Pardon, for good health

If you have been nurturing a grudge against somebody for a while then maybe it is time for you to let it go. It might be the healthiest decision you might make in your life!

I remember an intelligent woman I met a few years ago who had to leave her successful career due to debilitating dizziness spells. It transpired that as a child she had been severely bullied by her elder sister. I checked with her if she was ready to forgive her estranged sister.

Though she dismissed my query, she came back the following week looking visibly at peace. After some deliberation she had sent out a ‘forgiveness email’ to her sister. She got a prompt warm reply and suddenly felt “years of bitterness falling away”.

For Good HealthHowever, what was most amazing was that there was a remarkable decline in her dizziness spells and soon she resumed work! Admittedly, not all recoveries are so sensational. At times, the process of forgiveness might take a little longer. But the bad news is that high cortisol levels are clearly linked to unforgiveness.

Unforgiving people are prone to cardiovascular problems, chronic back pain, impaired neurological functioning, suppressed immunity, anxiety and depression, not to mention lack of social network, as every grudge is hoarded and nurtured till the world seems very hostile. Forgiveness research also highlights an interesting dimension as far as gender differences are concerned. Women are more likely to forgive than men, but both are equal in seeking revenge.


That might be the reason that more women try to kiss and make up after a fight but will run themselves down to get even if they are deeply hurt.

I can say from my own experience that building my forgiveness skills has been very liberating. I feel very much at peace with my family, friends and colleagues. Forgiveness should be incorporated into one's personality, be made a way of life,Exercise for good health
not merely a response to specific insults.

Find time every day to meditate. Do deep breathing and scan your mind for any resentment you are keeping locked in. Visualize it as a tight knot holding you down. Breathe into it slowly. Imagine it slowly melting away and leaving you feeling light and free.
If there is a deep-seated hostility against somebody from the past, writing a forgiveness letter to the person might help. If you do not want to mail it, then burn it away and imagine your feeling of revenge disappearing too. For some people the feeling is the same, though the persons causing it might keep changing.

A daily ritual of writing forgiveness notes might be a useful safety valve.

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There might be people who are insensitive, inconsiderate and abusive at times. Do not let their negative vibe rub off on you. Move to a higher level of being. Keep the energy around you free and uncontaminated.