Forgiveness Meditation

In this practice, you will experience the ultimate power of forgiveness. When you are able to forgive, you are relieved of your burden.

In the beginning of the exercise, Garth will lead you through simple breath work to bring you into the meditation. You will then go through asking forgiveness from others, then into forgiving yourself, and finally, forgiving as much as you feel you are able to give to others.

Transcript

First of all in this forgiveness meditation,

As you sit in the room and listen to my voice,

Just have a soft gaze come over your eyes,

Don't close them,

Keep them open,

Just notice everything in the room that's in front of you without shifting your eyes,

Taking all the things right in your peripheral vision,

Not a attaching to any one thing but noticing everything that you can see,

Then hear what you can hear in the room inside your body,

To your breath,

To my voice,

Feel what you can feel,

Feel yourself being held by the chair or the floor or the bed wherever you are,

Feel the strength holding you up,

Supporting you,

Notice the feelings of the energy around your feet,

Your legs,

Your body,

Hands,

Your head,

Notice what you can smell,

What can you smell at this moment,

As you have all of these senses feeling,

Seeing,

Hearing,

Smelling all together in the same moment without attaching to anything,

Just being aware of all that you can see,

Hear,

Feel,

Smell,

Notice the breath,

The way that it's breathing in,

Breathing out,

Without changing it,

Without attaching to it,

Allowing the breath to ebb and flow in your body,

As you sit there and listen to my voice,

Allow yourself to relax even further,

As you take the next breath,

As you breathe out and exhale,

Allow yourself to relax even more,

Even deeper into your seat,

Into your bed,

Into the floor,

Feel that it carries you and as you relax,

Allow your eyes to softly close,

Just notice your breath,

As you notice your breath,

Notice as you breathe in the breath of life circulating around your heart,

Feel the energy of your heart and notice the barriers that you've erected around your heart and the emotions that you've carried in your heart because you've not forgiven,

Not asked for forgiveness of others and not forgiven yourself,

What is the pain you carry and the walls that have been stopping you from having love in your life,

Then on your next breath,

As it comes in,

Feel your intention being set,

See what you want out of this meditation,

Who you can become in your life by allowing your heart to open,

For joy to flood in and on your next breath,

As you inhale,

Feel that joy,

That intention that's to come,

The anticipation waiting for it and as you exhale,

Allow yourself to relax even further,

Even deeper into your chair,

To your bed,

Into the floor as it holds you and carries you,

Being aware of everything around you,

Breathing softly,

Naturally,

Begin asking and extending forgiveness from yourself,

From others,

To yourself and to others,

Letting the images and feelings that come up grow deeper as you repeat them,

As we recite the following,

We'll begin with the forgiveness of others,

You may want to start small with your dog,

Cat,

Your child,

Ones that it's easy to forgive,

The person that cut you off,

Whatever it may be and repeat this inside your mind,

There are many ways that I've hurt and harmed others,

Have betrayed or abandoned them,

Caused them suffering knowingly or unknowingly,

Out of my pain,

Fear,

Anger and confusion,

Let yourself remember and visualize the ways you've hurt others,

See and feel the pain you have caused out of your own fear and confusion,

Feel your own sorrow and regret,

Sense that finally you can release this burden and ask for forgiveness,

Picture each memory that still burdens your heart and then to each person in your mind repeat,

I ask you for forgiveness,

I ask you for forgiveness,

Say to them I'm sorry,

Please forgive me,

I love you,

Thank you,

I'm sorry,

Please forgive me,

I love you,

Thank you,

I'm sorry,

Please forgive me,

I love you,

Thank you,

I'm sorry,

Please forgive me,

Thank you,

I love you,

Go through each memory and forgive and ask for forgiveness from those and feel if you're ready to accept their forgiveness,

To accept the forgiveness from them as you ask for it,

Now as you notice your breath on the next inhalation,

Feel that forgiveness coming into your heart as much as you can allow at this time and as you exhale and your next breath allow yourself to relax and let that intention,

That forgiveness to flow out into the world,

The realm of possibility around you and know that that energy now circulates around you and around those with whom you've asked forgiveness from,

As you release that we now move into forgiveness for yourself,

What do you need to forgive yourself for,

Start with the small things,

Maybe you need to forgive yourself that you didn't wake up at the time you said,

Maybe you need to forgive yourself for eating too much,

Drinking too much,

Smoking,

Maybe it's the simple act that you didn't do the dishes when you said you would,

Whatever it may be and then repeat in your mind,

There are many ways that I have hurt and harmed myself,

I have betrayed or abandoned myself many times through thought,

Word or deed,

Knowingly or unknowingly,

Feel your own precious body and life,

Let yourself see the ways you've hurt or harmed yourself,

Picture them,

Remember them,

Hear them,

Feel the sorrow you've carried from this and sense that you can release these burdens,

Extend forgiveness for each of them,

One by one,

Repeat to yourself,

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,

Confusion,

I now extend a full and heartfelt forgiveness and then repeat to yourself in each circumstance,

I'm sorry I love you,

Please forgive me,

Thank you,

I'm sorry I love you,

Please forgive me,

Thank you,

I'm sorry I love you,

Please forgive me,

Thank you,

I'm sorry I love you,

Please forgive me,

Thank you,

As you go through each experience,

See yourself in that moment,

Hear the forgiveness from yourself to yourself and feel the release of the frustration,

The anger,

The resentment you've held towards yourself because of these circumstances and as you take a deep breath in,

Feel that energy,

That forgiveness running down deep into your heart,

Breaking layers of armour as they shed away and forgive as much as you can in this moment,

On your next breath take a deep breath in knowing that this love,

This joy,

This forgiveness is deep inside you now and as you exhale allow yourself to relax even deeper as you release this intention,

This love and this joy out into the realm of possibility,

Knowing and it will be ordered and brought back to you in the way that's perfect for you.

Now we move into the third direction which is forgiveness for those who have hurt or harmed you and this is the hardest of the directions but know that it is about forgiving as much as you can at this time,

To not feel that you must forgive entirely in this moment but to take steps towards it,

To start setting your intention and giving direction to your heart.

Begin by repeating the phrase there are many ways that I have been harmed by others,

Abused or abandoned,

Knowingly or unknowingly,

In thought,

Word or deed.

Let yourself picture and remember these many ways,

Feel the sorrow you've carried from this past and sense that you can release this burden of pain by extending forgiveness when your heart is ready.

Now say to yourself I now remember the many ways others have hurt or harmed me,

Wounded me out of fear,

Pain,

Confusion and anger.

I have carried this pain in my heart too long to the extent that I am ready I offer them forgiveness to those who have caused me harm.

I offer you my forgiveness,

I forgive you,

I forgive you.

Let yourself gently repeat these three directions and forgiveness until you feel a release in your heart.

For some great pains you may not feel a release but only the burden and the anguish or anger you have held.

Touch this softly,

Be forgiving of yourself for not being ready to let go and move on.

Forgiveness cannot be forced,

It cannot be artificial.

Simply continue the practice and let the words and images work gradually in their own way.

In time you can make the forgiveness meditation a regular part of your life,

Letting go of the past and opening your heart to each new moment with a wise loving kindness.

And learn to forgive as things happen and not wait for the pain to build the frustration to build.

Let it go while it's small.

Forgive.

I'm sorry I love you.

Please forgive me.

Thank you.

I'm sorry I love you.

Please forgive me.

Thank you.

Reviews

Very beautiful & powerful meditation. My tears rolling on my face. Thank u...

Very to the point! A great forgiveness meditation. Especially in conjunction with
A Course In Miracle’s work.
Thanks 🙏

Just what I needed! I have been looking for a meditation just like this. Thanks!

Garth Bruin, that was great! Can you make more meditations please?!

Thank you for this gift! I felt a release of anger and frustration during this meditation and a sense of relief.

Very powerful meditation. Fabulous powerful voice. First time I’ve said those words, in relation to long-standing past abuses, with the intent to truly release the burdens I’ve carried WAY too long. Thank-you. I wish to thank-you also for your dedication to working with men to show them the way & light their path to help them be their best selves. Way too many lost,sad,angry, toxic men out there. Your work is very much needed now. Fabulous for NZ. Could use a chapter here where I live. Thank-you. I love you. Namaste.