FORGIVENESS MEDITATION

Hello and welcome to this forgiveness meditation. Make sure that you're sitting or laying comfortably, feet uncrossed, legs uncrossed, arms uncrossed, hands resting gently in your lap. If you're chilly, cover yourself with a blanket. Spine nice and straight, shoulders dropped. And just focus on your breathing and take some big breaths in and out. Breathing in through your nose all the way down to your belly, and when you breathe out, it's like you're blowing out the candles on your birthday cake. Feel the rise and fall of your chest and let your body fully relax with each breath out. Become aware of the energy of your body as you breathe. Let yourself relax further and further out. Close your eyes. And take in a deep cleansing breath, filling your lungs to their fullest capacity like they're like balloons. Then release the breath through your mouth and push all the air out of your body. Breathing in through your nose, imagining a white light from the universe coming into your lungs And collecting at your solar plexus where your belly button is. And again, deep breath in through the nose. Imagine a white light from the universe coming into your lungs, collecting at your solar plexus just below your belly button. And again, one more time, deep breath in through the nose. With the white light coming into your lungs and collecting at your solar plexus. And imagine all the stress, anxiety, and negativity that you have leaving your body, carried out to the universe like a grey smoke, where it can be dissipated and no longer do harm To anyone. And as you breathe out, imagine the events of the day or your week floating out of your body. Put these worries aside and begin to relax your entire body and mind. Feel the tension in your muscles begin to subside. Begin at your solar plexus and imagine the white light Moving up and down your body from this point just beneath your belly button. Imagine the warmth of the energy as it passes through your muscles and organs. Feel the tingling sensations as the light moves down to your toes up your body to the top of your head, and imagine your entire body engulfed by this beautiful white divine light from the inside out. And breathe gently now into the area of your heart space. Let yourself feel all the barriers that you have erected and the emotions that you have carried because you have not forgiven, not forgiven yourself, not forgiven others. Forgiveness does not mean forgetting or condoning the suffering caused by others or yourself. You can do everything in your power to To prevent more harm. Forgiveness is the release of any bitterness and hatred in your own heart so you are free to move on. Let yourself feel the pain of keeping your heart closed, then breathing softly, begin asking And extending forgiveness. Just allow images and feelings that come up to be there. We will start by asking forgiveness of others, and you may say in your mind after me. There are many ways that I have hurt and harmed others, have betrayed or abandoned them, caused them suffering knowingly or unknowingly. Out of my pain, fear, anger, and confusion. To yourself, feel the pain you have caused out of your own fear and confusion. Feel your own sorrow and regret. Sense that finally you can release this burden and ask for forgiveness. Picture each memory that still burdens your heart. And then to each person in your mind, just say, I ask for your forgiveness. I ask for your forgiveness. And now we will focus on offering forgiveness to yourself, and you can repeat after me in your mind. There are many ways that I have hurt and harmed myself. I have betrayed or abandoned myself. Many times through thought, word, or deed, knowingly and unknowingly. Allow yourself to feel your own precious body and your life. Let yourself see the ways you have hurt or harmed yourself. Picture them, remember them, feel the sorrow you have carried from this, and sense that you can release these burdens. Extend forgiveness for each of them one by one and repeat to yourself after me. For the ways I have hurt myself through action or inaction, out of fear, pain, and confusion, I now extend a full and heartfelt Forgiveness. I forgive myself. I forgive myself. And now offering forgiveness to those who have hurt or harmed you, and you may repeat the following. After me. There are many ways that I have been harmed by others, abused or abandoned, knowingly or unknowingly, in thought, word, or deed. Let yourself picture and remember these many ways. Feel the sorrow you have carried from this past and sense that you can release this burden of pain by extending forgiveness and Whenever your heart is ready. Now repeat after me. I now remember the many ways others have hurt or harmed me. Wounded me out of fear, pain, confusion, and anger. I have carried this pain in my heart too long to the extent That I am ready, I offer them forgiveness. To those who have caused me harm, I offer my forgiveness. I forgive you. Just allow yourself to repeat these words for forgiveness until you feel a release in your heart. For some great pains, you may not feel a release. But only the burden and the anguish or anger you have held. Touch this softly. Be forgiving of yourself for not being ready to let go and move on. Forgiveness can't be forced, it can't be artificial. Simply continue the practice of listening to this meditation and let the words and images work gradually in their own way. In time, you can make the forgiveness meditation a regular part of your life, letting go of the past and opening your heart to each new moment with a wise loving kindness. And now focus on your breathing once more, taking in a nice big breath in and breathing out. Becoming aware of your feet and giving your toes a wake-up wriggle, becoming aware of your hands and Waking up your fingers. And when you're ready, open your eyes and fix on something in the space where you are and allow yourself to come back gently into that space.