Try this practice once a day and feel your forgiveness muscles grow!
Think of someone who has caused you pain (to start, maybe not the person who has hurt you most) and whom you’re holding a grudge against. Visualize the time you were hurt by this person and feel the pain you still carry.
Hold tightly to your unwillingness to forgive. Now, observe what emotion is present. Is it anger, resentment, sadness? Use your body as a barometer and notice physically what you feel. Are you tense anywhere, or do you feel heavy? Next, bring awareness to your thoughts; are they hateful, spiteful, or something else?
Really feel this burden associated with the hurt that lives inside you, and ask yourself:
“Who is suffering?
Have I carried this burden long enough?
Am I willing to forgive?”
If the answer is no, that’s OK. Some wounds need more time than others to heal.
If you are ready to let it go now, silently repeat: “Breathing in, I acknowledge the pain. Breathing out, I am forgiving and releasing this burden from my heart and mind.”
Continue this process for as long as it feels supportive to you.