Three Layers Of Forgiveness

Forgiveness takes courage — real courage — and this meditation comes from what I’ve learned through teachers Jack Kornfield and Bhante Vimalaramsi. The practice is simple. You repeat a few phrases, place a hand on your heart, and let yourself touch the places that still feel tight. You’re not erasing the actual memory, but softening the pain that you've been holding. You’re noticing what you’ve been carrying and giving it a chance to loosen.

We’ve all hurt others, and we’ve all been hurt. We’ve all kept old pain alive in ways we didn’t mean to. And we also have the capacity to meet that pain with warmth. Often, what we call “lack of joy” or “lack of love” is really just unresolved hurt that hasn’t been given any air. Rumi said the work isn't to find love, but to look at the barriers we've built that stop us from feeling love.

This practice has helped me soften those barriers in my own life. I hope it meets you in a helpful way.