The Power of Forgiveness: How to Let Go After Betrayal | Sadhguru
Betrayal is one of the most painful experiences a person can endure. Whether it’s a partner’s infidelity, a friend’s disloyalty, or a colleague’s backstabbing, the emotional toll can be profound. It is the kind of pain that can make you question everything—your judgment, your trust, and your sense of self. Yet, as Sadhguru, a renowned spiritual leader, emphasizes, forgiveness is not just a gift we give to others, but a vital step we take toward healing ourselves.
In his teachings, Sadhguru explains that the true power of forgiveness lies in its ability to liberate us from the emotional chains of resentment and pain. But how do we move forward after someone has betrayed us? Let’s explore the steps Sadhguru outlines for forgiving and letting go after betrayal.
Sadhguru: How to Forgive & Forget Betrayal

What Does Betrayal Mean?
It is therefore crucial on the road to forgiveness to know what exactly betrayal is before proceeding through a process. Infidelity in this context means betrayal and it is not restrained to only affair. Betrayal is an overwhelming term that refers to any act of treachery, dishonesty, or harm committed by someone who does not genuinely care for you.
It could be issues like cheating emotionally, lack of honesty, violation of privacy, or even holding back in a relationship. Of course, betrayal can happen with somebody dear to you, it can be a partner or a friend but also a coworker or even a family member. The key idea found here is that betrayal erases the possibility of trust which is inevitable in any relationship.
Why Is It So Hard to Forgive?
Sadhguru explains that forgiveness is challenging because it requires us to let go of our deep-rooted pain and anger. When someone betrays us, we are left with unanswered questions. Why did they do this? Was it intentional? Did they even care? The emotional hurt can make it hard to let go of resentment, and this is where many people struggle. Our anger becomes a protective shield, guarding us from further pain and allowing us to hold onto control.
However, as Sadhguru points out, holding onto anger and resentment only traps us in the past. It keeps us emotionally tied to the person who hurt us, and rather than healing, we continue to suffer. The question is: How can we release that pain and find peace within ourselves?
The Power of Forgiveness
Sadhguru explains that forgiveness does not mean one has to justify the other’s actions and behavior. It’s about releasing one from anger and resentment that they usually bear. It means that when we forgive, we detach ourselves from that burden that holds us back to that wrong. It can be defined as a process of reclaiming one’s strength and finding the sense of calm and order needed to make progress in life.
According to Sadhguru, we should forgive without describing the person as horrible or the like, as this shall be denied to him. But we need to appreciate and respect them for the people that they are and understand all people have their imperfections. Knowing this is instrumental to a large extent helps us detach from the feelings incited by their actions. We don’t deny what occurred or what was done to us but do not allow this to govern how we feel or live.

How to Let Go After Betrayal
Recovering from betrayal and forgiving the offender is not a quick process; it requires gentleness and patience. Here are some steps you can take to release resentment and find healing after betrayal:
1. Understand Trust:
Trust is one of the most effective yet underestimated phenomena of human interpersonal connection. Sadhguru also clarifies that trust must not be considered a constraint but an enabler. Trust is understanding that the other person is free to do what he or she wants regardless of what you want them to do. It is not about how to stop them from doing what they want to do; it’s about believing that you can bear whatever they do and recognizing the fact that their actions are not determinant of your joy and serenity.
2. Acknowledge the Betrayal:
The first requirement that any person must follow when embarking on the journey to recover is to accept that the betrayal interfered with his or her life. It’s okay to take your time and to allow yourself to cry get angry and be sad when you have been betrayed. When these feelings are not expressed, the only consequence is to delay the process of recovery. If you acknowledge what has happened, you make it possible for you to find the time to work through your emotions.
3. Give It Time:
Beyond this, recovery does not happen overnight, and it is always important not to rush yourself. Sadhguru explains that taking care of someone who has betrayed you is not comfortable, and attempting to run through the process will only complicate it further. Try not to be so hard on yourself and just let the skin heels on its own when it has been injured. It is a process, not an event, therefore the magnitude and complexity of forgiveness make it a journey.
4. Talk About Your Feelings:
Another effective thing that can help a person to vent is a conversation about your emotions. Find a person you can talk to – it may be a friend, a close kinsman, or a psychologist. Informing someone about your pain lets you sort through the feelings and avoid accumulating resentment. Sadhguru does not mean that you should suppress the pain within you He says it is better to pour it out.
5. Let Go of Control:
Commonly, when one experiences betrayal, he or she may wish to hear the culprit’s apology or get some recognition from him or her. But Sadhguru says that we cannot change people, it is not our role here to change even our enemies. But more importantly, which is not often learned, is the fact that the apology, the validation that one may long for, may never come. When we stop clinging to these mechanisms, then we can no longer engage in the daily battle. The sooner we let go of the fantasy in favor of the external resolution, the sooner we can just get past it.
6. Forgive Yourself:
The aspect of forgiveness that is sometimes neglected mostly is self-forgiveness. Afraid of being alone, many people blame themselves for choosing the wrong partner or for not paying attention to signs. However, Sadhguru explains that they should do this; we need to let go of this self-blame. To trust is okay; it shows that you still have love to give and you are willing to open up to someone. If you fail to forgive yourself it means that the sting of guilt keeps you locked in the cycle of pain.
Conclusion
Forgiveness has the potential to purge us internally since it brings about changes that are at once spiritual, mental, physical, and social. According to Sadhguru and the principles highlighted in the program, It is possible to move past the feelings of betrayal and the hold that they have on an individual by forgiving. This journey may take time but it is always the best thing to do. Again forgiveness is not condoning someone’s behavior, but it means being able to let go of bitterness that hides within a person.
This is why Sadhguru says forgiveness is freedom from the prison of the self – it is about getting our happiness and our life back. Hurt is for a long time, but forgiving frees us to drop the ball and chain to continue on; as it should be. With knowledge tolerance and forgiveness for ourselves, we can recover and therefore be at peace.