Forgiveness
It is global forgiveness day on the 7th of July. Forgiveness is not actually a mindfulness attitude but it is an important part of mindfulness. Not forgiving means holding onto negative emotions like anger and resentment. This can lead to physical symptoms like anxiety, high blood pressure and depression.
Finding the path of forgiveness can be challenging. If you find it difficult you can talk to others, write it down or speak to professional. Carrying the burden of pain and resentment costs much more than forgiveness.
Forgiveness doesn’t always mean reconciliation. The giver and receiver may never repair their relationship, but forgiveness allows them to be moved on to a more peaceful place in their lives.
Mindfulness reminds us we are not the same as the feelings we process in a given situation, nor is the person we have harmed or who has harmed us.
Forgiveness does not condone or justify harmful actions, it can be a chance to say ‘I will not let this happen again’. It is the processes many stages and it takes time.
The purpose of meditation is to train as in the ability to remain present in our everyday lives. But as many of us know it is not as easy as it sounds. Especially if we are plagued by feelings of resentment and guilt. These emotions keep us rooted in the past. Dwelling on things that can be undone or unsaid keeps us in a cycle of suffering. We can use these emotions as signals to forgive ourselves or others. We can turn it into an opportunity of learning rather than something to beat ourselves up over.
Meditation teaches us we are all human, we all make mistakes, which can free ourselves from guilt and regret and be more engaged with the present not the past. To forgive is to choose to live life as it is not how we wish it could be.
In this weeks classes we will practice forgiveness of ourselves and others in our meditation.