(Worth sharing!!!!) The Booklet--- Doing Your Time with Peace of Mind: A Meditation Manual for Prisoners. By Doug Booth
Meditation has changed my life; so much so that I wrote a book about it (It's Hard to Meditate When Your Butt Itches). Meditation has been the catalyst in finding peace and harmony with the world around me. As a matter of fact, just yesterday, I asked a colleague what he was wanting for Christmas. He said, "Just some peace and tranquility." And then suddenly it was dittoed by someone overhearing our friendly conversation, except that they added they would be happy with only one hour of peace and tranquility.
These statements were eye-opening for me. It was truly the first time that I was able to say to myself, "Wow. I wish others felt what I feel. They do not have to live in such a state of sadness and disarray."
This interaction weighed heavily on my heart; so much so that I started researching again about meditation and if there was some kind of printout that was easy to understand and quick to read.
I found this: Doing Your Time With Peace of Mind: A Meditation Manual for Prisoners, by Doug Booth. It was simple to understand and extremely practical for someone who may have never thought of giving mediation a try before; not to mention that it was written for prisoners (and although we may not all be behind bars, some of us are still prisoners in our minds). I was so impressed that I felt it important enough to share on my blog. I hope that you can feel free enough to share it with someone you love. It's easy to print out, and easy to read. What a wonderful Christmas gift to give someone this year who is just asking for a change!
The entire booklet is also copied and pasted below.
Doing Your Time with
Peace of Mind
A Meditation Manual for Prisoners
by Doug Booth
This booklet is dedicated to all prisoners and
all victims of crimes.
© 2001– 2005 Douglas Booth, Santa Fe, New Mexico
All rights reserved
FOR FREE DISTRIBUTION ONLY
***
A Meditation Manual for Prisoners
What is meditation? Can it help me with my stress? Will it interfere with my religion? Will I have to join a group? How much time will it take? Is meditation running away from life’s problems?
These are typical questions everybody asks about meditation.
In the
following pages we provide the answers. Then we explain
meditation in clear, easy-to-read
language so that you can start your own meditation practice.
In this manual we present several
styles for you to choose from. All of these meditations will
bring deep relaxation and clear
thinking. You just have to decide which one is best for you,
then give it a good try and enjoy the
peace of mind that will follow. But first, let’s answer
those questions.
What is meditation?
Meditation is, first of all, the calming of the mind through
concentration. You’ve probably noticed
how scattered your mind can be, constantly jumping from one
thought to another all day long.
Meditation calms and focuses your thoughts so you can enjoy
some tranquility. As you know,
tranquility isn’t easy to find in prison or jail, but it can
be found—in fact, it’s inside you at this very
moment! Many prisoners meditate daily and receive great
benefits from their practice. Meditation
also provides insights into who you really are at the
deepest levels and what life is all about.
How can meditation help with my stress?
Meditation gives you access to that still place at the eye
of the storm—that calm center within us
all that remains cool even in the midst of chaos and
turmoil, that place of understanding and
clarity amidst all the confusion. It’s a place you can go
any time to find renewed strength to deal
with life’s many challenges. The meditation tools you learn
on the inside can be useful on the
outside as well. As a friend once said “we’re all doing
time” unless we learn how to find
freedom—freedom from the need to constantly make things
different than the way they are.
Meditation cools us out so we can carry on with our lives
with more serenity and do what needs
to be done. Meditation smooths out our rough edges and our
knee-jerk reactions, while building
and fortifying our core of inner strength and stability.
Will meditation interfere with my religion?
NO WAY! Meditation is not a religion, so it can’t interfere
with your personal faith. In fact, it can
only deepen and enhance your spiritual life. The Centering
Prayer technique described below is
one way of integrating your faith into a meditation
practice.
Meditation is like pumping iron with the mind and heart. It
strengthens your ability to see, and
then overcome the barriers that separate you from your basic
goodness, helping you to reconnect
with the best parts of yourself.
Do I have to join a group?
No. Meditation can be done on your own if you like. It is
good to meditate alone, but it is also
beneficial to meditate with others. The friendship in a
group can be very supportive in your
meditation practice. It’s up to you. Other meditators can
answer questions by sharing their own
experiences, just as you will eventually be able to guide
others with your own knowledge. It’s also
helpful to have a teacher who’s been down this road before
you, although a teacher isn’t
absolutely necessary. A good meditation teacher won’t tell
you what to believe or what to think,
just how to do the practice, so that you can discover your
own truths from your own life.
How much time will it take?
Again, it’s up to you. A good way to start is to meditate
twice a day in a relatively quiet and safe
place. Try beginning with 10 minutes per session. Before
everyone wakes up and after “lights out”
are good times to meditate. Meditating first thing in the
morning is a good way to start your day
with a clear and calm mind. Meditating in the evening is a
fine way to end the day and relax
before bed. Once you’ve established a meditation routine,
gradually increase the time periods and
enjoy the results.
If there is no time when it’s quiet, meditate anyway. Your
power of mind will grow even more
quickly. Just like wearing ankle weights when you run,
meditating in a noisy dorm will enhance
your concentration and improve your ability to meditate
peacefully anywhere!
Is meditation hiding from life?
Not at all. People who don’t meditate sometimes say it’s
withdrawing from life, like hiding in a
cave or going up on a mountain top, but people who meditate
know better. Meditation is a direct,
full-on engagement with life that is done quietly. We
experience our emotions and feelings “to the
max” in meditation, but we do it in a gentle way—in a way
that allows us to handle them and
work with them. Through meditation we get to see how our
emotions arise, in order to better
understand ourselves and the world we’ve been thrown into.
Nothing is suppressed or hidden in
meditation. Meditation practice lets us live our lives more
fully and passionately than ever before.
“What style is right for me?”
If the shoe fits, wear it! Several styles are described in
this manual. Choose the one that appeals
to you and give it a good try. Experiment with different
styles if you like. Just like learning a new
sport or a musical instrument, or anything else that’s
worthwhile, it takes dedication, commitment,
and practice. In this case your mind is the instrument which
you learn to fine tune and play.
Meditation is a skill that you will keep with you for the
rest of your life. It takes sincere effort at
first, but the results can be felt before long. Whatever
type of meditation you do, give it your best
shot for a month. Think of your practice as an investment in
your own peace of mind—it’s an
investment in yourself that will yield great benefits to
you, your family and your community. It’s
a solid investment in your future.
“Who are you guys anyway?”
This book is published by a group of people who care about
prisoners and all those affected by
crime. Our goal is to share the meditation techniques that
have been such a blessing in our lives.
We have no interest in converting you—we have nothing to
convert you to. Most of us have been
teaching meditation in prisons and jails for several years,
and we have seen the good it can do
and the lives it has changed. It gives us great pleasure to
share with you the peace and joy of
meditation.
First a word about timekeeping, posture, and distractions:
Timekeeping
A watch with an alarm is best. If you have one, set it for
the period of your meditation. If you are
meditating with others, have one person be the time keeper.
Don’t watch the clock while
meditating— it will inhibit your concentration. An alarm
clock is not preferred as it will end your
meditation with a jolt, unless you can adjust the volume.
Posture
Your posture while meditating is very important. Some styles
of meditation have precise
instructions regarding posture, but the basic idea for all
styles is to adopt a posture that keeps you
alert yet relaxed. The spine should be kept fairly straight
but not stiff. If you sit in a chair to
meditate you can place a rolled-up sweatshirt behind your
lower back. This will support your back
and also keep your upper back away from the chair so that
you don’t fall asleep. Place both feet
solidly on the floor and put your hands anywhere that’s
comfortable.
You can meditate on your bunk either by sitting on the edge
or with your back against the wall.
You can also sit on a cushion/pillow on the floor and sit
cross-legged, or build yourself a small
meditation bench, (plans are available on request).
Once you take your seat, try not to move too much. See if
you can withstand the itches without
scratching. This will help you begin to withstand the really
difficult things life throws in your path.
Distractions
Meditating in prison involves distractions; this is a given.
The only question is how you handle
them. At first they will be aggravating, but with time you
will learn to deal with them. When you
hear sounds like voices, music, TVs, slamming doors, and
loudspeaker announcements, see if you
can imagine those sounds flowing in one ear and out the
other. Try not to resist the sounds—it
won’t help. Don’t bother trying to identify the sounds; just
let them go without clinging to them
or getting angry with them. One inmate uses the slamming of
the steel doors as a “mindfulness”
bell, reminding him to return from his daydreams back to his
breath again and again. Be creative
and flexible with distractions. They will only be a problem
if you allow them to be.
The Styles of Meditation:
The five styles of meditation presented here are:
1. The Body Scan
2. Mountain Meditation
3. Centering Prayer
4. Walking Meditation
5. Kindness Meditation
1. The Body Scan
The body scan is a good way to begin a period of meditation.
You can also use the scan as the
focus for your entire meditation period. See what works best
for you. In this meditation you
visualize various parts of the body as you slowly focus your
awareness from the top of your head
to the soles of your feet.
Find a comfortable posture as described in the “posture”
section above. Now feel yourself sitting.
Feel the pressure against your legs and buttocks. Feel where
your hands are touching. Feel your
lips touching. Feel the breath going in and out of your
nostrils. Let your emotions and thoughts
settle in your body the way sediment drifts to the bottom of
a pond after a storm, allowing the
water to become clear. Let go of your pressing concerns and
important questions. Let them all go.
Now bring your awareness to the top of your head—picture it
in your mind. Now come down to
your forehead. Let go of any tightness you find there—relax
the muscles behind your eyebrows.
Raise your eyebrows so you can feel where the muscles are.
Now come down to the eyes and
their muscles. Let them relax and soften, letting go of any
tension. You need not hold it any
longer. Now come down to your jaw muscles and relax them,
letting go of any tension. Breathe
into these areas as you visualize them. This is done by
simply imagining healing breath flowing
into the area. Breathe out the tension and its toxins.
Meditation is called the practice of
purification. Allow these areas to be purified by your
awareness and your breath.
Keep your breathing easy and natural throughout the body
scan. The breath often gets shallow
when you concentrate on the body. Remember to let the breath
breathe itself naturally without
forcing it to be any particular way.
Continue the body scan down into the neck and shoulders,
softening the tension if you can . Take
your time in these areas as they are usually full of tension
and tightness. Try to bring a kind
attention to the body as you do the scan. We all have so
many issues with our bodies, parts we
like, parts we hate. The body scan makes peace with the
subtle war we wage against our
bodies—keeping your awareness soft and gentle is one way to
end this war.
If you reach a place in your body that won’t relax, that’s
okay. Just hold the place in a gentle
awareness, letting it be just the way it is.
Continue the body scan going slowly down the front of your
torso. Don’t rush—this isn’t a race.
In fact, the slower you go the better. Travel down through
the chest and pectoral muscles to your
stomach, releasing and relaxing as you go. Feel free to
travel back to areas where tension creeps
back in. Our bodies have learned to store tension in these
areas, and it will take time for it to
release. With gentle persistence, you will release an
extraordinary amount of tension and stress.
If any emotions arise while you do the scan, such as sadness
or happiness—not a problem. Just
notice how the emotion feels in your body and whether or not
it changes. Then continue
the body scan where you left-off.
Move on down into the pelvic area, releasing and
relaxing—letting go. Then travel back up to the
shoulder muscles again to release the tension you find
there. Then continue the scan through your
arms, the biceps and elbows, forearms, wrists, hands and
fingers. Take a moment to marvel at the
miracle of your five fingers. Then, travel one last time
back up to the shoulders and start the
descent down your back—through the shoulder blade muscles,
mid-back and lower back.
If you find pain anywhere take your time with that area. Holding
it in mercy and forgiveness
rather than anger and resentment. A kind attitude will
promote your healing, both mental and
physical.
Continue on through the buttocks and thighs, paying
attention to your breathing from time to
time, to see that it is relaxed. Breathe your way into your
knees and calves, ankles, feet and toes.
Now that you are relaxed, you can either start one of the
other meditations or repeat the body
scan as many times as you like, or you can go on about your
day. Enjoy!
2. Mountain Meditation
Like other meditation practices Mountain Meditation is a way
to develop calm and concentration,
as well as to deepen wisdom and open the heart. In this
meditation we use the imagery of a
mountain to deepen our sense of presence and stability.
Mountain Meditation is practiced by
focusing on the breath as you envision yourself sitting like
a mountain—peaceful and serene.
When thoughts arise, briefly notice them and then return to
the breath. This centering meditation
brings a marvelous calm and clarity to your whole being.
Find a comfortable posture as described in the “posture”
section. Now feel yourself sitting. Feel
the pressure against your legs and buttocks. Feel where your
hands are touching. Feel your lips
touching. Feel the breath going in and out of your nostrils.
Let your feelings and thoughts settle
in your mind and body, the way sediment drifts to the bottom
of a pond after a storm, allowing
the water to become clear and transparent.
Now picture your favorite mountain, perhaps one you have
climbed, or you can just imagine one.
Feel your breath at the place where you feel it most
clearly, at the nostrils or in the rising and
falling of the stomach. Feel the in-breath from its very
beginning, all the way through until your
lungs are filled. Then feel your out-breath all the way
through until your lungs are emptied. Then
start again, paying very close attention to the breath. Feel
yourself sitting calmly, solidly as if you
were the mountain. Sit with the dignity and presence of a
mountain. Feel the movement of your
breath as wind passing through the trees, moving their
branches, rustling the leaves. Feel the trees
gently moving in a wave as a wind moves up the mountain.
There’s nothing to fear no matter
how strong the wind blows. Nothing can harm the mountain.
Keep your attention on your
breath—the feel of the in-breath and out-breath—the wind
blowing through the trees on the
mountain.
Now say to yourself silently, “mountain” on the in-breath,
and say “peaceful” on the out-breath.
After you are established in following your breath, you can
let go of these words and just feel the
breath— the wind singing through the trees. Again, when
thoughts arise just notice that you are
thinking and say “later” to the thoughts, and then come back
to your breath. Be strong and
disciplined. It will pay-off.
The wind may pick up at times. You may think of something
that is disturbing: a person who
angered you or someone who has hurt you. Perhaps an
emotional “storm” is coming. Just let it
come. You don’t need to replay the argument you had in your
mind. Just sit there in the midst
of all the emotions that arise, all the storms of the mind.
From your heart-center, from the
mountain, you can endure it all. The mountain can withstand
forest fires, earthquakes, blizzards,
tornados—it’s still the mountain. Simply notice that the
feelings are unpleasant and return to
feeling your breath. Then continue to sit with the patience,
perseverance and the strong heart of
the mountain.
Riding out the bad storms
Sometimes our emotional storms are long-lasting or they keep
returning, whether we are
meditating or not. Feelings of anger and rage, sadness and
grief can be painful when they get a
strong grip on us. The good news is that meditation is an
excellent way to work with the storms,
allowing them to do what storms always do—pass on through.
While these emotions are certainly
unpleasant, the best way through them is directly into
them—into the eye of the storm. With
familiarity, our difficult emotions become more manageable
and less threatening. We are better
able to see who we are and how our “buttons” get pushed.
This understanding leads to greater
wisdom and peace of mind, and then to kinship with others,
as we see that our problems are
similar to the challenges we all face.
PLEASE NOTE: It is also advisable to seek the help of a
counselor in dealing with these mindstorms.
Counselors are helpful in not only working with difficult
emotions, but also in integrating
the insights that arise in your meditation.
Here’s a meditation technique for dealing with difficult
frames of mind. When the unpleasant
thoughts or emotions first appear, just note them as
previously mentioned. Name the emotion:
“angry,” “sad,” “lonely,” or whatever is up for you, without
going back into the memory that
triggered it. If the unpleasant emotion fades away, return
to feeling the breath.
If it doesn’t fade, or if it comes back with a vengeance, try
this. Stop meditating on the breath.
Instead, meditate on the feeling of the emotion in your
body. Concentrate on your tight chest or
knotted stomach or your clenched jaw. Feel the emotion fully
wherever it appears in your body.
Breathe into the feeling, just as instructed in the Body
Scan earlier in this book. Once again, name
the emotions as you feel them.
Remember, it’s okay to feel your emotions, whatever they may
be! Feeling our emotions
without pushing them away is deeply healing and freeing.
When we repress our feelings, or act
them out against another person, that’s when we get into
trouble.
If tough emotions persist it is often wise to give your
meditation a rest for a while and do
something else. Or, when all else fails try the Forgiveness
Meditation as described later in this
book. Riding out the storms is some of the most rewarding
work of meditation. By working with
difficult emotions you are coming to terms with who you are.
Only with this basic acceptance is
growth and transformation possible for us.
By working with tough emotions two things become clear; 1)
as we stop resisting our emotions,
and allow them to speak their piece they will eventually run
out of juice and leave us be, and 2)
our emotions are not who we are, they are just feelings that
come and go. They were
conditioned to be present by the lives we’ve led and, once
they are revealed and understood, they
lose their power over us. Then we are free to return to the
clarity and peacefulness of our true
nature.
When the mind-storms subside return to your breath, it will
keep you from wandering too far from
the mountain. No matter how many times you get lost remember
that you can always return to
your breath, to your serenity, to your heart-center—the
mountain will always be there for you.
3. Centering Prayer Meditation (special thanks to Father
Thomas Keating, one of the originators of centering prayer)
This meditation is good for those who have a strong
religious background, whatever it may be.
It can be used if you are Muslim, Christian, Jewish,
Buddhist, Native American, or any other faith.
You simply find a sacred word that has deep meaning to you
and let this word invite the divine
action of the Spirit to take place within you. This is not a
passive prayer technique by any
means—it is both dynamic and transformative.
F
ind a comfortable posture as described in the “posture”
section above. Now feel yourself sitting.
Feel the pressure against your legs and buttocks. Feel where
your hands are touching. Feel your
lips touching. Feel the breath going in and out of your
nostrils. Let your emotions and thoughts
settle in your mind and body, the way sediment drifts to the
bottom of a pond after a storm,
allowing the water to become clear and transparent.
Now allow a sacred word to rise to the surface of your mind.
A short word will do, like “Allah,”
“Jesus,” “Mary,” “Tunkashila,” “Wakan Tanka,” “Yahweh,”
“Buddho,” the name of a child you
care about, or any other name that has meaning for you.
Saying the word prepares the ground
for your meditation and for the healing action of the
Spirit.
Take a few deep breaths. Let your awareness rest on your
breath—feeling the breath as it passes
in and flows out. Feel the breath as it enters your nose and
travels into your lungs. Where do you
feel the breath most clearly? In the nostrils? In the
throat? In the rising and falling of the stomach?
Wherever you feel it most, let that be the place you feel
the breath throughout your meditation.
Feel your breath from the very beginning of the in-breath,
all the way through until your lungs are
filled, then feel the beginning of the out-breath. Feel the
out-breath all the way through as your
lungs empty themselves, then observe that moment when the
out-breath stops. Now begin again,
feeling the sensations of the in-breath where it is most
predominant.
After feeling a few breaths, it is time to bring your sacred
word into the meditation. Say the word
silently from your heart mind as you begin the in-breath,
then say it again as you breath out. It’s
as if you’re sailing along on quiet waters; your breath is
like the gentle wind filling your sails
keeping you going. Your sacred word is like the rudder
keeping you on course and centered.
During meditation there is nothing else to do, nothing to
figure out, nothing to achieve, nothing
to prove, just sail along feeling your breath and saying your
sacred word. Let go of thoughts when
they enter your mind. Let them drift in and drift away
effortlessly, without stress without strain,
saying “later” to them. Let the healing action of the sacred
word sink into your heart. After a
while, you will feel the sacred word within you and you will
no longer need to say it. Continue
feeling your breath and letting go of your thoughts, and
enjoy your meditation. It is your gift to
yourself.
4. Walking Meditation
Walking meditation is a good alternative to sitting
practice. It’s particularly suited to “lock-downs”
and other times when you’re in your cell, or out in the
yard. It is the same as sitting meditation
only instead of feeling your breath, you are feeling the
movement of walking. By focusing on the
sensations in the feet and legs you are, once again,
unifying your mind and body in the present
moment. Walking meditation is a perfect complement to the
serenity of sitting meditation. It brings
a bright energy to your practice.
Some find it easier to concentrate on their footsteps than
on their breath, especially when they just
can’t sit still. Try it for yourself and see how walking
meditation works best for you.
To begin, choose a path the length of your cell. Set a timer
for 10 or 15 minutes (increase the time
as you like). Now stand quietly. Close your eyes. Feel
yourself standing—the pull of gravity on
your body, the pressure on your feet. Relax your shoulders.
Relax your breathing. There is no
where to go, nothing to do, just enjoy the peace of standing
still. Listen to the sounds around you.
No need to figure them out, just let them drift in and out
of your mind.
Now open your eyes and view your walking path. Make the
resolution to keep your concentration
on your feet as you walk the length of the path. Now slowly
begin walking. Feel the sensations of
lifting your foot, moving it forward, and then placing it on
the ground. Say to yourself “lifting,”
“moving,” “placing” with each movement. Allow your walking
to be slow and peaceful. Stay
relaxed—you can’t do it wrong as long as you pay attention.
Just remember to return your
concentration to your feet when you notice that you are
thinking thoughts. Let the thoughts go
and return to your feet.
You’ll soon realize that, unlike our usual walking, we’re
not going anywhere in walking
meditation. It’s another means to access the peacefulness of
being present. Don’t feel as if you
need to accomplish anything. Just imagine that your body is
taking you for a walk.
Eventually you will notice more of the sensations of
walking—the feeling of your clothes brushing
past your legs, the feeling of your toes bending, the point
when your awareness shifts from one
foot to the other, when a step begins and when it ends. Try
your best to stay focused. You’ll be
amazed at how relaxing and enjoyable walking meditation can
be.
5. Kindness Meditation
“Kindness” is a loaded word in prison. It’s often confused
with weakness or passivity—not
particularly healthy traits on the “inside.” But Kindness
Meditation is not about being “warm and
fuzzy.” It is a practice that actually strengthens our
hearts and increases our ability to connect with
others at the deepest levels. Kindness Meditation brings out
our best nature, helping us to be of
service to our brothers and sisters both inside and outside
of prison. It also reconnects us with that
person whom we so frequently neglect—ourselves.
Kindness Meditation is done by repeating phrases silently to
yourself. Use the phrases listed below
or invent your own. The idea is to find words that connect
you with your heart and the hearts of
others. Don’t be surprised if the phrases don’t seem to be
working at first. They operate on a
subtle level, so even when you aren’t feeling loving or
kind, a transformative and healing process
is going on—you can count on it.
Reserve 5 or 10 minutes a day for either of the two Kindness
Meditations. Do it consistently for
a month and see how it affects you.
Kindness Meditation #1
Find a comfortable position—a little more relaxed than the
other meditation postures. Tune in to
the feeling of your breath going in and out of your body.
Let all thoughts and concerns settle and
fade away. Now picture in your mind’s eye someone whom you
love or like a lot. It can be a
child, a parent or friend, a mentor, or anyone else you
particularly like or respect. Continue to
picture the person and feel the feelings that arise. Take
your time with the phrases—let them sink
in. Repeat them for as long as you like. You can say them
for a while towards one person, then
change to another person as you wish. Once you know the
phrases, say them with your eyes
closed. Make the meditation your own.
“May you be happy.”
“May you be safe from harm.”
“May you be healthy.”
“May you be peaceful.”
“May you be loved.”
Before you leave this Kindness Meditation always save some
time to direct kindness towards
yourself. Simply replace “you” with “I”, so you say, “May I
be happy,” “May I be safe from
harm” and so on.
This may well be the most important part of the meditation.
Kindness Meditation #2 (Forgiveness)
This next meditation is also very powerful. It’s called
Forgiveness Meditation. It’s made up of three
parts; forgiveness towards ourselves, forgiveness towards
others, and asking others to forgive us.
It is very important to use your good sense in knowing when
you’re ready to forgive and when
you are not. For example, before you forgive another person,
it’s important that you first work
through the anger and pain they have caused you. Also,
forgiveness of oneself is only appropriate
once you’ve come to terms with what you have done that needs
forgiveness. It’s important to
consider why you did something harmful and make the resolve
not to do it again. But, it is the
quality of mercy that we are generating here—a quality that
the world can surely use more of. In
the end, only you know when it’s the right time to forgive.
Like the first Kindness Meditation, Forgiveness Meditation
should be done on a daily basis. It’s
also very helpful when you’re really down and depressed.
Forgiveness Meditation gradually shifts
your feelings of guilt, anger and frustration in a natural
way. Set a regular time for Forgiveness
Meditation and give it a good try.
Here are some phrases for you to use. Choose the ones you
like or invent your own. It helps to
have a photo of yourself as a child. If you have a photo,
place it front of yourself, or if you don’t
have one, then picture yourself as a kid—an innocent child.
Now turn your attention to the feeling
of sitting. Hear the sounds as they arise and pass away.
Feel your breath passing in and out of
your nose. Now relax. Once you know the phrases close your
eyes, while holding the image of
yourself as a child.
“I forgive myself.”
“I give myself permission to be a learner.”
“I give myself permission to make mistakes.”
“I will try not to repeat my mistakes. I forgive myself for
having made them.”
“Let me earn the right to be forgiven by my efforts not to
repeat my mistakes.”
“I’m doing the best I can.”
“I forgive myself.”
“I have carried the burden of this shame and guilt for long
enough.”
“I forgive myself.”
When doing forgiveness of others simply address the
meditation to them instead of yourself. For
example, “I forgive you,” and so on. Then modify the words
when asking for the forgiveness of
others. “Please forgive me,” and so on. The repetition of
these phrases eventually softens
emotions that have hardened over time, allowing a more
peaceful attitude towards ourselves and
others. Life is too short to carry old grudges—especially
the grudges we carry against ourselves.
***
We hope this booklet has been useful to you. We welcome your
comments and
questions. You may contact us
c/o Doug Booth
1223 South St. Francis Drive, Suite C
Santa Fe, NM 87505
MAY YOU BE AT PEACE
