80: The Power Of Merciful Forgiveness, & 6 Ways To Stimulate The Parasympathetic Nervous System

This episode is about forgiveness and the amazing gifts that open up to us when we "let go and let God."  Drew shares his story of overcoming a traumatic childhood filled with abuse, drugs, and violence.  Drews tells of his heartbreaking experience when his father burned him with cigarettes for not putting his shoes on fast enough, left him outside to sleep in the rain, and stabbed his sister in the eye with a fork. 
Despite the challenges he faced at such a young age, Drew managed to turn forgiveness into a superpower that has helped him heal and transform his life.

Drew begins by explaining the psychological stages of forgiveness. He notes that the first step in forgiving someone is to acknowledge what they did and that it was wrong. The next step is to make the decision to forgive them, and then work on empathy by trying to understand why they did what they did. Drew suggests that sometimes people hurt others because they are themselves hurt, and that understanding this can help in the process of forgiveness. He emphasizes that forgiving someone does not mean justifying their actions or excusing them, but rather choosing to let go of the anger, sadness, and resentment associated with the pain.

Drew explains that forgiveness can lead to special gifts and experiences, and shares a personal example:   He used to have a recurring dream about a monster that was very scary. Eventually, he realized that the monster represented his abusive father. Once he forgave his father, the monster in his dreams became friendly and the nightmares ceased. Drew notes that trauma can be fuel for transformation, and that waking up during the dream was a one of the supernatural gifts.

Drew also stresses the importance of forgiving oneself, especially for people who struggle with addiction or negative self-talk. He notes that we also need to forgive family members, and suggests that reaching out to them to apologize or to let forgive them can be very healing.

The podcast episode provides scientific evidence for the benefits of forgiveness. Drew explains that forgiveness can reduce anxiety and cortisol, improve mental health and emotional wound healing, and even improve physical health by lowering blood pressure. He notes that forgiveness can also increase trust and optimism, and lead to longer life and positive emotions.

To help activate the parasympathetic nervous system, Drew suggests a few exercises, including deep breathing, singing or humming, gargling water, cold therapy (such as cold showers or immersing your face in cold water), and using a chi machine or doing wall sits. Drew emphasizes that forgiveness can also increase our "I am safe vibes," which can lead to even more benefits.

Overall, the podcast episode offers a powerful message about the transformative power of forgiveness, and provides practical exercises and scientific evidence to support the benefits of forgiveness.

Listen to Ho'oponopono Meditation for Healing, Forgiveness & Sleep here https://youtu.be/V8RpkTpP3gM

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