"the resentments I carry energetically block my happiness. I release my resentments and set myself free"
I love the above quote from gabby bernstein. I think what I love most about it is that I have so much experience with this!
Many times in my life things happened that caused me to re-evaluate my relationships with those around me. I began to carry the heavy burden of anger, resentment and grudges towards people and situations that I felt I had no control over and were causing me pain. No matter how hard I tried to let these emotions go, something would come up again to make all of these feelings resurface. Before I knew it, holding onto anger about certain situations was becoming my full-time job.
Forgiveness is something I used to see as a weakness. I used to believe that if I forgave someone, I was allowing them to continue to hurt me. I saw it as an external practice. I thought if I offerered forgiveness, that meant I accepted the way I was being treated and accepted that person or situation. It took me a long time to see the power of forgiveness. It is the exact opposite of what I used to believe it to be. Forgiveness is one of the most powerful things you can do for YOURSELF.
This continues to be a daily practice for me and one I do truly for myself. I forgive and let go of resentments because it frees me. I let go of grudges so I can continue to grow into my truest self and not let other people's crap hold me back. And the forgiveness I offer releases much of my anxiety and stresses. It's definitely not an easy practice, but it's one I truly believe in as being key to eliminating anxiety and stress and allowing you to feel the freedom you deserve.
I wanted to share with you my Forgiveness Meditation
-sit up tall in a comfortable position, rest your hands on your knees with palms down (for grounding energy)
-begin to breathe deeply into your belly through your nose
-after you settle into a deep and calming breath, close your eyes and begin to visualize the person or situation that you're struggling with offering forgivness to
-breathe in and acknowledge the experience, accept the feelings and emotions that come up
-exhale and release them with intention and purpose
here's a mantra to use during this practice:
-INHALE: i accept you/this situation and i understand the resentments i feel no longer serve me
-EXHALE: i let you/this situation go, and with that i also let go of my anger/frustration/hurt (whichever emotion is most powerful for you and is holding you back)
INHALE: i offer forgiveness to both you/this situation and to myself
EXHALE: i release resentments and replace them with love
don't worry if you're not a meditation maven, just do what feels naturally! remember, this is a practice for YOU. we forgive others to set ourselves free.
xo, b