Istighfaar with what frame of mind
When making istighfaar, imagine that you are completely soiled with sins from my head to feet. By making istighfaar, your sins are slowly being washed away.
Imagine a person sitting with a dirty cloth under the tap and as he is washing it, it is slowly getting cleaned. In the same way by making istighfaar, slowly my sins are being washed away and my heart is being cleansed
(Mufti Mahmood Gangohi Rahmatullah Alaih)