So let yourself continue to sit comfortably and easily and allow your eyes to close gently for this time.
Soften the body,
Let the shoulders drop and the hands rest easily.
And come to feel your breath wherever you can sense its natural rhythm.
And if you're able to,
Feel the breath as if you could breathe in and out of the heart.
That movement rise and fall of the chest.
As if the breath came in and touched the heart and went out.
As you breathe in the heart area quite gently,
We'll begin the three recitations of forgiveness.
The first direction,
There are many ways in which I have hurt or harmed others,
Betrayed or abandoned them.
I remember these now.
And let yourself remember and feel the sorrows you carry from betraying or harming others.
There are so many ways in this life,
Each of us has harmed others knowingly and unknowingly,
Betrayed,
Abandoned,
Hurt.
I remember these now and feel in my body that which I carry.
Let the images come,
Pictures.
And now gently,
In the many ways that I have hurt or harmed you,
Knowingly or unknowingly,
Out of my pain,
Out of my fear,
Out of my anger and confusion and hurt,
I remember these now.
And I ask your forgiveness.
I ask your forgiveness.
Please forgive me.
And let yourself feel the work of forgiveness in the heart that wants to be done.
How many people and circumstances still require that you ask their forgiveness.
That inwardly you bow to them and ask for their kindness,
Forgive me.
Now the second direction of forgiveness.
Just as I have hurt and harmed others,
Knowingly and unknowingly,
So I have also harmed myself,
Betrayed and abandoned myself.
Just as I've caused suffering to others,
I've caused suffering to this one here,
Myself,
Abandoned,
Hurt.
Let yourself remember now the ways that you have betrayed yourself,
The harm or suffering that you may have caused yourself.
Picture and feel this too just now as you breathe gently and sit.
There are so many ways that we've abandoned ourselves,
Hurt ourselves,
Out of our pain and fear,
Out of our confusion and hurt.
And in this moment,
As you remember,
Offer yourself to forgiveness.
I forgive myself.
Hold yourself with the tenderness and mercy of a child.
I've tried so hard in this life and in all the ways I've hurt or harmed myself,
Out of my fear and confusion and pain,
I forgive myself.
I offer myself forgiveness.
And finally,
The third direction.
There are many ways that others have hurt and harmed me in this life.
Betrayed,
Abandoned,
Caused suffering knowingly and unknowingly.
Each of us has experienced this many times from others.
I remember these now too.
Let yourself remember and feel the sorrows that you carry.
In so many ways others have hurt and harmed me,
Betrayed,
Caused pain.
I remember these now.
And sensing them and how the others have hurt me out of their pain,
Out of their confusion,
Out of their fear and anger and hurt.
In this moment,
To the extent that I am ready,
I offer you to forgiveness.
I turn my heart in the direction of forgiveness.
In this moment,
To the extent that I am able,
I forgive you.
I release you.
I forgive you.
And rest gently in the breath at the heart.
Let yourself feel the relief,
The natural blessing that comes when forgiveness is possible.
The renewal,
The ease,
The tenderness.
