Hi all,
Thought you might like to have this Mayo Clinic
abstract.

Seth-Deborah Roth

Learning To Forgive May Improve Well-Being
ScienceDaily

(Jan. 4, 2008) — Forgiveness may be good for your
health, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Holding a grudge appears to affect the cardiovascular
and nervous systems. In one study, people who focused
on a personal grudge had elevated blood pressure and
heart rates, as well as increased muscle tension and
feelings of being less in control. When asked to
imagine forgiving the person who had hurt them, the
participants said they felt more positive and relaxed
and thus, the changes dissipated. Other studies have
shown that forgiveness has positive effects on
psychological health, too.
Forgiveness doesn’t mean forgetting, condoning or
excusing whatever happened. It’s acknowledging hurt
and then letting it go, along with the burden of anger
and resentment.
There’s no single approach to learning how to forgive.
Talking with a friend, therapist or adviser (spiritual
or otherwise) may be helpful during the process, to
sort through feelings and stay on track. The January
issue of Mayo Clinic Women’s HealthSource covers four
steps that are included in most approaches to learning
forgiveness.
• Acknowledge the pain and anger felt as a result of
someone else’s actions. For forgiveness to occur, the
situation needs to be looked at honestly.
• Recognize that healing requires change.
• Find a new way to think about the person who caused
the pain. What was happening in that person’s life
when the hurt occurred? Sometimes, the motivation or
causes for the incident have little to do with those
most affected. For some people, this step includes
saying, “I forgive you.”
• Begin to experience the emotional relief that comes
with forgiveness. It may include increased compassion
for others who have experienced similar hurt.
Adapted from materials provided by Mayo Clinic.
Need to cite this story in your essay, paper, or
report? Use following formats:

MLA
Mayo Clinic (2008, January 4). Learning To Forgive May
Improve Well-Being. ScienceDaily. Retrieved January 6,
2008, from http://www.sciencedaily.com¬
/releases/2008/01/080104122807.htm




<DIV><FONT color=#6000bf>Seth-Deborah Roth RN,CRNA,NBCCH, CI,   <FONT
color=#000000><STRONG>featured on the Discovery Channel's "Myth
Busters</STRONG>"</FONT><BR></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#bf00bf><FONT
color=#6000bf><FONT face="times new roman" size=1>TM</FONT></FONT></FONT><FONT
color=#bf00bf><FONT color=#000000>      <BR></FONT></FONT></DIV> <DIV>Member
National <DIV><BR>Hypnotherapy for Health  (510) 690-0699          <A
href="http://www.hypnotherapyforhealth.com/">http://www.hypnotherapyforhealth.co\
m</A> <BR>read my blog site
http://www.hypnotichealth.blogspot.com <BR><BR><BR> </DIV></DIV>