Hello and welcome to this heart-based practice of self-forgiveness.
My name is Jillian Florence Sanger,
And this is a practice I've been working with myself lately,
So I wanted to share it with you.
So I invite you to begin by finding a comfortable seated or lying down position.
Lengthening your spine,
Softening your shoulders,
Your hands and your belly,
And gently closing your eyes if that feels comfortable for you.
Take a slow,
Steady breath in,
Relaxing with a subtle sigh as you breathe out.
Another slow,
Steady inhale,
And a smooth,
Gentle exhale.
So in this meditation,
We'll open our hearts to self-forgiveness.
We often hear that forgiveness heals us,
That it lifts something from us,
And it does.
But we typically think of forgiveness as something we offer to others.
But we too deserve that same compassion,
That same grace.
Self-forgiveness has the power to set us free.
This practice can understandably bring up some emotions,
And I invite you to let that be okay.
At the same time,
If anything feels like it's too much for you to be present with today,
You can open your eyes or shift your focus.
Anything can help you to center yourself.
But take a few moments now to anchor in the touch points of the earth beneath you,
Feeling the chair or bed or floor that you rest on.
Again,
Lengthening your spine gently,
And relaxing your shoulders.
And notice the way your heart and chest expand with each in-breath,
And how they soften with each out-breath.
Just taking a few slow,
Steady breaths as you settle into this practice,
Breath by breath by breath.
And I invite you to sit now with this topic of self-forgiveness,
And notice what comes up.
Different moments in your life may come to mind,
Things that you did that you judged yourself for,
Things that stirred shame or regret.
Whatever arises,
I invite you to hold it gently.
Notice if there's a part of you that wants to push it away,
Or a part that wants to latch on to the story of what happened.
And then see if you can take a gentle step back,
Viewing this memory as a wise observer,
As the wise elder that lives within you.
And as these things arise,
These events that move through your awareness,
Notice what's arising in your body.
Noticing with care and curiosity whatever's happening in your physical body.
But again,
If at any point this practice feels dysregulating or overwhelming,
You can shift your awareness or gently come out of the practice.
But otherwise,
Just notice what's coming up now,
Taking a few more breaths to simply bear witness to what's moving through you.
First there's the memory of what happened,
But then honing your attention on your body,
Noticing how it feels in your physical body as you recall this event.
Softening any stories in your mind,
As you just notice what's lingering in the present physically.
Now place one hand on your heart if that feels okay,
And maybe another hand on some other body part that might need it.
Just resting your palms where it feels nourishing to do so.
Imagine that your hands are imbued with the same energy that they'd hold if giving a hug to a loved one who is suffering,
Or laying a hand on a loved one's back.
So really feeling a sense of warmth and care radiating out from the palm of your hand.
And really hold yourself here.
Hold your whole self,
Your whole humanity.
Bear witness to yourself with care,
With compassion,
With tenderness.
And as you rest here holding yourself,
Allow the following words to move through you.
May I acknowledge that I'm human.
May I remember that mistakes are part of being human.
May I soften the judgments I hold towards myself.
May I soften the harsh words I speak to myself.
May I offer myself the same grace and kindness I'd offer to those I love.
May I allow space for healing to happen.
May I make amends in reality where appropriate and possible.
In my mind's eye where it's not.
May I forgive myself little by little,
Breath by breath.
May I begin again,
Here and now,
With love,
Gentleness,
And awareness.
Take a few moments to repeat any additional words that feel like medicine for you now.
Let them work their way into any parts of your body that need them.
May you forgive yourself,
Here and now,
Little by little,
Breath by breath.
As we begin to close this practice,
Know that forgiveness is not a destination.
It's a process and a practice.
We can come back to it again and again,
Whenever we're caught in self-judgment or shame.
But for now,
Reconnect with your breath,
Taking a few slow,
Nourishing inhales and exhales.
Grounding into the surface beneath you,
Feeling its unconditional support.
And opening your eyes whenever you're ready.
And may you carry this gentleness,
This compassion,
This self-kindness,
This grace and ease with you for the rest of your day.
Thank you for your practice,
And I hope we meditate together again soon.
