Browse
Top articles
How to Meditate: Meditation 101 for Beginners
10 Science-Backed Benefits of Meditation
What is Meditation?
How to Meditate: Meditation 101 for Beginners
10 Science-Backed Benefits of Meditation
What is Meditation?
Benefits of Mindfulness: Mindful Living Can Change Your Life
Mindfulness 101: A Beginner's Guide
00:00
00:00
Personalized support for learning how to integrate mindfulness into your life. Delivered fresh everyday by our world renowned experts. Choose meditation duration:
Hi, and welcome to your Daily Mindfulness. And today I'd like to talk about forgiveness. So his holiness, the Dalai Lama once said, all major religious traditions carry basically the same message that is that love, compassion and forgiveness are the most important thing. And they should be a part of our daily lives. So love and compassion.
I think many of us can find that fairly easy, but forgiveness that can be tricky. We often have a little bit of resistance to forgiveness. And, you know, I think this is partially because we don't feel safe to forgive. We worry that we might condone someone's behavior, that it may weaken us or do us more harm than good. But I think when we fully understand what forgiveness is and what it really isn't, it's much easier to know that it's safe, empowering, and healthy to let our grievances go and free our minds and hearts.
So forgiveness is generally defined as a deliberate decision to release feelings of resentment, anger, or ill will towards a person or a group who harmed or wronged you in some way. But here's what forgiveness is not. First of all, contrary to the old saying, forgiveness does not mean forgetting, nor does it mean condoning or excusing any harmful behavior. And although forgiveness can be an incredible source of healing in relationships, often paving the way for repair and reconnection, it doesn't obligate you in any way to reconcile with the person who wronged you or have them in your life. Now, it also does not mean releasing a person from accountability for their actions.
So we don't need to be concerned that if we forgive, we just give people a free pass for their behavior. Forgiveness can walk hand in hand with pursuing justice. What forgiveness does is it allows us to loosen and release the knots of bitterness, anger, and negativity within us. It involves letting go of deeply held negative feelings, gives us back our own freedom and peace of mind. Forgiving heals you and empowers you.
It allows you to fully recognize the pain that you've been through without letting it defeat you or define you. Paul Boese put it nicely when he said, "Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future." Little by little, as you let go of your animosity, you set yourself free, you unlock more of your potential and you allow more inner space for happiness and meaning to emerge in your life. So today's invitation, even though it's not easy, is to make forgiveness an intention. Just knowing that it's safe to do so and that it's a gift that you deserve to give to yourself. As always, thank you for your practice and your presence here with us.
And now let's settle in for today's meditation.
Forgiveness: What It Is and What It Isn’t
Personalized support for learning how to integrate mindfulness into your life. Delivered fresh everyday by our world renowned experts. Choose meditation duration:
Duration
Your default time is based on your progress and is changed automatically as you practice.
Hi, and welcome to your Daily Mindfulness. And today I'd like to talk about forgiveness. So his holiness, the Dalai Lama once said, all major religious traditions carry basically the same message that is that love, compassion and forgiveness are the most important thing. And they should be a part of our daily lives. So love and compassion.
I think many of us can find that fairly easy, but forgiveness that can be tricky. We often have a little bit of resistance to forgiveness. And, you know, I think this is partially because we don't feel safe to forgive. We worry that we might condone someone's behavior, that it may weaken us or do us more harm than good. But I think when we fully understand what forgiveness is and what it really isn't, it's much easier to know that it's safe, empowering, and healthy to let our grievances go and free our minds and hearts.
So forgiveness is generally defined as a deliberate decision to release feelings of resentment, anger, or ill will towards a person or a group who harmed or wronged you in some way. But here's what forgiveness is not. First of all, contrary to the old saying, forgiveness does not mean forgetting, nor does it mean condoning or excusing any harmful behavior. And although forgiveness can be an incredible source of healing in relationships, often paving the way for repair and reconnection, it doesn't obligate you in any way to reconcile with the person who wronged you or have them in your life. Now, it also does not mean releasing a person from accountability for their actions.
So we don't need to be concerned that if we forgive, we just give people a free pass for their behavior. Forgiveness can walk hand in hand with pursuing justice. What forgiveness does is it allows us to loosen and release the knots of bitterness, anger, and negativity within us. It involves letting go of deeply held negative feelings, gives us back our own freedom and peace of mind. Forgiving heals you and empowers you.
It allows you to fully recognize the pain that you've been through without letting it defeat you or define you. Paul Boese put it nicely when he said, "Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future." Little by little, as you let go of your animosity, you set yourself free, you unlock more of your potential and you allow more inner space for happiness and meaning to emerge in your life. So today's invitation, even though it's not easy, is to make forgiveness an intention. Just knowing that it's safe to do so and that it's a gift that you deserve to give to yourself. As always, thank you for your practice and your presence here with us.
And now let's settle in for today's meditation.
Duration
Play in-app
Scan the following QR code with your camera app to open it on our mobile app
Get Unlimited Access
A Mindfulness Plus+ subscription gives you unlimited access to a world of premium mindfulness content.
Email Missing
We couldn’t detect your email with the SSO provider you have selected.We are here to make a positive impact on the world. We never want to sell you something that hasn’t helped you live a better life. That’s why if you’re unhappy with any purchase from us, you have 30 days to get a full refund and your money back.
If you subscribed to Mindfulness Plus+ and are unhappy with your purchase, please get in contact with us within the 30-day period and we’ll refund your purchase.
Learn more about our Mindfulness Guarantee.
Mindfulness
We believe in a world where everybody has access to the life-changing skills of mindfulness.
Private Browsing
Congratulations on taking the first step towards a more mindful life! As a token of our appreciation, we want to offer you an exclusive opportunity to upgrade to Mindfulness Plus+ for a price you won't find anywhere else.
Mindfulness Plus+ is our premium membership that includes everything you need to learn mindfulness and keep practicing throughout all stages of life.
Take this exclusive offer to further your mindfulness skills and experience deeper levels of well-being.
Annual membership
$0
Just a small sample of the life-changing 5-star reviews we get on a daily basis.
Vidyamala’s tips on catching anger as it’s happening or about to happen are great - clear, practical, and doable.
- Vicoir
The little talks before the meditations are priceless. It's like I've found my peeps. The topics, the quotes, the goals—it all makes so much sense to me, things I want to be thinking and learning about. Most importantly, the meditations are kindness-centered, which I love. It feels like a new way to approach meditation.
- Lauren
Incredible, easy to navigate app. I would highly recommend this app to anyone who wishes to reduce stress and anxiety or simply as an aid to improve overall mental health.
- Kirtus
I love how the app gives me pointers to new things to explore.
- Lydia
So calm and soothing. I love the new bundle with Kelly Boys, she’s brilliant!
- EJ
Better than Headspace. I've had the paid version of both apps, and I must say I enjoy this one better.
- Gina, Plus+ Member
Vidyamala’s tips on catching anger as it’s happening or about to happen are great - clear, practical, and doable.
- Vicoir
The little talks before the meditations are priceless. It's like I've found my peeps. The topics, the quotes, the goals—it all makes so much sense to me, things I want to be thinking and learning about. Most importantly, the meditations are kindness-centered, which I love. It feels like a new way to approach meditation.
- Lauren
Incredible, easy to navigate app. I would highly recommend this app to anyone who wishes to reduce stress and anxiety or simply as an aid to improve overall mental health.
- Kirtus
I love how the app gives me pointers to new things to explore.
- Lydia
So calm and soothing. I love the new bundle with Kelly Boys, she’s brilliant!
- EJ
Better than Headspace. I've had the paid version of both apps, and I must say I enjoy this one better.
- Gina, Plus+ Member
Vidyamala’s tips on catching anger as it’s happening or about to happen are great - clear, practical, and doable.
- Vicoir
The little talks before the meditations are priceless. It's like I've found my peeps. The topics, the quotes, the goals—it all makes so much sense to me, things I want to be thinking and learning about. Most importantly, the meditations are kindness-centered, which I love. It feels like a new way to approach meditation.
- Lauren
Incredible, easy to navigate app. I would highly recommend this app to anyone who wishes to reduce stress and anxiety or simply as an aid to improve overall mental health.
- Kirtus
I love how the app gives me pointers to new things to explore.
- Lydia
So calm and soothing. I love the new bundle with Kelly Boys, she’s brilliant!
- EJ
Better than Headspace. I've had the paid version of both apps, and I must say I enjoy this one better.
- Gina, Plus+ Member
I am very new to meditation, and am so happy that my first introduction to it has been through this app
The first session was fantastic. I feel safe. And supported. Almost like having someone helping me through my difficult time. I’m very grateful for this app.
- Babi
You get a lot of useful tips for handling stress and anxiety in 'real life'.
- Joy
Highly recommend.
- Humanfrst
Kelly Boys is hands down the best. Everytime I click on one of her guided meditations I get excited for the calmness that lies ahead.
-
I am very new to meditation, and am so happy that my first introduction to it has been through this app
The first session was fantastic. I feel safe. And supported. Almost like having someone helping me through my difficult time. I’m very grateful for this app.
- Babi
You get a lot of useful tips for handling stress and anxiety in 'real life'.
- Joy
Highly recommend.
- Humanfrst
Kelly Boys is hands down the best. Everytime I click on one of her guided meditations I get excited for the calmness that lies ahead.
-
I am very new to meditation, and am so happy that my first introduction to it has been through this app
The first session was fantastic. I feel safe. And supported. Almost like having someone helping me through my difficult time. I’m very grateful for this app.
- Babi
You get a lot of useful tips for handling stress and anxiety in 'real life'.
- Joy
Highly recommend.
- Humanfrst
Kelly Boys is hands down the best. Everytime I click on one of her guided meditations I get excited for the calmness that lies ahead.
-
Thank you for joining us
Dive into the full library and enjoy all it has to offer!
Claim your free access
Create a mindfulness account and we’ll unlock this premium session in your account forever.
7-Days free trial, cancel anytime.
Complete a few quick questions to make your own personalized mindfulness plan.
Sign up or login to your mindfulness account to proceed.
Sign up or login to your mindfulness account to proceed.
Mindfulness
One membership to gain access to a world of premium mindfulness content created to help you live happier and stress less.