Okay,
Let's take a right hand toll,
Alright?
Beginning this practice by taking your awareness to your posture.
Noticing the sensations of contact between the body and the surfaces supporting you.
Connecting with that sense of the weight of the body sinking down.
And allowing yourself to feel supported.
So acknowledging whatever is here right now in your experience.
Thoughts in the mind.
Feel feelings or emotions.
And sensations throughout the body.
Opening to our experience with kindness and interest.
Meeting things just as they are.
Letting go of wanting things to be different.
And now gathering your attention and focusing on the breath.
Following the sensations of breathing as the air enters and leaves the body.
Seeing if it's possible to access the breath sensations down in the belly.
Feeling the abdominal wall gently expand as we inhale.
And fall back as we exhale.
Inviting the breath to support and steady us with its soothing rhythm.
In this practice you can explore your willingness to ask forgiveness from a person.
From a person you have hurt,
Harmed or wronged in some way.
In real life this can be very hard.
Sorry seems to be the hardest word.
Has become a classical song.
But you do not need to feel ready to ask for forgiveness in real life yet.
You can start doing this in your imagination.
Whether the person concerned is inclined to grant forgiveness is not important for this practice.
All you are doing is opening the way to reconciliation with this person from your side.
Of course it is hard to ask forgiveness if you are unable to forgive yourself.
So now bringing the situation to mind.
In which you hurt the other person.
Maybe mentally or emotionally or through behaviour and actions.
Imagine the situation in as much detail as your memory allows.
Focusing all the senses.
And particularly focusing on the pain or disappointment you may have caused the other person.
Imagining you are feeling what he or she felt.
Bringing the situation to mind and imagining you are feeling what the other person felt.
And now seeing if you feel the space to forgive yourself first.
And then imagine looking this other person in the eyes.
You can softly whisper their name followed by words like.
.
.
I understand I caused you pain and feel sorry for what I did.
Unfortunately I cannot change the past but I value our relationship and wish we may live in harmony now and in the future.
May you at some stage forgive me.
May we live in peace.
Allowing the words to flow with the breath.
Noticing the effects as you repeat these words asking for forgiveness.
Imagining looking at this other person in the eyes perhaps whispering their name.
I understand I caused you pain and feel sorry for what I did.
I cannot change the past but I value our relationship and wish we may live in harmony now and in the future.
May you at some stage forgive me.
May we live in peace.
May we live in peace.
And if you'd like to instead of working with words you can practice compassionate breathing.
Imagine breathing in the pain you have caused the other person.
Allowing it to transform in your heart into a healing,
Consoling,
Comforting quality which you breathe out towards that person.
If it supports the practice adding in the movements of the hands,
Drawing the pain of this other person in towards your heart as you breathe in.
Allowing it to be transformed and offering these healing,
Comforting qualities as you breathe out.
Offering them back to this person with your hands.
That's all.
Noticing the effects of the practice Allowing all experiences to be welcomed and acknowledged And when you're ready,
Letting go of this image of the other person in front of you Coming back to your body and your breath,
The contact of the body against the surfaces supporting you The soothing rhythm of the breath anchoring yourself in the present once more Opening the awareness to sounds in the room and outside the room The sound of the bell The sound of the bell
