Welcome,
Dear one,
To this yoga nidra for forgiveness.
Find a comfortable position,
Either taking a seat with the spine tall,
Or lie down on your back or side.
Let's add a little movement,
Shake out the hands,
Shake out the feet,
Move your head a little side to side,
And then allow the body to rest,
Still,
On what feels like a center for you.
Take a moment now and simply scan,
Noting any mental movements,
Physical feelings,
Emotional feelings,
And let's welcome our breath.
We will begin by taking two sips of air inside the nose like this,
Holding the breath inside for a moment or two,
Then release the breath out from the mouth with a sigh.
Try this a few times,
Two sips of air inside the nose,
Holding the breath to a comfortable place for you,
And then when you're ready,
Release the breath out with a sigh.
Notice what you can feel,
Ribcage,
Lungs open,
Releasing and letting go,
Allow your breath to settle back into the natural rate and pace that is right for you in this moment.
I think Fred Rogers said,
Forgiveness is a strange thing,
It can sometimes be easier to forgive our enemies than our friends,
It can be hardest of all to forgive people we love.
Forgiveness takes time,
And sometimes it takes practice as well.
To fully forgive,
We must create space to let go of the past.
So let's begin this practice with this affirmation from Louise Hay,
Quietly inside your heart and mind,
Repeat these words,
I let yesterday belong to the past,
I turn my total attention to this moment,
I let yesterday belong to the past,
I turn my total attention to this moment,
I let yesterday belong to the past,
I turn my total attention to this moment.
Feel your toes,
And now watch and observe as you draw awareness up the legs,
Feeling the backs of your legs,
The fronts of the legs,
Feel your low back and belly,
Feel the movement of the diaphragm and ribcage,
Lungs,
As you breathe,
Feel the shoulder blades and the collarbones,
Sense and feel both arms,
Hands,
Fingers,
Feel into the heart center,
The throat,
The neck,
Feel the back of your head,
The top of your head,
The right hemisphere of the brain,
The left hemisphere of the brain,
Sensing and feeling your forehead,
Your eyes,
Feel the tip of your nose,
And air moving inside the nostrils,
Sense and feel your cheeks,
Mouth,
And jaws,
Feel your chin,
And the space between the collarbones,
The center of your chest,
Feel the rise and fall as you breathe,
Chest rising,
Just letting go and sensing the out-breath,
Feel down the right side of your body,
And allow all awareness to pool inside the right arm,
And the right hand,
The right hand thumb,
First finger,
Second finger,
Third finger,
Little finger,
And feel the whole right side,
Turn your attention over to the left side,
Left arm,
Left hand,
Sensing the fingers,
The left thumb,
First finger,
Second finger,
Third finger,
Pinky finger,
And now sense all the feeling in the left side of the body,
Feel over to the right leg,
And right arm,
Right side of the brain,
The whole right side alive with sensation,
And then moving awareness over to the left side,
Left leg,
Left arm,
Left side of the brain,
Feel the whole left side alive with sensation,
Feel the top of the head,
And the space just below your feet,
And feel or imagine an entire circle around you,
Expanding all around you,
Front,
Back,
Top,
Bottom,
Both sides,
Like a light or a bubble,
A circle of protection,
Noticing yourself safe in the center,
And the circle might be an image or a feeling,
Like a light or a color or a sensation,
Simply imagine or create this circle around you,
And feel its supportive nature,
Feeling yourself supported within this space,
And within this space,
And the supportive ring around you,
Could you begin to welcome in the mental image or perhaps the feeling of the person you are offering forgiveness to,
See this person or feel their presence as best as you can,
Notice all the sensations or feeling tones that might be present here within this safe space,
A space of neutral and honest support for both of you,
And within this space,
Could you imagine a bright light,
Or a mirror-like image,
This bright light feels loving,
Wise,
And kind,
Like a guiding star,
This space begins to fill with meta loving-kindness,
See yourselves within this light or as a reflection of the loving-kindness this mirror has to offer,
So reflective in its loving-kindness,
Its meta,
That you begin to overflow with feelings of loving-kindness yourself,
The generosity within your spirit,
The kindness within your heart,
Begins to fill both of you,
All loving parts of you begin to shine,
You become so light and so free from the conditions of the past,
The parts of you that are pure and loving and kind are revealed,
Gazing into this reflective loving light,
Begin to see your image become clear,
And offer yourself this hawaiian prayer for forgiveness,
Repeat I am sorry,
Please forgive me,
I love you,
Thank you,
Allowing yesterday to be a part of the past,
Turning your attention to this moment,
This peaceful presence,
And twice more,
Offer this forgiveness,
This blessing for forgiveness to yourself,
Repeating again,
I am sorry,
Please forgive me,
I love you,
Thank you,
I am sorry,
Please forgive me,
I love you,
Thank you,
Observe yourself in this mirror-like image,
Give yourself a loving smile or hug,
The space begins to hold you with its loving-kindness and light,
Feel yourself received in this love,
Full of its tender support,
And you begin to notice now,
The person that you are with is also smiling,
Holding love and a generous spirit for you,
Filled with the loving blessings of forgiveness,
Turn to them,
Taking in their feeling or image,
Beginning to free yourself and this person from your past,
Offer them the blessing,
The prayer for forgiveness,
Say to them I am sorry,
Please forgive me,
I love you,
Thank you,
I am sorry,
Please forgive me,
I love you,
Thank you,
I am sorry,
Please forgive me,
I love you,
Thank you,
Begin to feel and witness yourself holding space and acceptance for this person,
Feel them being received in your kind heart and generous spirit,
Feel yourselves both warmed by the light of love and forgiveness,
Watch and observe the way that they offer you the same forgiveness,
See and listen and feel as this person offers you this blessing,
This prayer for forgiveness,
And begin to feel,
See,
And hear this person offer you this blessing for forgiveness,
They begin to say with open arms and loving eyes to you,
I am sorry,
Please forgive me,
I love you,
Thank you,
I am sorry,
Please forgive me,
I love you,
Thank you,
I am sorry,
Please forgive me,
I love you,
Thank you,
You see a smile light up on their face,
Lighting up the smile within your heart,
Both of you begin to swell and illuminate with metta loving kindness and acceptance,
Both of you warmed in the glow,
Full with tremendous love and forgiveness,
Both of you look at each other and say,
I am sorry,
Please forgive me,
I love you,
Thank you,
Thank you,
Offer yourself gratitude for this time of mending,
For this time of forgiveness,
Notice and feel your presence here,
Being present with all the feeling tones,
And also present in the way that you are resting,
Beginning to sense now the body,
And also sensing the breath,
Feeling the movements of breath,
And in the many ways your body responds to breath,
Sensing the body,
Noticing now all points of your body that connect to the surface beneath you,
Perhaps noticing and feeling the legs,
The feet,
The back,
The head,
And now notice the way that you feel the eyes and the eyelids,
Maybe opening the eyes for a moment and then allowing them to close again,
Notice your nose and the air and space inside the nose,
Awareness of sounds,
Sounds inside the room and this recording,
And radiating awareness of sounds out to the spaces further away,
Notice yourself sensing sound,
And notice now how you can feel all the way out to your fingers and toes,
Maybe even giving them a little wiggle,
Gently waking them up,
You might sense that the head wants to move a little slowly side to side,
Or maybe there is a full body stretch or hug you need here,
And then notice how you can become still for another moment or two,
Again taking in all your surroundings within your stillness,
Offering yourself gratitude,
Thank you,
Thank you,
Thank you,
Om shanti shanti shanti,
Peace,
Peace,
Peace,
Peace,
Peace,
Peace,
Peace,
Shanti shanti shanti,
Peace,
Peace,
Peace,
Open eyes whenever you feel ready,
And greet yourself back into your day or evening,
With the tenderness of love,
Namaste
