Deep self-forgiveness practice

Why would you need a self-forgiveness practice?

As someone who’s experienced abusive situations… I’ve been sitting with the idea of internalizing blame and shame.

This habit is also something I’ve witnessed in many of my clients.

Directing blame inwards seems to be a very common way of trying to control a situation and feel safe...even though this use of your own energy against yourself can be very uncomfortable in the end.

Perhaps especially in childhood, it’s common to come to the conclusion, consciously or subconsciously, that the bad things that happen to you are your fault…

This clear and logical “cause and effect” hypothesis is easier to accept and less scary than the idea of perhaps living in a chaotic or unstable home, or having a parent or caretaker who is unpredictable, or believing the world is unsafe.

So, children in particular, will often decide that what is happening to them makes sense because there is something fundamentally wrong with them…

…and while this can be a useful mechanism for helping to create a sense of stability in an unstable situation…

…whether created in childhood or later in life…

… this understanding can get locked in and stick around.

The habit of self-blame can get lodged in your subconscious…

and you may end up harboring resentments against yourself that aren’t in service of you having your energy available for being who you want to be…

…for healing your body, mind and spirit…

…for all the things you actually want to create in your life…

In short, there are parts of you that may be hurting…weighed down…uncomfortable…

Because of things you’re blaming yourself for.

And at the end of the day…self-blame is a form of using your own immense power against yourself.

And we need you to be the you that you came here to be.

Which is so much easier when you aren’t directing negative attention toward yourself.

So, the following is an invitation for a deep reclamation and healing through self-compassion…

This reclaiming of your own energy can help with…

…Releasing patterns of self-sabotage…

…Fatigue (it’s amazing how much energy you can free up when you aren’t using your energy against yourself!)…

…deepening your self-love practice…

….releasing tension you may not have noticed was there…

Here is your invitation to a deep self-forgiveness practice....

…to clear conscious and perhaps even more importantly subconscious ways you may be blaming or resenting yourself.

It is safe to let go of this habit now.

Before beginning, I invite you to create some sacred space for yourself, in whatever way you feel called to…take a moment to be intentional.

As you read through the statements below, take your time… let yourself really feel them… take deep breaths between the ones that create a lot of sensation…some of the ones that resonate/ bring forward strong emotion may surprise you…

You can also gently tap over your head, heart and belly while taking deep breaths at any time to help you integrate your intentions.

When you’re ready, I invite you to repeat these self-forgiveness statements, slowly, out loud or to yourself:

I forgive myself for every time I went against my inner knowing

I forgive myself for every time I said “yes” to something when I actually meant “no”

I forgive myself for ever believing that I don’t deserve to have what I need

I forgive myself for any ways I’ve made myself smaller than I am

I forgive myself for believing that I don’t deserve love

I forgive myself for anytime I believed that I don’t matter

I forgive myself for any time I felt manipulated

I forgive myself for any time I believed that who I am is not enough

I forgive myself for any time I didn’t follow my instincts

I forgive myself for any time I numbed, ignored or dissociated from painful experiences instead of dealing with them head-on

I forgive myself for not always having access to knowing what’s best for me

I forgive myself for not always asking for what I need

I forgive myself for any pain I’ve caused myself by hanging on to resentments against myself or others

I forgive myself for being so hard on myself

I forgive myself for thinking that beating myself up was the best way to motivate myself

I forgive myself for forgetting that I am an aspect of the divine having a human experience

I forgive myself for any times I’ve perceived myself as “making the wrong choice”

I forgive myself for any time I didn’t trust myself

I clear any and all resentment, conscious and unconscious, that I have harbored against myself.

I call all of my power back from all of these misunderstandings.

I choose to use all of my power in alignment with my highest good.

I trust that I am always doing my best.

I trust that my choices and experiences, “positive” and “negative,” all guide me home to myself.

I love myself.

As you come to a close with this self-forgiveness practice, what do you notice? Has anything shifted? Continue to take deep breaths….How do you feel?

If you notice shifts from this practice, I invite you to return to it for at least a few days in a row. You can come back to this post, or I also made you a downloadable/printable version of the statements. DOWNLOAD HERE:

I invite you to be very gentle with yourself as this practice integrates…drink water…speak softly to yourself, allow yourself to move slowly.

Send yourself love for all the healing and growth you’ve called into your life.

Sending you love. 💕

And if you enjoyed this, you may also like this meditation on releasing resentment❤️