Releasing Resentment

Do you ever feel stuck? How about frustrated? Do you wonder why it just drives you nuts when someone does something you think they should not do or why you hold on to really old anger? The root of these feelings could be resentment.

Resentment comes in many forms, though it is usually deeper than we consciously acknowledge. It can be tempting to look at resentment very superficially. For example, others have something you wish you had and you resent them for it. The problem with this thinking is that it doesn't really get at the root of the resentment. The problem isn't really your wishing you had something that someone else has, the real problem is your feelings of deprivation, feelings regarding what you do or don't deserve, fear or pain that holds you back and keeps you from getting what you want in life etc.

Every emotional wound we do not heal can be fertile ground for resentment. Sometimes the biggest obstacle to really healing and letting go of the wound is that we're afraid that somehow if we do so, we are letting the person that hurt us off the hook. It's as if we keep the wound tender and decide that it really can't heal completely until the person that hurt us changes, or does something for us to make up for what was done in the past. The problem with this thinking is that it nearly guarantees we stay wounded.

Resentment weighs us down. Resentment can make us bitter, give us an unhelpful edge, and blind us to the love and beauty that surrounds us. Releasing any amount of resentment can make us feel lighter and frees us to pursue what matters most to us. There are many tools that can help us achieve this release including writing in a journal, therapy and doing some kind of volunteer work. Freely giving of ourselves to others can inspire a sense of gratitude and well being that can help loosen the grip of resentment. Meditation can also be useful in helping to identify why we are holding on to the resentment and various images of release can help to affirm an actual release.

For more help with this, check out my guided meditation Releasing Resentment. It takes you on a journey to release the resentment you have been carrying with you. It is from my CD Epic Meditations. A newly developed extended version is also available on NatureMusicDownload. This version includes beautiful background music to enhance the meditation experience.

Copyright © 2009, Lisa Wagner