Forgiveness: The Ultimate Liberation
Imagine a world where no one is broken, everyone tells the truth, no one uses power to control others, all forms of abuse are non-existent and we all live in peace, harmony, and love. What a wonderful world this would be. Unfortunately, this is not the case and too many of us suffer at the hands of others, including and especially those who claim to love and care for us. Or maybe, you yourself have been the perpetrator and caused others to suffer. Or maybe you have been the cause of your own personal suffering and self-sabotage. What I know is that none of us are making it out unscathed as this suffering is just part of the human experience. If you have caused suffering to yourself or others then you experience guilt and shame and if you are the victim then you most likely experience anger and resentment. We have all been both so the chances of experiencing any and all of these emotions are guaranteed. It is my personal belief that all inflicted pain and suffering comes from an unconscious place within and the only way to set ourselves free is compassion and forgiveness.
So what exactly is forgiveness?
THE SIMPLE MERRIAM WEBSTER DEFINITION OF FORGIVENESS IS; THE ACTION OR PROCESS OF FORGIVING OR BEING FORGIVEN.
Forgiveness is about goodness, about extending mercy to those who have harmed us, even if they don’t “deserve” it. It is not about finding excuses for the offending person’s behavior or pretending it didn’t happen. Nor is there a quick formula you can follow. Forgiveness is a process with many steps that often proceeds in a nonlinear fashion.
TO DO ANYTHING CONSCIOUSLY WE HAVE TO BE AWARE OF IT IN THE FIRST PLACE AND ONE WAY TO CULTIVATE AWARENESS IS ACCEPTANCE.
Acceptance is the bridge from unconsciousness to consciousness and our physical bodies move from a contracted state into a more expanded state.
In essence, acceptance is where transformation begins.
These negative emotions cause sensations in our bodies that are very uncomfortable and most often painful.
They will stay with you until your physical body actually releases them. You can experience outbursts of anger, anxiety, nervousness, chest tightness, frustration, unworthiness, isolation, and the list goes on. We can survive and often even thrive in these states but eventually, sickness of spirit, mind, and body invades us and the time comes to make a choice. Everyone has their breaking point and we either choose to stay in the pain or to let go of the pain. It all boils down to a simple choice.
FORGIVENESS IS THE CONSCIOUS CHOICE TO RELEASE AND LET GO OF ALL THE ANGER AND RESENTMENTS WE HAVE BEEN HOLDING ONTO FROM THE PAST SO THAT WE CAN BECOME WHO WE REALLY ARE, AT THE CORE - WE RETURN HOME TO LOVE.
This process of forgiveness contains many layers of healing and my personal journey has been one of a great transformation. My ultimate prayer to the world is that everyone experiences this deep inner peace and it is a joy and a duty to share these different modalities and rituals with you.
Journaling & Meditation
Forgiveness can be best understood when we experience being forgiven. Think of a time or times where someone chose to forgive you for something you did or said to cause them harm and carve out some to reflect, bringing pen to paper. Invite deep self-reflection and self-expression into your day while creating an open-hearted space of discovery. Take a pause from the busyness of life and dive deeply into the roots of our experience making this a meditative experience. When we put our thoughts to paper, we are able to clear our minds and gain perspective on any given situation.
Fire Ceremony
This is a powerful and transformative ritual used as a way to release the past, negativity, or pain. During a burning ceremony, fire is portrayed as a powerful symbol of wisdom, knowledge, passion and purification. This clears space mentally (and sometimes physically), symbolically leaving behind the stories, relationships or dreams you’ve outgrown.
Yoga
Our emotions are energy in motion and what better way to release negative energy than movement. A yoga practice is a spiritual development comprised of many different asanas that penetrate through places in the subtle body that are blocked with unresolved issues and energy. Anytime you work with the body, you are also working with the mind and the energy system -which is the bridge between body and mind. The practice of yoga offers this integration into wholeness and balance.
Ho’oponopono -
This is an extremely powerful healing practice of forgiveness and reconciliation whereby one repeats the words “ I’m sorry, please forgive me, thank you. I love you.” It’s considered a form of mental and spiritual cleansing that you use daily like taking a shower or removing your makeup. It clears out the negative energy accumulated and removes any bad feelings towards yourself or others. Ho’oponopono is made up of four parts:
~ admitting responsibility, “ I’m sorry”
~ asking for forgiveness, “please forgive me”
~ Expressing gratitude, “ Thank you.”
~ Giving love, “ I love you.”
It really doesn’t matter who you are saying these things to. It is a connection between you, your inner being and the Divine.
Acceptance
True acceptance is one of the most powerful and life-changing practices you can choose for your life journey. It means to be in the embrace of what is without any resistance whatsoever. This energy transmutes and transmits all lower vibrational energies into an expanded state creating a sense of calm and peace within. With acceptance, we are able to soften and become ever so gentle with ourselves and others making forgiveness much more accessible.
The medicine of forgiveness is so powerful for moving forward into your new sense of completion and wholeness. Forgive yourself, forgive others, and forgive life itself.