Happiness Break: A Meditation for Seeking Forgiveness, With Shelly Tygielski

Join our limited newsletter The Science of Habits to get curated, science-backed tips to help make your New Years resolution stick in 2024. https://ggsc.berkeley.edu/podcasts/habits When we practice forgiveness, studies show we can have healthier relationships, higher self-esteem, and less anxiety and depression. Link to episode transcript: https://tinyurl.com/mt9uwad8 How to Do This Practice: Find a comfortable place to begin the practice. Soften your gaze and take a few slow, deep breaths. Imagine there is a light made of compassion, love and understanding all around you. As the light comforts you, think of a person you would like to seek forgiveness from. Take note of any emotions that arise. Imagine sincerely apologizing to them. Visualize a bridge connecting you and the individual. Know that while forgiveness is not always immediately accepted, you've taken the first step towards healing. Turn your forgiveness towards yourself, breathing in love and compassion. End this practice by reconnecting with your body and refocusing your gaze, remembering that the journey of forgiveness is ongoing. .Today’s Happiness Break host: Shelly Tygielski is a trauma-informed mindfulness teacher based in Florida. To get Shelly Tygielski and Justin Michael Williams’ book How We Ended Racism: go to howweendedracism.com or your favorite book seller. Learn more about Shelly’s work: https://tinyurl.com/26xkdnku Follow Shelly on Instagram: https://tinyurl.com/4k4bx3nn Follow Shelly on Facebook: https://tinyurl.com/bdfsb9pt Follow Shelly on Twitter: https://tinyurl.com/2edu2fzu More resources from The Greater Good Science Center: Eight Keys to Forgiveness: https://tinyurl.com/2s4hbz3a The New Science of Forgiveness: https://tinyurl.com/5f2c7sfb How to Overcome Barriers to Forgiveness: https://tinyurl.com/22zteuyj The Power of Forgiveness at Work: https://tinyurl.com/mrx5hzvh How to Build a More Forgiving Community: https://tinyurl.com/5frja2h2 We love hearing from you! Tell us about your experience with forgiveness. Email us at [email protected] or use the hashtag #happinesspod. Find us on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/6s39rzus Help us share Happiness Break! Rate us and copy and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/6s39rzus We're living through a mental health crisis. Between the stress, anxiety, depression, loneliness, burnout — we all could use a break to feel better. That's where Happiness Break comes in. In each biweekly podcast episode, instructors guide you through research-backed practices and meditations that you can do in real-time. These relaxing and uplifting practices have been shown in a lab to help you cultivate calm, compassion, connection, mindfulness, and more — what the latest science says will directly support your well-being. All in less than ten minutes. A little break in your day.