We begin by breathing,
Allowing the breath to anchor us in to the truth of our being,
To that place within our consciousness,
Within our very cellular structure,
That place where there is serenity,
Calm,
Peace,
That place that resonates with the divine and holy Aum.
We breathe and open into this space for today's meditation around the subject of forgiveness.
Breathe.
We breathe and surrender the idea that forgiveness means we accept any harm that may have been done to us.
We breathe.
We breathe because forgiveness is not allowing or accepting harm.
We breathe.
Forgiveness is not giving the person or persons a free pass.
We breathe.
Forgiveness is setting our own selves free.
Forgiveness is healing our own gifts.
Breathe.
And as we continue to breathe,
Let this example wash over you.
If someone is bitten by a poisonous snake and the venom is circulating through the person's body,
Does it matter what happens to the snake?
If the person in anger and rage were to kill the snake,
Does that change where the venom is currently circulating?
Does that change what the venom is doing to the body in which the venom is circulating?
Forgiveness has nothing to do with the snake.
Forgiveness is eliminating the venom from our own bodies.
Breathe.
We breathe recognizing that forgiveness need not specifically be directed towards another.
Forgiveness can be directed towards our own selves.
Forgiving ourselves for any errors we have made.
Forgiving ourselves for any judgments,
Self-criticisms,
Anything that may have happened in our lives that we have deemed to be our own fault or the fault of another.
We forgive.
We set ourselves free.
Imagine for a moment that with each new experience,
Harm,
There is a brick that is being added to a backpack.
With each thing that someone said that hurt us,
We carry it.
Each thing that someone did,
We carry it.
Each thing we perceived that was done,
We carry it.
Forgiveness is unloading the weight,
The burden,
The heaviness of the backpack.
Forgiveness is setting our own selves free.
Breathe.
Breathe and expand your awareness to identify who right now are you unwilling to forgive and what is it that you are refusing to release about that person and what they have done or what you perceived they have done.
Are you willing to set yourself free?
And it's easy to perceive and say,
I don't care.
And to think that means freedom.
To think that means liberation.
And yet it does not.
We are still oftentimes emotionally invested even in the I don't care.
We're invested.
In the I have burned that bridge.
We are invested.
And if we are honest,
Breathe.
If we are honest with ourselves,
It is easy to recognize and identify that we are still carrying.
We are still carrying those bricks.
We are still allowing the venom to circulate the system,
The body of our lives.
Breathe.
And with the next few deep inhalations and exhalations not forced,
Simply being present,
We allow ourselves the space to say,
I am willing to forgive.
I'm willing to release.
I am willing to surrender.
I am willing to be free.
Breathe.
And one of those words that I said oftentimes causes us to resist.
Because we perceive surrendering to be a quote unquote negative trait,
Quality,
Or energy.
And yet when we inhale and that breath is done,
We surrender the breath in the exhale.
We do not hoard it.
We surrender it.
We don't even force the breath out.
We simply surrender.
We release into the natural flow of this thing called respiration.
We surrender the breath.
So in this moment,
With this breath,
We also are afforded the opportunity to surrender the weight,
To surrender the venom,
To surrender the investment,
And to forgive,
To be free.
And any time throughout the day where we feel the stress,
The tension,
The anxiety,
The worry,
The fear caused by any number of things,
Someone who cuts us off in traffic,
Some news report,
A text from a loved one,
The memory of some past event,
Whatever it is,
By being aware of our thoughts and being aware of our emotions and being aware of our physical sensations in our body temple,
We are able to identify now is the time to forgive.
Now is the time to release.
Now is the time to surrender.
Now is the time to be free.
Breathe and be free and allow the energy of compassion and love to flood your life.
Breathe and allow joy and passion to flood your life.
Breathe and be free.
And so it is.
