Lesson 10: Forgiveness Experience I: The Self Forgiveness Exercise: A Personality Problem
Forgive Yourself and Start Fresh
by Mary Hayes Grieco
Lesson 10: Forgiveness Experience I: The Self Forgiveness Exercise: A Personality Problem
OK! Let’s do this.
Settle into your private space. Make sure you won’t be interrupted. Turn your phone off. Have tissues and a journal/notebook handy for insights.
If you want to, review the written Self Forgiveness exercise – see below
Visualize a circle of light around your room, delineating sacred time and sacred space.
Say a prayer to your spiritual Source, invoking help and loving attention from a higher level.
Enter in! Play this audio of the guided Self Forgiveness Exercise. Just follow the process, and take time to “pause” the audio when you need more time to speak in detail, and/or have a good cry.
If you start crying, go for it! Cry deeper, longer, if you can. This release will help your healing process.
Let me guide you in the Self Forgiveness Exercise (13:15)>>
When you’re through, take some time to integrate what just happened.
A short rest, some journaling, some quiet time in Nature – are all good.
Steps of Self-Forgiveness
Prepare yourself: Sit on the floor or a chair, and align your will to make a change. Decide to stop carry this issue against yourself, and declare this aloud.
Imagine your Soul/Higher Self above you, listening compassionately and waiting to grant you the relief of self-forgiveness. Imagine it dwelling within a vast and eternal field of Light, but specifically aware of you and your needs – your personal advocate and guide. (Feel free to adapt this image to a different version of the Higher Power that works for you.)
Talk out your problem in detail with your Soul/Higher Self like you would with a trusted friend or advisor. Remember, there is nothing you can say or do that is unforgivable. Important: This works better if you actually speak out loud, not just think it internally. So, verbally, out loud, allow your full misery to surface and talk in detail about your problem like you are talking to a trusted Friend. Let your emotions out and let yourself have a good cry if you can. Apologize for harm you’ve done, and ask for forgiveness and release and freedom from this issue. Ask to be helped and shown how to be different in the future.
Connect with the Light of the Soul/Higher Self and lift yourself to its level of consciousness. Lift your awareness above the emotional level by first seeing the good in yourself and saying a few examples of that out loud.
Visualize your image of the Soul/Higher Self again and meditate on some of its qualities: Light, peace, wisdom, generosity, compassion, etc. Continue lifting your consciousness up and up into that field of light and love.
Symbolically lift your consciousness now to the level of the Higher Self, by standing up and stepping back, and turning to face your personality down in the chair below you, who is struggling with a problem. Merge your awareness into the field of Light, by identifying and resonating with Spirit’s great love and beautiful qualities. Allow your heart and mind to expand to its highest level and perspective: become pure Light and Love, extending your gifts and energy outward and down to the troubled human being on Earth who is asking for help and healing.
Grant yourself forgiveness from this higher level.
As the Higher Self, in a state of love and light, look down upon where you were sitting and picture your personal self there awaiting your help. View your personality and his/her situation from a universal and expansive perspective.
Extend your hands in healing and blessing, imagining light flowing through you and from you down into your personal self, clearing out their space and releasing them from all burdens.
Speak words of advice, wisdom, and comfort out loud to your personal self from this higher perspective. (Or just enjoy the silence and peace of the Self)
When you feel complete, make a definitive statement like, “… and I forgive you completely,” or “I release you from your shame.”
NOTE: If during this communication in step four you are expressing any judgment or criticism of your personal self, you are still in your personal self. Go higher, literally. Stand on a chair or a desk and try again. Your mind understands this physical metaphor and will co-operate.
Give thanks for the forgiveness and take in your new perspective.
Take your sitting position and quietly allow this experience to settle and integrate. Note the relief and new understanding. Say: “Thank you for this forgiveness.”
Write a few notes down about the higher perspective you have received in this journey towards self forgiveness.