We all have experienced an emotionally upsetting or stressful day. The accumulated emotions of those days spoil the mood of the evening, prevent us from quickly falling asleep, and affect the quality of sleep the following morning. And it’s not always possible to determine the cause of the worries and stress and eliminate them.
All these emotions and stresses remain in our body, and to achieve tranquility, one must also act through the body.
Are you not ready to forgive them yet? I truly understand this feeling. Forgiveness is not easy. When someone hurts you, holding anger, resentment, and thoughts of revenge toward them often feels like getting even. Unfortunately, this hurts you more than the person you intend to hurt.
Healing from past emotional traumas is a long and challenging process. Each of us has faced traumatic experiences before – the loss of loved ones, humiliation, aggression, failure, betrayal, etc. With time, the pain gets less intense, but the destructive energy that was created at the moment of the traumatic event stays within us. It continues to destroy us from the inside, manifesting itself as depression, fear, causeless anxiety, insomnia, or psychosomatic diseases.
Forgetting is not an option. If we have been hurt, it is useless to pretend that nothing happened. Forgiveness takes time. Too rapid forgiveness is illusory and can turn against us. This is an inside job. It is not easy, but it ultimately frees us and gives us the strength to live on.
Acts of holding on to negative emotions or waiting for genuine remorse or an apology from the person who hurt you, in the long run, affect your health and future relationships. I know forgiving is not easy, but it is necessary for the sake of your sanity and your long-term physical health.
Often, we forgive others for their words or deeds, but there are cases when it is very difficult (almost impossible) to forgive someone who has touched us to the depths of our being. Cruel parents, a man who attacked us, or a driver who killed someone we loved in a drunk driving accident – we need to do a lot of inner work to forgive them.
In any case, forgiveness towards those who brought suffering and grief cannot be taken for granted. However, all those who could forgive their offenders say this step liberated them and filled their lives with new energy.
The release of energy stuck in negative feelings causes an exalted state. It opens up true feelings and emotions, transforming and releasing blocked negative emotions from our subconscious mind and energetic body.
Decades of studies have proven the positive correlation between forgiveness and healthier, longer lifespans.
A few years ago, the Stanford Forgiveness Project trained 260 adults in a six-week forgiveness course. All participants indicated improvements in their emotional and physical well-being afterward. 182 reported reduced feelings of hurt, 44 experienced fewer physical complaints (headaches, pain, upset stomachs, etc.), and 34 reported reduced anger.
Practicing forgiveness has also been linked to increased longevity and a better immune system. It can even lower blood pressure and improve cardiovascular health.
There are so many benefits, but it is so hard to do! How do we get there?
Begin the process by forgiving with an open mind and heart. I typically encourage starting with forgiveness affirmations. Then, you can do this mindful exercise.
1. Validate your emotions. Feel the emotional distress the event or person had caused you, but don’t judge yourself for experiencing those feelings. It’s normal to feel them; we have all been there before.
2. Reduce the intensity of those emotions. Try to see the hurtful event from the third-person perspective, distancing yourself from it. Imagine yourself in the movie theater and see yourself watching this hurtful event like a movie playing on the small black and white screen in the distance in front of you. This will help dissociate you from the event and reduce the intensity of attached emotions.
3. Recognize the imperfect nature of humanity. Accept the loss. Let go of anger and resentment. I always teach my clients the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) and do some Neuro-Linguistics Programming (NLP) techniques with them to help with this process. You can also use The Process of Ho’oponopono.
4. In your mind, imagine the person who hurt you and offer words of forgiveness: “I forgive ____ for what you did. I will no longer allow the pain your actions knowingly or unknowingly caused to have power over my life anymore.”
5. If the person who hurt you is still present in your life when you feel no anger or resentment toward them, discuss your relationship with them. You can choose to end it or set strong personal boundaries with this person.
6. Finally, the most important thing is that we have a way to get rid of negative emotions and unnecessary hurts toward ourselves and other people. To begin with, we really need to forgive and accept ourselves. Such an approach should be the starting point in your new successful and happy life.
Forgiveness is a journey that requires time, patience, and self-compassion. By practicing forgiveness affirmations and following these steps, you can begin to release the negative emotions that have been holding you back.
Embrace the power of forgiveness and allow it to transform your life, bringing you peace, health, and happiness.
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