Take a position that supports awareness.
And begin to experience the body and the breath settling.
Feeling your body and the earth body holding you.
Bringing awareness to the breath moving through your body.
Air moving in.
Air moving through.
Are moving out.
Feel the sensations of air breathing you.
Take a few moments to soften and rest in the presence of earth and air,
The body and the breath,
Always with you.
Always bringing you into presence.
In this meditation,
We practice forgiving someone who has harmed us.
As we continue to practice forgiveness,
Perhaps more challenging is forgiving someone who has harmed us through acts of racial ignorance,
Innocence,
Or ill will.
So for this practice.
Select someone.
That you're willing to forgive.
This person could be someone who was trying to protect you,
But they weren't very skillful at it.
Or someone who actively hated and harmed you just because of how you look or the color of your skin.
Or maybe the racial harm was more vacant or subtle,
A situation or an environment where you felt things were off but no one talked about it.
Or you were harmed or violated by someone for speaking the truth.
Are challenging racial injustice.
Take your time as you bring this person to mind.
And experience this recollection inside the body,
Inside the mind,
Inside the heart as the sensations move through you.
Breathing in.
And breathing out.
Feel your good-heartedness and your strength.
Imagine taking yourself into your own arms.
Allow your own goodness to be your stabilizer,
To be your comfort.
Know that all beings just like you want warmth,
Safety,
And kindness despite appearances.
And as I read these phrases,
Allow them to soften,
Open,
And connect you to your kinship with this person.
Allowing yourself to take a couple of breaths here as I read these phrases.
You hurt me deeply.
And I am of the nature to be heard.
And to heal.
May you be safe from inner and outer harm.
May your anguish and hatred be healed.
May your feelings once again live in you.
I offer forgiveness.
I forgive you for harming me.
I forgive you in order to know freedom in mind,
Body,
And heart.
May I accept you.
As you are.
I let go to know freedom here and now.
And if I can't let go,
If I can't forgive you at this time,
May I forgive you at some time in the future.
It is my deep wish to forgive.
Continue to practice in this way.
Notice the quality of heart and mind that is present.
Notice the movement.
Between the heart opening and closing and welcome both the resistance and its release as it is experienced in the body.
Repeat the phrases slowly,
Quietly.
Feel the phrases as they land in the body and the heart.
And you may even create your own phrases or just simply rest in silence.
I'm going to take your time here.
Life becomes easier when you learn to accept an apology you never received.
Savor whatever silence,
Stillness,
And solace that is here and now.
