Forgiveness can be one of the hardest, yet most rewarding, things that we can do in our lives. Learning to forgive is essential to raising your energy levels. It opens you up to giving and receiving positive energy. Holding onto past grudges can also affect how we feel, look, and act. So, can you forgive those that have hurt you, and forgive yourself?
The Definition of Forgiveness:
a: To give up resentment of or claim to requital for
b: To cease to feel resentment against (an offender): pardon
The Benefits of Forgiveness
While you might think forgiveness benefits the person or people being forgiven, it actually has surprisingly positive effects on the person doing the forgiving too! Studies have shown that forgiving others produces strong mental and physical health benefits for the one who forgives. Forgiveness has been shown to decrease depression, anxiety, anger, and the symptoms of PTSD. Additionally, it can lead to higher self-esteem, better sleep quality, lower blood pressure, and stronger relationships with our loved ones.
6 Ways to Find Forgiveness
- Acknowledge your emotions: Forgiveness doesn’t mean you have to pretend that something didn’t happen or act like it didn’t hurt you! In fact, recognizing that it DID hurt you is actually a positive step toward forgiveness.
- Practice empathy: An empathetic mind is a forgiving mind! If you can take time to understand where the person or people who have wronged you are coming from, it’s likely you’ll find a new perspective on the situation.
- Forgive yourself: Sometimes our anger or frustration with ourselves can impact our ability to forgive others. Soften your heart towards yourself, and have compassion for your own mistakes. We’re all human, and being more gentle and understanding of yourself can lead to forgiveness for others.
- Release trapped emotions and imbalances: Sometimes, even when we mentally move on from past trauma, our body and spirit hold on to that injury. Using the Emotion Code and Body Code to release trapped energies can have profound impacts on our ability to forgive!
- Remember that forgiveness is internal: Forgiveness doesn’t mean you have to reconcile with someone who has hurt you. Sometimes, people who have deeply injured us are not meant to continue having a large presence in our lives, and it can be positive to set boundaries with those people. Forgiveness is something we do internally, to release our anger and resentment.
- Give yourself time to truly forgive: Forgiveness often takes more than simply saying, “I forgive you.” It can take time and effort. Don’t rush through the internal work that allows you to truly forgive and move through your emotions!
Forgiveness And Energy Healing
“[As an Emotion Code and Body Code Practitioner], I work with many who are struggling to move forward because they hold tightly to their past. I have found that a person’s inability to forgive offenses is typically centered on their perception of themselves and their choices – and it is usually a negative perception. Basically, they are asking — consciously or subconsciously — am I a good person?
The truth is our worth never changes, no matter if we are right or wrong, have made mistakes, or experienced trauma in our lives. Recognizing our baggage is an important part of knowing who we intrinsically are. Additionally, we can acknowledge that we only have to carry that baggage for as long as we choose to.
When we release the imbalances and baggage – or have someone else help us release them – there is suddenly a feeling of lightness. Others have that capacity too, and with this understanding, our compassion for others grows. Forgiveness no longer sounds like an insurmountable obstacle to healing.
If you are struggling to forgive others, it is likely this trauma is manifesting itself in excess weight, chronic pain, illness, or otherwise. Isn’t it about time to identify yourself by your intrinsic worth, rather than your pain? This is the art of forgiveness.”
Submitted by Lisa Magnusson, CECP/CBCP
Don’t be shy about using the Emotion Code and Body Code in order to resolve issues of forgiveness with yourself and others! Sometimes, releasing trapped imbalances can allow forgiveness to become much easier to achieve.
Try it out and let us know how it goes by commenting below!
Awesome last statement: those who want to get better are the ones who want to be better – and forgiveness is a way to do this.
Ivanlya spoke about forgiveness this Monday during the Tapping Summit and talked about how experiences are not done to us, but through us if we are to learn and grow from them.
You are right! We can learn and grow through forgiving ourselves and others. While difficult to do, learning to truly let go of the past is freedom for us, and not giving someone else power or control over us. What a blessing!
I am in a situation where some people cannot believe that they are forgiven and who therefore accuse me of lack of forgiveness when in fact no judgement was made. A statement of fact does not have to imply that a judgement was made, i.e. that wall is red is fact not judgement.
If no judgement was made where is there a need for forgiveness other than from their own assessment of their behaviour, words etc. ? A lot of mischief is being created as they proliferate their inaccurate thoughts to others who think in the same vein. Help!