There are many ways to look at Forgiveness. From a simple act of erasing past pain from our hearts to complex theological - and often thought-provoking - discussions.

Is it an act that brings emotional relief? Is it an indication of virtuous nobility? Can it be a daily spiritual practice?

What no one can deny is that Forgiveness plays a huge role in the quality of our lives, and recent studies have confirmed that

Forgiveness has everything to do not only with our emotions, but also with the quality of our health. 

And on a soul level, what about the meanings and the implications of Forgiveness?

There are many sources of information and interpretation of what Forgiveness really is.

The first thing we need to understand is that it's something that you do on a vertical line and not a horizontal one. This means it's not about forgiving another person immediately. Forgiveness is about accessing your Higher Light and Higher Self and asking for inspiration to release the hurt you've been through.

The first thing about forgiveness is having the intention to release the hurt, and that is an individual act that pertains exclusively to you.

The second step can then include another person or situation in the story, personally or through prayer. We need to be purified first, with the clear intention to release the story before we approach others to create a clean slate.

So first, when it comes to Forgiveness, it's not about you and other people, it's about you and God - a Higher Light and your Higher Self.

It's about giving yourself peace as you decide to erase past pain.

To understand this better, Ho’Ponopono prayer is a great example. It's a Hawaiian prayer that's actually Christian in origin. In this practice, we repeat four sentences, just like a mantra, and they act as an energetic clearing tool: 

 I love you. I'm sorry. Please forgive me. Thank you.

The insightful thing about Ho'oponopono is that we do not say the prayers to another person, we say it to Source - or God.

We ask forgiveness for putting ourselves in a situation that has brought us pain.

So Forgiveness has to do with releasing the pain that still lingers when, in the past, someone has hurt us.

There's an interesting perspective on how we can deal with past pain in Family Constellations.

Bert Hellinger, the creator of this modality, is a therapist, psychoanalyst, and used to be a Benedictine priest as well (to learn more about family constellations, click here).

In his perspective, Forgiveness is so huge that only God can forgive. When a human being "forgives" another human being, he or she is putting him or herself in a position of superiority. 

So when we say "I forgive you" to someone, we're actually putting ourselves in a position of superiority. According to Hellinger, when we say we "forgive" another person, we're "putting ourselves in a position of God",  because we're "granting" someone what will "free" them. and no human being is larger than Life to have the power to do this.

So, in reality, we don't "forgive" others. We accept reality as it is, we acknowledge the pain and honor the experience. We feel it in our hearts by saying, "I'm sorry", and release it.

In the perspective of A Course in Miracles, in every situation, we ask for God's forgiveness, as an indirect process. In the perspective of A Course in Miracles, we surrender all our pain and confusion to God and dedicate ourselves to listening and surrendering to Higher Consciousness.

Where Forgiveness is concerned, if we compare the three, in one way or another they all include the

the indirect relationship between two people, using a Higher Force as a mediator - God, our Higher Selves, the Holy Spirit, or Source.

When Forgiveness is required we're holding onto resentment and grudges on some level. And if Forgiveness exists in such a great dimension we can't deal directly with the situation and need to ask for a Higher Power to help us, it's because

we need Forgiveness to dissolve resentment.

On many levels, it's resentment that makes life ill. Physical bodies, finances, anything that's not working properly becomes that way because commonly it's being undermined by conscious or unconscious resentment.

So releasing resentment is directly proportional to creating a better life quality for ourselves and others.

So what does forgiveness bring to our lives?

It brings flow and good will, expansion, joy, and happiness.

It brings Light and releases blockages.

It brings the purpose of life back to our awareness.

And if we're not in Forgiveness mode, we're swirling in a downward spiral, kind of like a black hole in a universe, sucking our energy, dry, sucking our life force dry.

So we do ourselves a favor when we forgive, and it doesn't have to be personal. This is what I always tell everyone that asks me. You don't have to go calling people up, asking for forgiveness, or putting yourself in a position of superiority saying "I forgive you". Nor am I saying we should go back to a place in which there are no boundaries and we abandon our discernment when it comes to problematic people or situations. It's not about that.

It's about purifying our hearts, not holding grudges, choosing a Higher Consciousness mindset, and letting it go.

We all know theoretically it's healthier not to hold on to weights and unnecessary energy, and that we should let the past go.

When we surrender to Forgiveness, we do ourselves a favor and become much freer. Consequently, the world becomes a better place.

Forgiveness is here to heal the past, allow flow in the present, and bring the best future and the best potentials to life.

And what is your thought about this? 

Is Forgiveness part of your daily life, or do you not think about it?

Do you hold grudges about specific situations and people in your life?

What I can say is that it brings emotional relief, especially if we adopt it as a daily practice.

Let us know in the comments area below! We always grow as a community when we share our thoughts and feelings in like-minded spaces, and when we share our stories, we all heal together.

Thanks so much for being here, and I'll see you soon!

With Love,

Paola.