Forgiveness Flow • A Guided Asana Practice With Pranayama

This practice cultivates space for forgiveness through fluid and grounded asana, pranayama, and reading. The practice of forgiveness is a powerful opportunity to release old resentments and supports us in responding from a place of greater ease and clarity.

Transcript

Hello,

This is Janet Stone.

Welcome to my forgiveness flow.

We'll move the body and move through some pranayamas as well that invoke the process of forgiveness that allows us to concentrate,

Give attention to releasing some of our resentments.

And in this freedom of letting go,

Of softening around some of the things that still hold us,

And as they hold us they create our behavior,

That we retrain our way of being,

That maybe we're at less of a grip,

A hold from old resentments.

The practice of forgiveness is very powerful.

So I invite you to come onto your mat or onto the space where you're going to practice and rest back on your back.

You can be in a full shavasana posture or you can bend the knees with the feet flat on the earth,

Or have the base of the feet together and the knees open.

Give yourself the opportunity to rest back.

As you arrive here,

I'll read to you from David White's book called,

Consolations,

And he really goes into the notion and the practice of forgiveness.

Go ahead and bring your right hand to your heart and the left hand to your low belly,

Closing your eyes as I read.

Forgiveness is a heartache and difficult to achieve because strangely it is not only refusing to eliminate the original wound,

But actually draws us closer to its source.

To approach forgiveness is to close in on the nature of the hurt itself,

The only remedy being as we approach its raw center,

To imagine a relation to it.

It may be that the part of us that was struck and hurt can never forgive,

And that strangely forgiveness never arises from the part of us that was actually wounded.

The wounded self may be the part of us incapable of forgetting,

And perhaps not actually meant to forget,

As if,

Like the foundational dynamics of the psychological immune system or physiological defenses,

Must remember and organized against any future attacks.

After all,

The identity of the one who must forgive is actually found on the very fact of having been wounded.

Stranger still,

It is that wound,

Branded,

Unforgetting part of ourself,

That eventually makes forgiveness an act of compassion,

Rather than one of simple forgetting.

To forgive is to assume a larger identity than the person who was first hurt,

To mature,

And bring to fruition an identity that can put its arm not only around the afflicted one within,

But also around the memories seared within us by the original blow,

And through a kind of psychological virtuosity,

Extend our understanding to one who first delivered it.

Forgiveness is a skill,

A way of preserving clarity,

Sanity,

And generosity in an individual life,

A beautiful way of shaping the mind to a future we want for ourselves,

An admittance that if forgiveness comes through understanding,

And if understanding is just a matter of time and application,

Then we might as well begin forgiving right at the beginning of any drama,

Rather than putting ourselves through the full cycle of festering,

Incapacitation,

Reluctant healing,

And eventual blessing.

To forgive is to put oneself in a larger gravitational field of experience than the one that first seemed to hurt us.

We reimagine ourselves in the light of our maturity,

We reimagine the past in the light of our new identity,

We allow ourselves to be gifted by the story larger than the story that first hurt us and left us bereft.

At the end of life,

The wish to be forgiven is ultimately the chief desire of almost every human being.

In refusing to wait,

In extending forgiveness to others now,

To ourself now,

We begin the long journey of becoming the person who will be large enough,

Able enough,

And generous enough to receive at the very end that absolution ourselves.

Turning your attention here,

Really where the hands rest on the body,

Taking a journey through your being where you may hold tensions,

Resentments.

These resentments can be even to you,

To your own behavior,

To places you want to forgive within you.

Imagine you can wash your breath,

Cleansing it with each round,

Then take the hands outside the thighs and bring the knees in toward the chest,

Rolling little circles around the sacrum,

Right and then left,

And then bring the base of the feet to the sky.

We'll come into happy baby,

So the hands hold on to the edges of the feet,

Drawing the knees lightly down to the earth,

But at the same time a light resistance through the feet,

Rocking across the top of the sacrum.

The sacrum,

The pelvic floor,

So much of our home of safety and security.

Often when we've been wounded in some way or have wounded others,

It's from a place of lack of connection to the earth,

Of our enoughness and well-being.

And slowly placing the feet back on the earth,

And here as the feet push in,

Pick up the toes,

Spread the toes wide,

Let them land back down on the ground,

And slowly scoop the tailbone up,

Lifting the hips up all the way.

So it's a variation of Sattu Bandhasana we begin with.

Here,

Spin the palms up to the sky,

So the palms as they look up to the sky,

The thumbs spin down to the earth.

Begin making the infinity symbol with your hips,

A figure eight,

So they roll in little loops and loops,

The iliopsocral joint,

Feeling the power and the stability up through the femurs,

And yet a looseness of freedom around some of the tension we carry here.

And then keeping the hips up,

Steady them slightly,

Bring the arms,

They face up to the ceiling,

Fingertips reaching.

As they reach up,

Drop the scapula on the back,

And then from here,

Bring the thumbs all the way down to the earth over the head,

Meaning the arms are straight,

They're extending overhead now,

Reaching through the fingers,

Feet resting deep into the earth,

The hips draw a little higher to the ceiling,

Lower the arms,

And lower the hips.

We'll come up a few more times,

Inhale,

Push the feet in,

Lift the hips,

Float the arms up and overhead.

Exhale,

Arms come down,

Hips come down.

Three more,

Inhale,

Feet push in,

Hips rise up,

Arms reach overhead.

Exhale,

Arms come down,

Hips come down.

Inhale,

Exhale.

One more,

Inhale,

And exhale.

Hug the knees into the chest,

This time take the hands back behind the knees.

Here,

Rocking across your spine,

Top to bottom,

Rolling forward and back.

As you begin to build momentum,

Slowly rock yourself into Utkatasana.

Really have to build that momentum,

Push the feet into the earth,

And then float the arms up,

Utkatasana.

Here,

Floating the arms up to the sky,

Extend from sit bones through the fingertips.

As you exhale,

Hands to prayer,

Back to the heart,

Left elbow outside the right thigh in Utkatasana,

So a twisted chair.

Inhale,

Back to Utkatasana,

Arms up.

Exhale,

Change,

Right elbow outside that left thigh.

You can modify by lightening it a bit,

Forearm across the tops of the thighs if you prefer.

Inhale,

Utkatasana,

Exhale,

Change,

Left elbow outside the right thigh.

Inhale,

Exhale again,

Twisting,

Right elbow outside the left thigh.

Inhale,

Float the arms up,

One more round,

Left elbow outside that right thigh,

Empty breath out.

Inhale,

Utkatasana,

Exhale again,

Change.

Inhale,

Utkatasana,

Press down through the feet,

Stand up,

Reach all the way,

Feet up to the sky through the fingertips.

Hands then come to prayer at the third eye center,

So thumbs touching the space between the eyebrows.

Here,

Tilt the head up lightly and drink in.

Drink in the wisdom beyond the wound,

Beyond the drama.

Drink in the wisdom beyond our particular hurts or how we may have hurt,

Opening the aperture of our own seeing.

Hands to prayer at the mouth,

That we may speak,

Communicate from this wisdom.

Hands to prayer at the heart,

Returning back to our deepest center.

Hands down by the sides,

Inhale,

Float the arms up,

Reaching all the way up.

Exhale,

Fold in,

Touching down toward the shins or the earth or hands on blocks.

Inhale,

Lengthen the spine,

Exhale,

Step back,

Upper push-up.

Here,

Place the knees down,

With the knees down,

Pull the hips back toward the heels.

Then look between the hands and pull yourself through,

Bhujangasana.

You'll come to cobra here,

Hips,

Thighs,

Shins,

Tops of the feet on the earth,

Heart curls forward and up.

Exhale,

Lower in,

Curl the toes under,

Bring the hips back toward the heels,

And downward facing dog.

Slowly inhale,

Right leg up to the sky,

And downward dog.

Exhale,

Bring the right foot through,

The back knee comes down.

Inhale,

Come up,

Hands to prayer at the heart.

With the hands to prayer,

Use the exhale to curl the chin into the chest,

Pull the front ribs lightly back toward the back ribs.

Inhale,

Keep the hands in prayer,

Lift up into that prayer,

Thumbs on the sternum.

Exhale,

Scoop in,

Chin into the chest,

Pull the low belly lightly in.

Inhale,

Float the heart all the way up to the sky,

Reach and press through the crown of the head.

One more,

Exhale,

Scoop in.

Inhale,

Opening up.

From here,

Right hand goes down onto your right hip on a block or on the earth,

Left arm will swoop up and over.

For forgiveness,

We need to dig into all spaces of our being,

Meaning now the sides of the heart,

The spaces between the ribs,

The intercostals,

Opening.

Inhale,

Slowly coming back up,

Hands down,

Step back,

Upper push-up,

Knees come down,

Hips pull back to the heels.

Wash yourself through like a wave into bhujan gasana,

Into cobra.

Curl open,

Exhale,

Sliding it back,

Downward facing dog.

Inhale,

Left leg up to the sky,

Left foot through,

Right knee down,

Anjani asana,

Hands of prayer,

Same.

Inhale here,

Lengthen through the crown,

Exhale,

We scoop in,

Chin draws in,

Belly draws in.

Inhale,

Open up,

Reach up into the hands in prayer,

So really the heart pulls into that prayer.

Exhale,

Curl in,

Inhale,

Reach up,

Exhale,

Curl in,

Inhale,

Reach up,

Lifting through the collarbones.

Left hand comes down on the hip,

A block or the earth,

Right arm extends up and over.

Breath,

Washing through the side body.

Slowly inhale,

Come back up,

Hands come down,

Step back,

Plank,

Upper push-up,

Knees come down,

Hips back toward the heels,

Wash yourself through.

Give the heart its opening space,

Side,

Back,

And front.

Exhale,

Lower down,

Hips back toward the heels,

Downward facing dog.

Inhale,

Right leg slowly up to the sky,

Bring the right foot through between the hands,

Keeping that back knee up this time.

Inhale,

Float the arms up,

Pull the hands down to prayer,

Thumbs touching in on the sternum,

Curl in,

Chin into the chest.

Now,

Inhale,

Open the arms out wide to the side.

You come in back to the safety of your heart and then you expand out.

Inhale,

Float the arms up to the sky,

Once again,

Hands pulled to prayer at the heart.

Exhale,

Empty the breath,

Chin into the chest,

Belly back to the spine.

Inhale,

Expand out,

Reaching out.

Exhale here,

Keep the extension through the fingertips,

Then inhale,

Float the arms up.

One more,

Exhale,

It comes in.

From that safety of your own heart,

Inhale,

Expanding out.

Stay here,

Palms open to the sky,

Crescent lunge with the palms up,

Spanning the heart up.

Lean forward,

Body leans forward,

Parallel to the earth.

Now,

Lean the weight into that right leg,

Balance up,

Virabhadrasana 3.

So,

Warrior 3,

Pausing here,

From crown through that left foot,

Deep into the right foot.

Bend the right knee,

Step the left foot back.

Inhale,

Float the arms up.

Right hand will hold on to that left wrist.

Give a little lengthening through the left side of the body by pulling the left fingertips toward the right.

Come back through center,

Hands to prayer,

Left elbow outside the right thigh.

So,

We'll find this twist.

If you need to modify,

You can bring the back knee down or soften the twist with the left hand inside the right foot,

If you prefer.

This twisting,

This wringing out,

This clearing,

This cleansing.

Three more breaths here.

Hands come down,

Step back,

Upper push-up,

Knees down,

Hips back toward the heels,

Pull yourself through,

Bhujangasana.

Exhale,

Lower down,

Hips back toward the heels,

Downward facing dog.

Wrap the breath all the way around the heart,

The back,

The sides,

The front.

Push deeper into the earth through the fingers so you can free up any tension around the heart.

Left leg up to the sky.

Bring the left foot through.

Crescent lunge again.

Inhale,

Float the arms up.

Extending through the fingers and then hands to prayer,

Pull the hands to the heart.

Chin into the chest.

Open the back body back behind you.

Open them out to the sides,

Arms extending out,

Extending out,

Extending out as you inhale.

Pause,

Exhale here,

That extension.

Inhale,

Float the arms up.

Exhale,

They come back toward the heart.

Pausing here,

Chin in.

Inhale,

Extend out.

Exhale,

Pause here.

Inhale,

Floats it up.

Last one,

Exhale,

It draws in.

Open the back body.

This is the infinite vision.

Inhale,

Float the arms out wide to the sides.

Spin the palms up and the thumbs lightly back.

Curl up through the heart.

Here,

We'll lean forward.

We'll take flight,

Floating onto that left leg.

Virabhadrasana three.

The Virabhadra,

This great,

Fierce warrior that comes and sets things straight.

His form of forgiveness is pretty fierce,

But as we fly and as we take this journey deep into forgiveness,

We need to cultivate our own sense of fierceness,

Our willingness to step toward discomfort.

Doesn't mean we agree with at all what happened or what we may have done or anything that is associated with this forgiveness.

Stepping back,

Crescent lunge,

Float the arms up.

Left hand holds the right wrist.

Lengthen,

Stretch across the right side of the body.

Keep the left side long as well,

But we move toward it.

We don't run away anymore.

This is the only path toward full and complete forgiveness.

Come back to neutral,

Hands to prayer.

Find the twist here,

Right elbow outside that left thigh.

Releasing it,

Hands down,

Step back,

Upper push-up,

Knees down,

Hips back toward the heels,

Wash it through,

Bhujangasana,

And exhale,

Draw it back.

Downward-facing dog.

Here,

Right leg up to the sky,

Bring the right foot through between the hands.

We'll step that left foot in a few inches and fold over the right leg.

A variation of Pravottanasana.

Root through the hands,

Lengthen the spine,

Draw the right hip back.

Here,

Left hand can come onto a block on the top of the right foot or outside the right foot.

Take the right hand on the sacrum.

Once we create stability here,

Then open that right shoulder,

Possibly reaching the right fingertips up to the sky.

Slowly bringing the hands down,

Downward-facing dog,

Right leg up to the sky.

Bend the right knee and open the right hip,

That sweetness,

That nectar all along the side body.

Supported by both fingertips,

All of your hands reaching deep into the earth.

Right leg up to the sky,

Right foot down,

Left leg up to the sky.

Bring the left foot through,

Fold over that left leg as you walk the right toes in a few inches.

Inhale,

Lengthen,

Exhale,

Set it up for a twist.

Right hand roots in wherever it can find that deep root.

Left hand on the sacrum,

Lengthen the sacrum away from the crown of the head.

Then,

If you'd like,

Take the left arm up to the sky.

Let the heart fly wide open,

Even in the face of discomforts,

It opens.

We step into it courageously,

Slowly releasing it down.

One last vinyasa,

Knees down,

Hips back toward the heels,

Pull yourself through.

Bhujangasana,

Heart wide and open,

And then slowly bringing it back,

Left leg up to the sky.

Bend the knee and open the hip,

Both hands root down as you open that left side.

Left leg back to the sky,

Lower the left foot down,

Knees open wide,

And we'll come into extended child's pose.

Bring the hips back,

Setting on the heels,

Forehead down near or on the earth.

In this variation,

Bring the hands to prayer,

And then bring that prayer up to the sky.

Here you can even bend the elbows and bring the prayer back behind the head.

This is our past,

Represents what has happened.

One of the only ways to arrive fully into this moment is to clean up our path behind us,

Through practices of forgiveness,

Through our own honesty and healing.

So whatever it is that you're willing to walk in toward,

Any resentment,

Again it could be toward yourself,

Your acts,

Could be toward someone else,

Small or very big.

Here,

Slowly sitting up on the heels,

Palms on the knees or the thighs,

Eyes closed.

Feel a resting across the top of the shoulders,

Broadening through the back,

Lifting and expanding through the front around the heart.

Right hand on the heart,

Left hand on the low belly,

Closing the eyes here,

Returning back into our center space,

Appreciating ourself for all the work we've done to heal as much as possible,

To become clean in our way of responding,

The way of our participation in the world.

The hands in prayer,

This deep Aum,

This Namaste to our own internal light,

And from here bowing from my own internal recognition to yours.

Aum,

Namaste.

Lohka Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu.

Reviews

Skillfully guided and deeply healing ❤️‍🩹
This is a profound practice 🤍🕊️
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