Welcome,
And I hope that each one of you will come to find peace within yourself.
Today I want to talk a little bit about forgiveness,
And this meditation is based on a live session I did recently,
So if you missed that session,
This is the meditation you're looking for.
Forgiveness is a complex and deeply personal process.
It's about letting go of resentment and the hold that past wrongs have on you.
And it's also multifaceted,
Because there's the forgiveness we extend to others who have wronged us,
But then there's also the forgiveness that we extend to ourselves.
And forgiving doesn't mean forgetting or excusing what's happened.
It's more about freeing yourself from the emotional burden of holding on to these feelings.
Forgiveness requires a lot of strength and empathy,
Both for yourself and for others.
And in thinking about it,
I thought about some of my recent live sessions on self-acceptance,
On letting go,
On being our authentic self,
And about healing.
And in a way,
Forgiveness is just another way to be kind to yourself.
It's also a way of letting go,
Letting go of the past and past wrongs.
It's also a way of accepting yourself just as you are,
Flaws and all.
It's a path to healing.
Forgiveness can lead to a sense of peace and closure.
It's a step towards healing and moving forward.
But it's not something you should rush or force.
Everyone's journey to forgiveness is different,
And it's okay if it takes time.
Close your eyes now,
And let's start to get in touch with our breath.
It doesn't matter if you're sitting,
Standing,
Lying down,
Or kicked back in your favorite recliner.
The only thing that matters when you meditate is that you're comfortable and alert.
So as we begin to settle in,
Let's begin to relax.
We're just breathing,
Breathing at your own pace.
Don't force anything,
Just breathing in and breathing out,
One breath at a time.
Relax your face,
Unfurl your brow,
And unclench your jaw.
Relax your neck,
And relax your shoulders.
Relax your arms and your hands.
Look for any tension in your chest or belly,
And relax your legs and your feet.
And as you begin to relax,
Let's focus even more on our breath.
Our breath is our anchor.
It's there for us in all moments.
It's there for us when we're calm,
And it's there for us when we're upset.
The Buddha said,
Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else.
You are the one that gets burned.
Now I'm going to pause here for a moment,
And just let you breathe and think,
And I'll be back in a minute.
Author Harriet Beecher Stowe said,
The bitterest tears shed over graves are for words left unsaid and deeds left undone.
Powerful words.
Now for just a moment,
I'd like you to alter your breathing,
So that you'll inhale through your nose,
Hold for a count of four,
And then exhale through your mouth.
This will help even relax your body even more.
We're just going to do four cycles,
As this breathing pattern helps relax you.
So if you get ready,
I'll count and you breathe.
All right,
Breathe in,
Hold,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Exhale through your mouth,
Breathe in,
Hold,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Exhale,
Inhale,
Hold,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Exhale,
And last time,
Breathe in,
Hold,
Two,
Three,
Four,
And exhale.
Now as you keep breathing at your normal pace,
Try to feel a connection between your body and whatever surface you're resting on.
You can imagine roots growing from your body into the earth,
Grounding you,
Making you stable.
And it always helps to set an intention,
Set an intention for yourself.
You can silently say,
I am here to release and forgive.
I am open to healing.
Now as you continue to breathe,
I'd like you to visualize a safe place.
Visualize yourself in a serene,
Peaceful place.
It could be a forest.
It could be a beach.
It could be a mountaintop.
It could be any place,
Real or imagined.
And just spend a few moments here in this place that you find safe and relaxing,
And soak in the tranquility.
Just breathe and think in this safe place,
And I'll be back in a minute.
Now,
Here in your safe space,
Try to gently bring to mind the person or situation that you need to forgive,
And allow any emotions that arise to surface,
And just acknowledge them without judgment.
And now imagine a warm golden light radiating from your heart,
And envision this light enveloping you in a cocoon of compassion and warmth.
The golden light spreads till it covers you from your head to your feet.
And in this moment,
Try to gradually extend this light to the person or situation,
Sending them compassion.
Now if you feel like you'd want to do it,
You can repeat the following affirmations out loud or to yourself.
I'll say each one twice.
I release the past and embrace the present.
I release the past and embrace the present.
I am free from the burden of resentment.
I am free from the burden of resentment.
Now picture the emotions and memories tied to this person or situation,
And imagine them like leaves on a river,
Just floating on your river.
And now watch as the current of the river carries those things gently downstream,
Carrying them away,
Allowing them to drift out of your life.
Now as we come to a close,
Open your eyes and come back into the room.
Wiggle your fingers and toes and stretch,
And feel how good it is to be alive,
How good it is to be in this moment.
This is the only moment that counts.
And when you forgive others or you forgive yourself,
You free yourself.
You free yourself to be more open,
More kind,
More caring.
It's a burden that you relieve yourself of.
I hope this has been a beneficial and calming session.
Forgiveness is hard and sometimes it takes time,
But I know that each of you can do it.
Till next time.
