11-28-10 Forgiveness.
Forgiveness is one of the greatest gifts of spiritual life because it allows us to let go of past sorrows. It is an act of the heart. It softens the heart and opens us to compassion. Forgiveness may come as a process and we may go through the stages of grief, rage, sorrow, fear, and confusion. Once we let go of a burden there is peace on the other side.
A poem by Wendell Berry
I go among trees and sit still.
All my stirring becomes quiet
around me like circles on water.
My tasks lie in their places
where I left them, asleep like cattle...
Then what I am afraid of comes.
I live for a while in its sight.
What I fear in it leaves it,
And the fear of it leaves me.
It sings, and I hear its song.
"In truly listening to our most painful songs, we can learn the divine art of forgiveness. Both forgiveness and compassion arise spontaneously with the opening of the heart. Somehow, in feeling our own pain and sorrow, our own oceans of tears, we come to know that ours is a shared pain and that the mystery and beauty and pain of life cannot be seperated. This universal pain, too, is part of our connection with one another, and in the face of it we cannot withhold our love any longer.
"We can learn to forgive others, ourselves, and life for its physical pain. We can learn to open our heart to all of it, to the pain, to the pleasures we have feared. In this, we discover a remarkable truth: Much of spiritual life is self-acceptance, maybe all of it. Indeed, in accepting the songs of our life, we can begin to create for ourselves a much deeper and greater identity in which our hearts hold all within a space of boundless compassion."
-Jack Kornfield A Path with Heart p.47
Viparti Karni with a bolster under the sacrum with legs up the wall for the opening reading. Seated in Sukhasana (easy seat) on the bolster, 3 OM's joining our voices in unison. Urdhva Baddhangulyasana (upwward bound palms pose), simple spinal twist. Stand in Tadasana (mountain pose). Vinyasa (movement connected to breath) inhale raise arms to Urdhva Hastasana (upward palms facing pose) 2x, then add rolling on to the balls of the feet as you raise you arms 3x. Uttanasana (standing forward bend). Surya Namsaskara (sun salutation) - Ashtanga A sequence: Tadasana, Urdhva Hastasana, Uttanasana, Ardha Uttanasana, Plank, Urdhva Mukha Svanasana (upward facing dog), Adho Mukha Svanasana (downward facing dog), Uttanasana, Urdhva Hastasana, Tadasana. Two rounds, then adding in Trikonasana (triangle pose) > Parvritti Trikonasana (reverse triangle pose) > lunge, after the downdog in the previous sequence. Parsvakonasana (side angle pose) > Parvritti Parsvakonasana (reverse side angle pose) with side prayer. Parsarita Padottanasana (wide leg forward bend) Horse riding stance with Jyana mudra (seal of wisdom) > Dhanushmatasana (archer pose) vinyasa. [a sequence I got from Lara Bauman's Quantum Yoga - really so much fun!!!] Parighasana (gate pose), Bhujangasana (cobra pose) many times with emphasis opening between the shoulder blades and grounding the feet down to the earth. Balasana (child's pose) Savasana (corpse pose) with guided relaxation. Played crown chakra bowl coming out of Savasana. Second reading of the poem by Wendell Berry in fetal pose.
I go among trees and sit still.
All my stirring becomes quiet
around me like circles on water.
My tasks lie in their places
where I left them, asleep like cattle...
Then what I am afraid of comes.
I live for a while in its sight.
What I fear in it leaves it,
And the fear of it leaves me.
It sings, and I hear its song.
One Om to close. Optional Forgiveness Meditation at end of class
"Let your body and mind relax. Breathe gently into the area of your heart, let yourself feel the barriers you are holding because you have not forgiven yourself, not forgiven others. After breathing softly into the heart for some time, begin asking and extending forgiveness, reciting the following words.
Forgiveness from others: There are many ways that I have hurt and harmed others, betrayed or abandoned them, caused them suffering, knowingly or unknowingly, out of my pain, fear, anger, and confusion. Let yourself remember and visualize these ways. See and feel the pain you have caused out of your own fear and confusion. Feel your own sorrow and regret, and sense that finally you can release this burden and ask for forgiveness. Repeat to yourself, I ask for your forgivness.
Forgiveness for yourself: Feel you own precious body and life. There are many ways that I have betrayed, harmed, or abandoned myself through throught, word, or deed, knowingly or unknowingly. Let yourself see the ways you have hurt or harmed yourself. Picture them, remember them, visualize them. Feel the sorrow you have carried from all these actions and sense that you can release these burdens, extending forgiveness for them one by one. Then say to yourself, I forgive myself.
Forgiveness for those who hurt or harmed you: There are many ways I have been wounded and hurt, abused and abandoned, by others in thought, word, and deed, knowingly or unknowingly. Let yourself picture them, remember them, visualize the many ways. Feel the sorrow you have carried from this past and sense that you can release yourself from this burden by extending forgivness if your heart is ready. Now say to yourself, I forgive you.
Forgiveness cannot be forced; it cannot be artifical. Let go of the past and open the heart to each new moment with a wise loving-kindness." -Jack Kornfield A Path with Heart p. 285-286
Ending with a brief So-Hum meditation following the forgivness meditation. Inhale So - Exhale Hum. I am that I am. I am pure consciousness. I am compassion. I am love. We are one.
Lokah Samasta Sukhino Bhavantu - May all beings be blessed with peace and joy, love and light.
Namaste.
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