One of the most frequent issues, I deal with as a Life Coach and Reiki Master is the issue of forgiveness. There is so much stored up, repressed hurt and resentment among people, many people bottle up their hurt feelings, or their anger as they do not know a safe and simple way to just let it go. Often time’s people feel it is easier to hold onto a grudge than to face it and release it. Research now shows us that holding onto old grudges affects health, productivity and happiness levels.
Dissolving resentments and practicing forgiveness improves the quality of your life:
It frees you from the emotional weight of the pain. It may not take the pain away, but it will help you to let go of the tight grip the emotions have on your heart. Holding onto resentment for a long period of time can cause stress, depression and anxiety.
Keeps you in a field of grace. There is no better way to experience grace than to forgive someone.
Improves your marriage. Nothing is more destructive of love than resentment and bitterness. Practicing forgiveness as a couple is a powerful way to keep your marriage healthy and intimate.
Helps you sleep soundly at night. When you dissolve old resentments, you free your mind, you let go of the pressure that builds up in your shoulders and neck and your heart is healthier. When you forgive you experience less stress and anxiety and learn to be more accepting of yourself and other people when they make mistakes. You do not beat yourself up for making a mistake, and you no longer feel so upset and irritated with others for messing up.
Dissolving resentment can be simple, not easy but simple. One of the best exercises I have used in my own life and offered to my clients is an exercise that Louise Hay shares in her book, “You Can Heal Your Life” and she point out that this is an old Emmet Fox exercise that helps to dissolve resentment. Since it helps to dissolve the resentment, it will also help you in forgiving others and in forgiving yourself.
- Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths and when you feel relaxed, imagine yourself in a special place. This special place can be anywhere that your imagination takes you, perhaps somewhere in nature or to a special forgiveness room that you can return to again and again when doing forgiveness work.
- In the spirit of forgiving others, think of someone who you resent in some way or someone who has upset, hurt or offended you. See this person sitting in front of you, at a distance that feels comfortable to you. If for any reason it is not comfortable for you to invite this person into the sacred space that you have created with your imagination envision them behind a wall of glass or in a room across from yours or see them on the TV screen, be creative and do what feels comfortable.
- When you see this person clearly, visualize good things happening to this person – things that would be meaningful to him. See him or her smiling and happy. Hold the image for a few minutes and then let it fade away.
- Now take a moment to do the same for yourself. Once the image of the other person fades, see good things happening to you. See yourself smiling and happy. Feel how good this feels. Close your session with gratitude.
A more peaceful, loving and calm life is possible. You can let go of the heavy burden of unforgiveness and dissolve old resentments. If you are ready to free yourself from the emotional weight of your pain, then we recommend our Life Coaching sessions to help you understand, clear and release whatever is holding you back from reaching your fullest potential. It is time to commit to your own spiritual growth. Contact us today for a free 30-minute consultation so that we can design a unique plan to support you.
“You can not forgive without loving. And I don’t mean sentimentality. I don’t mean mush. I mean having enough courage to stand up and say, “I forgive. I’m finished with it.” – Maya Angelou