Healing Yourself with Forgiveness

You stand with your legs apart and knees slightly bent, picturing roots from your feet into the ground. Then a gentle shaking starts at your feet and travels up through your legs, hands, shoulders, neck and head, as if wind were moving a tree. The idea is to shake worries and tension down into the earth before you sit or lie down to breathe.

Once you are seated or lying down, you breathe in for a count of four, hold for one and breathe out for four. You send the breath into your belly, then draw it in through the crown of your head to spread through the body. It prepares you for the forgiveness work.

It is the central image: a bright, dancing fire in the middle of an arena of light that gives off no heat. You and the other souls stand around it. Each hurt you release leaves your heart as a small transparent balloon, drifts into the flame and turns into sparkling lights.

You begin with yourself, repeating that you forgive yourself for causing pain, discomfort or negativity to yourself and others. Next you turn to a person or event that hurt you and say, 'I forgive you for causing me pain,' and 'I forgive you for not understanding.' Both rounds ask what you learned and whether you see the situation differently.

The guidance is to let whatever arises be there without judgment, such as regret, anger, irritation or sadness, and not to add to it. You notice where you feel it, use your breath to expand and ground it, and let it move in and out. If a part feels uncomfortable, the track says that is all right.

After the forgiveness rounds you repeat, 'I am a vessel of love, I am a vessel of abundance, I am a vessel of joy, I am a vessel of light.' You feel the words vibrating in your heart, then send that warmth out to loved ones, your community and the earth. A closing round of thank-yous brings you back to the room.