The Daily Mind

Daily Steps To Mindful Living

guided meditation

Monday Meditation: A Meditation Script for Letting Go of the Past

Meditation, Mental Health, Mind, Mindfulness

Now that 2020 is over, it’s time to let go of emotions, attitudes, and thoughts that no longer serve you. Meditation can help you feel centered, grounded, and ready for the year ahead. Here’s a meditation script for letting go of the past.

A Meditation Script for Letting Go of the Past

Sit upright on your mat or your chair. If you’re feeling particularly anxious, feel free to simply lie down on your bed and supported with a pillow or yoga bolster. Scan the body from the top of your forehead to the tips of your toes, then become aware of the weight of your body against the chair, mat, or bed.

Notice the rhythm of your breath. Observe whether your natural breath feels shallow or deep, at ease or heavy. No need to change the breath or force it into a pattern that feels uncomfortable—simply watch the current pace of your inhalations and exhalations.

Set your intention for your meditation practice today. Since this meditation is a meditation script for letting go of the past, consider aligning your personal intention with that overall theme. What have you been holding onto? And what would you like to leave behind?

Observe the thoughts that enter the mind. And instead of holding on to them, simply watch them as you would watch vehicles moving across the street, or foam in a roll of waves. Notice how one thought floats off, and another one appears.

Recognize that thoughts, memories, and emotions about the past are fleeting. How does your body hold onto the past? Notice any tightness in the neck or in the chest, or maybe in the hips. Mindfully soften and relax any tense areas that are calling out to you.

Then, begin to repeat the following affirmations to yourself: The past has no power over me. Fear no longer holds me down. I am ready to move forward. I embrace gratitude. Repeat those statements to yourself about three to five times.

Notice how the body and breath respond to these affirmations. Do you feel lighter? Perhaps you feel more at ease. See if you can now deepen the breath. In fact, you may also practice your lion’s breath, which entails inhaling through the nose and exhaling completely through the mouth.

When you are ready to end your meditation, scan your body again. Then, open your eyes.

Monday Meditation: A Self Forgiveness Meditation Script

Meditation, Mental Health, Mind, Mindfulness

Forgiving oneself can be more difficult than forgiving others. However, remember that forgiveness is a conscious decision that one must make each day. It isn’t something you simply achieve in a single moment—it requires practice and effort, as well as the willingness to let go.

To practice forgiveness, then, is a way to gradually release yourself from grief and cultivate self-love. Below is a self forgiveness meditation script that you may find helpful.

Begin seated or lying down. You may sit down comfortably on a chair or cushion. You may also lie down on your back on your bed or yoga mat. Scan the body from the tips of your toes all the way to the crown of your head. Feel the rhythm and cadence of your breath. Then when you are ready to begin your meditation, begin to observe your emotions.

Notice any emotions and emotional barriers are rooted within you, from having carried grief, pain, and all the other hurts that come with struggling with self forgiveness.

Observe the physical sensations that come with these emotions. Do you feel heavy and weighed down? Is there a knot in your chest? There is no need to judge or resist these emotions and sensations. Simply observe them, and allow them to flow through you.

As you continue to be aware of and pay attention to your emotions, make the intention to let everything go—from the sorrowful experiences that you’ve had in the past, to the pain that you carry with you now. Let your body be soft and your breath be gentle, as you tell yourself: I forgive myself for all the ways I have hurt myself and others. I invite forgiveness into my heart. I forgive myself.

Continue to repeat this phrase to yourself, for as long as you desire. Most importantly, be patient. If you still feel angry or hurt even when the meditation is over, tell yourself that forgiveness is a process as much as meditation is a practice.

When you feel that your meditation is over, come back into your body and breath. Wiggle the fingers and the toes, and allow gentle movement to ground you back to the present moment. Open the eyes, and be grateful for the time and space that you’ve given yourself.