Happiness Break: A Note to Self on Forgiveness, with Alex Elle (encore)

The Science of Happiness

PRX and Greater Good Science Center

Science, Social Sciences

4.4 • 1.9K Ratings

🗓️ 5 September 2024

⏱️ 11 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Letting go of our regrets can motivate us to improve and help us grow. Alex Elle, a certified breath work and writing coach, guides us through a meditation to forgive and accept ourselves.

Link to episode transcript: https://tinyurl.com/5dzrzm4z

How to Do This Practice:

1. Take a deep breath. As you exhale, remember all you have done in the past that led you to come to be where you are today.

2. Remember that you are allowed to forgive yourself and let it go. Give yourself permission to release any shame that you’re carrying. Forgive yourself.

3. Think of the good things about yourself. Trust your worth and acknowledge that you are evolving. Remember, you are worthy of good things even when you think you are now.

4. When you’re ready, you can bring your attention back to the present moment. Take a few deep breaths in through the nose, and out through the nose. Drop your shoulder and unclench your jaw.

5. If you’d like to take this practice a step further, you can write your own letter of self forgiveness, it can start with “Dear self, I forgive you for …”

Today’s Happiness Break host:

Alex Elle is a certified breath work coach, author and restorative writing teacher. Her new book, How We Heal, will come out soon.

Learn more about Alex and her new book: https://www.alexelle.com/about
Follow Alex on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alex/
Follow Alex on TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@easewithalexl

Science of Happiness Episodes like this one

How to Forgive Your Father: https://tinyurl.com/2p98e3cy
Nine Steps to Forgiveness: https://tinyurl.com/mwwhbrs6

Happiness Break Related Episodes

A Meditation for Seeking Forgiveness, With Shelly Tygielski: https://tinyurl.com/yynvm6av
Radical Acceptance, With Tara Brach: https://tinyurl.com/4k3f563m

Message us or leave a comment on Instagram @scienceofhappinesspod. E-mail us at [email protected] or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Help us share The Science of Happiness!

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Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	I'm Dacker Kelner.
0:05.0	Welcome to Happiness Break, a series by the science of happiness
0:10.0	where we share research back practices to give you a boost in your day, all in under 10 minutes.
0:15.2	Today we're doing a guided practice in self-forgiveness, a gentle reminder to give ourselves the compassion
0:21.9	that we so readily give to other people.
0:24.5	We know from research from my colleagues here at UC Berkeley that practicing self-compassion
0:28.2	helps us grow from our regrets.
0:30.3	We're more accepting about whatever it is that happened and that acceptance can lead to a motivation to improve.
0:36.0	Self-forgiveness also supports our parasympathetic nervous system, including the Vegas nerve,
0:41.0	which as you may know helps regulate heart rates and is a key player in our social connections.
0:45.0	Guiding us in today's meditation is Alex L.
0:49.0	Alex is a certified breathwork coach, author, and restorative writing teacher. I hope you enjoy this note to self on forgiveness.
1:15.0	Dear Self, the pain from old wounds can sometimes linger and cling to you like a second skin that you can't
1:26.3	seem to outgrow.
1:29.3	Perhaps even make you want to forget who you are and who you were and all it's taken to get here.
1:38.0	But I'd like for you to breathe into the fact that you are still standing and I am proud of you and who you're
1:47.2	becoming. There's an air of self-awareness that you've grown to know deep in your bones.
1:57.0	And on every exhale, I hope you remember that.
2:05.0	Where you've been and what you've walked through
2:08.0	has shaped each footstep that you've left behind.
2:14.0	There will be times in this journey
2:16.0	where even though you've reached new heights in your quest
	...

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