forgiveness requires courage.
When we forgive,
We acknowledge the pain that has been caused and vow to not let it be repeated either to us or by us.
We free ourselves from self-loathing.
We free our hearts from resentment,
Which we know is an essential part of how we get and stay sober.
In this forgiveness meditation,
We will release self-loathing caused by ourselves and others.
First,
We are going to alleviate our own suffering by forgiving ourselves.
We are also going to forgive someone who has harmed us.
And finally,
We are going to forgive ourselves for harming someone else.
When you begin this practice,
It is best to not choose the most difficult relationships in your life,
But to start with ones that are somewhat challenging and work your way to the more complex ones.
So sit comfortably with your back straight and a soft gaze on an object in front of you.
Or if you're comfortable,
With your eyes gently closed.
And let's practice together.
Forgiveness requires courage.
When we forgive,
We acknowledge the pain that has been caused and vow to not let it be repeated either to us or by us.
We free ourselves from self-loathing.
We free our hearts from resentment.
And we open ourselves to healing and to joy.
This is a forgiveness meditation that focuses on releasing self-loathing caused by ourselves and others.
We are going to begin to alleviate our own suffering by forgiving ourselves unequivocally.
We are also going to forgive someone who has harmed us.
And finally,
We are going to forgive ourselves for harming someone else.
Start in a comfortable seated or lying down position,
Closing your eyes and settling into your breath.
And just notice your breath.
Notice the gentle inward and outward flow of your breath as it enters and leaves your body.
Place one hand over your belly and the other over your heart and notice how your abdomen and your chest gently rise and fall as the breath flows through you.
Let's breathe together.
Try breathing not from your chest,
But from deep within your belly,
Watching the stomach expand on the inhale and contract on the exhale.
Take a deep breath through your nose,
Breathing from your belly,
Up through your chest,
Let the air fill your lungs and reach your throat.
And when you are full of this abundance,
Exhale through your mouth with an audible sigh.
Let's do it again.
Take a deep breath in through your nose.
And at the top of the breath,
Hold it,
Hold it.
And as you exhale,
Let the tension start to leave your body.
And we breathe again.
Breathe deeply from your belly through your nose.
Let the air fill your lungs and reach your throat.
And when you are full of this abundance,
Exhale through your mouth with an audible sigh.
One last time.
Take all your worries and stress and breathe them from deep within your belly,
Up through your nose,
Filling your lungs,
And then pause,
Hold the breath,
Hold it.
And on the exhale,
Let go of all of your stressors,
Push them out of your body with the force of your breath.
And then return to your natural breath,
Breathing in and out of your nose,
Letting the breath breathe you,
Forgiving yourself.
Let's begin by offering forgiveness to ourselves.
We start with ourselves because it's almost impossible to truly forgive others while we still harbor self-resentment.
There are many ways that we have hurt and harmed ourselves,
Ways in which we have betrayed or abandoned ourselves many times throughout our lives,
Through thoughts,
Words,
Action,
And inaction,
Either knowingly or unknowingly.
Feel your own precious body and life as you are today.
Let yourself become aware of the ways you have hurt or harmed yourself.
Don't be afraid to picture it,
Remember it,
And be open to the sorrow you have carried from this while giving yourself permission to release these burdens.
Breathing gently,
Repeat silently to yourself the following phrases.
I forgive myself for the ways I have hurt myself through action or inaction.
I know I have acted out of fear,
Pain,
And confusion.
And for today,
I offer myself forgiveness.
I forgive myself.
Because forgiving ourselves is one of the hardest and most crucial steps to end our suffering,
We're going to repeat these phrases,
Letting the feelings permeate your body and mind.
Feelings contrary to forgiveness,
Like irritation,
Guilt,
And anger,
May come up for you.
If this happens,
Be patient and kind toward yourself,
Allowing whatever arises to be received in a spirit of friendliness and kind affection,
And simply return to the phrases.
Breathing gently,
Repeat silently to yourself the following phrases.
I forgive myself for the ways I have hurt myself through action or inaction.
I know I have acted out of fear,
Pain,
And confusion.
And for today,
I offer myself forgiveness.
I forgive myself.
Now let's turn to forgiving others.
There are many ways that we have been harmed by others throughout our lives.
We may have been betrayed or hurt or abandoned,
Knowingly or unknowingly,
In thoughts,
Words,
Action,
Or even inaction.
Let yourself picture and remember these hurts.
Be open to the sorrow you have carried from these actions.
Be open to the sorrow you have carried from the deeds of others in the past,
And give yourself permission to release the burden of pain,
At least for today,
By extending forgiveness when your heart is ready.
Bring to mind a person who has hurt you,
Say their name out loud,
And then silently repeat the following phrases,
Addressing it to them personally.
Say person I want to forgive.
I now remember the ways you have hurt or harmed me out of your own fear,
Pain,
Confusion,
And anger.
I have carried this pain in my heart too long.
At least for today,
I offer you forgiveness.
To all those who have caused me harm,
I offer my forgiveness.
I forgive you.
Now let's begin to forgive ourselves for bringing harm to others.
There are also many ways that we have hurt and harmed others,
Have betrayed or abandoned them,
Have caused them suffering.
We have caused harm knowingly or unknowingly out of our own pain,
Fear,
Anger,
And confusion.
Let yourself remember and visualize the ways you have hurt others.
Remember each memory that still burdens your heart.
Acknowledge the pain you have caused out of your own fear and confusion,
Your own action or inaction.
Be open to your own sorrow and regret over your deeds.
Give yourself permission to finally release this burden and ask for forgiveness.
Offer each person in your mind the following phrases.
I know I have harmed you through my thoughts,
Words,
Actions,
And inaction.
And I ask for your forgiveness.
Please forgive me.
Now letting go of all thoughts of others,
Return your focus to your own body,
Mind,
And heart.
And just notice if there's any discomfort,
Tension,
Any difficulty you may be feeling after this meditation.
Notice if you are experiencing any new lightness or warmth.
Maybe there's even some relaxation or a sense of relief and unburdening.
Maybe there's room for new joy.
And remember,
You can keep coming back to this meditation as many times as you need.
And whenever you are ready,
Allow your eyes to open and gently return your attention to the space around you.
And thank you for meditating with me today.
I hope this time together fortifies you for whatever comes your way and that you return to this place often and cultivate your spiritual superpowers.
Notice whenever agitated or doubtful and know that peace of mind is always within your reach.
