Forgiveness is a powerful form of self-healing. It's important to learn to let go of toxic emotions because bitterness and resentment are physiologically harmful to the person who harbors them. Forgiveness is something you can do primarily for your own benefit. Holding a grudge drains your energy and compromises your wellbeing. In The HeartMath Solution, Doc Childre and Howard Martin explain, "Forgiving releases you from the punishment of a self-made prison in which you're both the inmate and the jailer."