‘As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn’t leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I’d still be in prison’ Nelson Mandela
Mandela had plenty to be bitter about—he spent 27 years in prison in South Africa—and yet he had the insight to realise that his bitterness would continue to curb his freedom, just as prison had done. Many of our clients carry suffering from life situations such as divorce, job loss, illness, bereavement and abuse. Some of us who are trying to support them will be carrying similar pain. Forgiveness can feel as if it is too much to ask of us and yet, if we don’t try to walk that path we are limiting ourselves and depriving ourselves of true freedom.
This course will draw on ‘The Book of Forgiving’ written by Archbishop Desmond Tutu and his daughter, & Mpho Tutu. In 1995 Desmond Tutu was appointed chairman of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, a national tribunal to try to expiate the sins of apartheid in South Africa.
The heart of the book is the fourfold path to forgiveness:
- Telling Your Story
- Naming the Hurt
- Granting Forgiveness
- Renewing or Releasing the Relationship.
At each stage we will be look at ways of finding how we can heal through forgiveness and how it can be applied practically in your own life. We will also explore how we learn to forgive ourselves.
The course takes place over four sessions:
Session 1: Telling Your Story and why forgiveness matters
Session 2: Naming the Hurt and what gets in the way of forgiveness
Session 3: Granting Forgiveness and its benefits
Session 4: Renewing and Relating the Relationship and how to work on forgiving yourself
Those interested are advised to attend all four sessions to get the full impact of the model.
Participants will receive a PDF of exercises, and quotes for each session.
Course Content
Presenter
Maureen is the founding director of Awareness in Action, an organization dedicated supporting people to make sustainable wellbeing part of their lives—through developing clarity, connection and openness.
Drawing on more than thirty years of experience as a professional educator, senior manager in a non-profit organization, an entrepreneur and as an experienced practitioner of Buddhist meditation, she leads Awareness in Action workshops and training programs in the UK and Europe.
Her new book, The Stress Workbook is a groundbreaking effort that brings together the best of modern science and the wisdom of the world’s ancient contemplative traditions into a practical manual for thriving in today’s fast-paced world. Although born in London, UK love took Maureen to Amsterdam, The Netherlands where she lives with her husband.
