A Simple First Step Towards Self Forgiveness

Heart Chakra

Self-forgiveness.  I won’t lie - the word intimidates me.  I understand the benefits, but it seems so big and involved.  Like (blush) a lot of time and work.  And where to even begin? 

Thankfully, yoga has a place to begin.  A small, very accessible step forward.  It’s called the Heart Chakra, or Anahata Chakra. 

Instead of coming at self-forgiveness with words and feelings and explanations, yoga suggests we begin with a simple picture in your mind.  Imagine a clog or a blockage right around your heart area.  This blockage is caused by all those moments and mess ups - big and small - that you haven’t forgiven yourself for.  Instead of trying to untangle it, yoga suggests we keep imagining the blockage as a whole.  

Acknowledging the blockage is a good thing, because it’s stopping you from being open.  When a new experience comes your way or a new opportunity pops up, you might not be open enough to accept it in.

So what now?

One suggestion is to physically massage the blockage to loosen it up.  You can do this by holding your hands to your chest while walking outside in nature.  Or by doing yoga poses that open and stretch the chest area, like Cow Pose. Physical movement activates the sympathetic nervous system, which puts your brain and body into repair and heal mode.

Another suggestion is to close your eyes and breathe around it.  Make space for it to move and shift. Try humming to vibrate it a bit.  Or chanting “om” or “yam” (a traditional yoga vibration for the heart chakra).  This stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, which calms the mind and lowers blood pressure.  

Meditation or prayer is another way.  With eyes closed, imagine sweeping around the edges of it as if you are cleaning.  Then mentally pushing outward, like you are moving it and beginning to clear it out.  Or, perhaps imagine the opposite.  Imagine that you are loosening it, making holes in it, so that some light can get through.  Then making those holes larger with the light that you are receiving. 

Doing this a little bit every day is a small and accessible approach to self-forgiveness.  After a while, perhaps you’ll feel a call to untangle part of the blockage through therapy.  Or perhaps this slow and steady chakra approach will be enough to loosen and open. 

Either way, the first step is right here.

Until next time,

Laura