This meditation is a self-forgiveness meditation.
When practiced regularly,
This meditation will help you let go of past hurts,
Worries or thoughts of things that you have done that you cannot forgive yourself for.
The biggest barrier to self-forgiveness may be your own resistance to it.
It's not simply that you feel bad because you know you've done wrong.
You wrap yourself up in your own guilt as if it were a comfy blanket.
And while your guilt blanket may be destroying your life,
You continue to hold on to it for reasons you may not fully understand.
Yet forgiving yourself while difficult is absolutely essential for you to be able to live a full and happy life.
To be able to fully connect with your friends and family and just be the best version of yourself that you can possibly be.
Let's begin this self-forgiveness practice.
And remember,
It's just a practice.
It's best not to force yourself to forgive that which you do not feel ready or safe to forgive at this time.
Simply acknowledge whatever comes up for you with a non-judgmental attitude as much as you can.
Let whatever emotions arise come and go.
You can always come back to the breath or the feel of the body sitting as an anchor.
You are in a safe space and thoughts are just thoughts,
Nothing more.
It's when the mind starts to create a story around those thoughts,
In particular negative thoughts,
That things start to go downhill.
Just go at your own pace.
Let's begin by settling into a comfortable,
Seated position on a chair or a cushion.
Get really comfortable and feel yourself start to relax.
Become aware of the fact that you are breathing.
Become aware of the movement of the breath as it comes into your body and as it leaves your body.
Don't try and manipulate the breath or control it in any way.
Simply just be aware of how it feels.
And when you are ready,
Expand your awareness beyond the breath to include the entire body.
Simply noticing any sensations in the body internally or externally.
You may like to bring your attention to any thoughts that come and go.
Seeing each thought as it comes up in the mind as a thought,
A passing event.
And when you are ready,
Bring the awareness to any emotions that arise in the body and mind.
Perhaps you might feel frustrated or restless,
Peaceful,
Sad,
Full of joy or fear.
Simply notice how the body,
Mind and heart are feeling right now.
And return your mind to focus on the body breathing in and breathing out.
Just notice where you feel the breath moving into the body.
It may be just under your nose.
It may feel cool.
You may notice it more in your belly as it expands.
Just let this awareness ride the waves of the breath.
Now we are going to begin to take a gentle journey of awareness through the body and invite the possibility of letting go and relaxing.
Just allow a kind attention to sweep through the body,
Letting go,
Letting be,
Allowing whatever is present to be just as it is.
You may like to bring your focus to your toes,
Your feet,
Your shins and calves and your knees.
Feeling them all relax and any tension just melting away.
Start to move your focus to your thighs and hips.
Letting them release and let go.
Feel your abdomen and chest area gently relaxing.
Let your focus move to your lower and upper back.
Feel all the little and big muscles in this area letting go and gently melting away.
Move up to your shoulder and neck area.
We tend to hold a lot of tension in this area.
So just breathe into these areas.
Breathe into your shoulders and your neck.
Feel the breath and I will letting go,
Releasing and relaxing.
Feel your muscles loosening and any tension running down your arms,
Past your elbows,
Forearms,
Hands and out of your fingertips.
Bring your focus to your head area now.
Feel the top of your head,
Your forehead,
Your eyes and feel all the little muscles behind and around your eyes letting go and relaxing.
Your nose,
Cheeks,
Lips and tongue relax and loosen.
Your chin and jaw all smooth out and relax.
Your ears and towards the back of your head.
Feel your whole body relaxing from the tips of your toes to the top of your head.
Your whole body releasing any left over tension and everything just feels so very relaxed.
You feel at peace with a deep sense of internal calm.
Forgiving yourself means letting go of what you are holding against yourself so that you can move on.
It is a decision to set yourself free.
It's exhausting to harbour hatred towards yourself.
Every bit of energy you give to your regrets robs you of the energy you could use to improve your life.
Life is full of choices and every choice you make will either move you in a positive direction or rob you of the opportunity to be your best.
Forgiveness is a choice that takes courage and strength and it gives you the opportunity to become an overcomer rather than remaining a victim of your own self-defeating thoughts and feelings.
I'd like you to imagine or visualise yourself now.
Notice any details like your appearance,
What are you wearing?
And bring to mind anyone or any situation for which you wish to forgive yourself for,
Ways you have harmed others or in your eyes done the wrong thing.
Now speaking directly to yourself,
Say in your mind's eye,
There are many ways that I have hurt and harmed myself.
I have betrayed and abandoned myself many times through thought,
Word or deed,
Knowingly or unknowingly.
Feel deeply your own precious body and your life.
Let yourself see the ways you have hurt or harmed yourself.
Picture each one in turn.
You may feel the sorrow you have carried from this and sense that you are ready to release these burdens.
Extend forgiveness for each of these hurts that you have caused to yourself one by one.
Repeat to yourself when you are ready for the ways I have hurt myself through action or inaction.
Out of fear,
Pain and confusion,
I now extend a full and heartfelt forgiveness.
I forgive myself.
I forgive myself.
For the ways I have hurt myself through action or inaction,
Out of fear,
Pain and confusion,
I now extend a full and heartfelt forgiveness.
I forgive myself.
I forgive myself.
Trusting yourself to forgive in a way that feels right for you.
When you are ready,
Let go of any images or thoughts that may have come up and just notice how you are feeling.
Did you feel a release?
Do you feel grateful?
Or like you have let go of a heavy burden?
Or some great pains you may not feel a release but only the burden and the anguish or anger you have held?
Just touch this softly.
Be forgiving of yourself for not being ready to let go and move on.
This cannot be forced.
It cannot be artificial.
Simply continue the practice and let the words and images work gradually in their own way.
Start to bring your awareness back to the body now,
Back to the breath.
Taking a few easy deep breaths and take a few moments to offer gratitude to yourself for taking this time for yourself,
For taking care of your own heart,
For lightening the burdens,
The hurts that you have accumulated in your life.
Remembering that this is a practice of letting go and moving in the direction of more peace,
Happiness and freedom.
It may take more than one listen for you to begin to release hurts that you have held on for a long time.
Be patient and gentle with yourself and with time and practice you will slowly begin to let go.
You can breathe in the stillness for as long as you wish and when you are ready gently open your eyes and slowly return to the present,
To this moment,
This place to resume your day.
Thank you.
