Reflecting

 Daily Reflection – Beyond Forgiveness

Today’s gathering was on the topic of amendments. For me, I don’t hold grudges anymore. Even with my sister in England—after I mentioned therapy, I haven’t heard from her. For years she talked down on me, but I don’t feel anger. How can I? I’ve found peace—even while sleeping on a bench. That kind of peace doesn’t make sense to most people.

I wake up looking forward to yoga, to stretching, to breathing. My joy is not in a car or a home—it’s in the body, in discipline, in movement. That’s why the rooms feel different for me. They often dwell on the past. But I’ve moved past the past. The trauma isn’t in the mind—it’s in the veins, in the body. Through yoga, through breath, I’ve released it.

Even the reverend who once evicted me now greets me warmly. I show no vengeance. Forgiveness has already happened. And I realize—true forgiveness begins with the self. Once I forgive myself, forgiving others is natural.

I see now that my path is different. My platform is bigger than the rooms. Forgiveness, healing, discipline—they live in the body, not just in words.

—Ade Olude | Yoruba Yogi