Clearing the Air in the Warmth of Summer: The Practice of Forgiveness

​Summer’s all around us in its glorious splendor. What beauty! The lush green crowns of the trees sway in a breeze while heat lightning crackles in the distance and lights up the evening sky. Gardens are bursting with the colorful gifts from the season – bright yellow squash, juicy red tomatoes, and crunchy orange carrots.  What a lovely celebration of life and growth! 

​Slowly the sunlight is beginning to fade earlier in the evening, and I even saw the first yellow leaves on a tree near my home.  It won’t be long until autumn is upon us.
 
Now, in this final exhalation of the warmth of summer, we can turn inward to see if there’s anything we need to leave behind this season as compost for Mother Earth.  It’s a perfect time, in self awareness, to realize any errors we have made and to rectify them through forgiveness.  Like the afternoon rainstorm that cleanses the dry, dusty roads and clears the thick humid air, acknowledging and releasing what we don’t need will leave us feeling crystal clear, light, and unburdened to enter into the season of autumn, the time to bring actions in the world. 

​What do you need to release? Who do you need to forgive or ask for forgiveness?  Although you may choose to speak directly to the person, it’s not always necessary or possible.  
 
“The act of forgiveness takes place in our own mind. It really has nothing to do with the other person.” Louise Hay
 
When you engage in the practice of forgiveness, it can transform hurt and anger into peace and healing. Often it’s about deciding to let go of the hurt so that you no longer feel burdened by the pain. It’s not about forgetting the past or condoning or accepting hurtful actions of another.  It’s about freeing yourself so that you can move forward in your life. 
 
Forgiveness means letting go of the suffering that we experienced and the chains that bind it to us.  It’s releasing our story that exists in our mind about it.  It’s giving ourselves an opportunity to move toward a place of greater freedom, health, and happiness.
 
Out of the work of Howard Wills, here are 2 ways to help you begin to release what you need to from your life.  Use what words make sense to you for God or the Divine in the first prayer. 
 
Personal Cleansing Prayer
 
God, please help me forgive all people and all people forgive me.
Help us all to forgive ourselves.
Thank you, God, Amen.  Thank you, God, Amen.
 
 
Forgiveness Affirmation
 
I bless this day and give thanks for my life
I forgive completely all people who have hurt me (repeat 3 times)
I ask all people I have hurt to please forgive me (repeat 3 times)
I apologize to myself for my wrongs to myself and my wrongs to others
(repeat 3 times)
I apologize for all hurts or wrongs to all life forms (repeat 3 times)
I apologize for all my hurts or wrongs to the earth and the life of the earth
(repeat 3 times)
 
With this release, freedom, peace, power, and new life, I bless all creation in the universe, and I fill the entire universe with my love
 
I love and bless the earth, all life, and all humanity
 
I love, bless, and respect the visible and the invisible
 
I rejoice and give thanks for this new life, power, and health, and give complete blessings and love to all life and all creation always 

You might want to repeat this prayer or affirmation a few times a day for the remainder of August and enter into the autumn feeling lighter and more energized, ready to bring your gifts into action in the world. 
 
 
Check out the many resources available to support you in clearing your chakras in my Free Healing Library here.