1. Know what forgiveness is and why it matters
Studies have shown that forgiving others produces strong psychological benefits for the one who forgives. It has been shown to decrease depression, anxiety, unhealthy anger, and the symptoms of PTSD. However, we don’t just forgive to help ourselves, we forgive because it leads to psychological and spiritual healing within ourselves which is then extended towards others.

2. Become “Fit for Forgiveness”
Just as you would start slowly with a new physical exercise routine, it helps if you gradually build up your forgiving heart muscles, incorporating regular ‘workouts’ into your everyday life. This course will teach you the steps you need to take to get to the space of self-forgiveness and forgiveness towards others.

3. Discover WHY it hurts
We will provide you with a safe and supportive environment in which you can address your inner hurt and navigate your way out of it.

4. Develop and train yourself to radiate from a space of forgiveness
It is science. Researchers have discovered that when people successfully imagine forgiving someone (in a hypothetical situation), they show increased activity in the neural circuits responsible for empathy. This tells us that empathy is connected to forgiveness and is an important step in the process. This course will help you learn how to re-frame your experiences from a compassionate and understanding perspective.

5. Learn the lessons of your suffering
When we suffer a great deal, it is important that we find meaning in what we have endured. Without realising the lessons of suffering, a person can lose a sense of purpose, which can lead to hopelessness and a despairing conclusion that there is no meaning to life itself. If we were to give one answer as to why you should find meaning in your suffering, it is because we can then use our suffering to become more loving and to pass that love onto others.

6. When forgiveness is hard, call upon other strengths
This course will teach you where to look in the Bible for answers to the questions surrounding forgiveness and help fortify you with the tools needed to get to forgiveness when it is the most difficult for you to do so.

7. Forgive yourself
Most of us tend to be harder on ourselves than we are on others and we struggle to love ourselves. If you are not feeling lovable because of actions you’ve done in the past, you will need to work on self-forgiveness and give to yourself what you offer to others who have hurt you: a sense of inherent worth, despite your actions. Without self-forgiveness, you cannot forgive others

8. Develop and live through a healed and healthy heart
When we learn to open our hearts to forgiveness, we can then be moved to create an atmosphere of forgiveness in our homes and workplaces. We can learn to practise forgiveness as a lifestyle, which can help others who’ve been harmed, to overcome their suffering and can protect our communities from a cycle of hatred and violence.

If you sign up for this course, we will meet once a week for 60-90 minutes. Each session will include a 60-minute workshop, followed by an optional 30-minute question and answer session.

Throughout the weeks of the workshop, we’ll guide you through your independent practice in between meetings. We will also continue to interact and share practices through a closed Facebook group.

Additionally, each student will have a 1-1 meeting with Joseph Wisdom Sesay to discuss what they hope to achieve in their spiritual journey.

The last session will be a closing session, where you can share your experiences, thoughts and observations.

The course will be held in English and everyone is welcome! No previous knowledge of the spiritual realm or experiences of it is required.