sweet surrender
Surrender. I love this word, however, in the main stream it is associated with losing a battle or losing control. It almost has a negative meaning. To Surrender in sanskrit has a different meaning.
Ishvara pranidhana – Surrendering (pranidhana) to a higher source (Ishvara). Beautiful.
Surrender is a wonderful life-enforcing and therapeutic exercise. There will come a day when we will all have to let go of the physical shell that we live in and surrender completely.
Our expectations, old mechanisms, judgements and criticism hold us back. When we hold on, nothing flows, we become stagnant. Stale.
Everyday Buddhist’s practice the art of letting go to ease suffering and pain. True happiness only happens when we let everything just fall away.
I use the term surrender a lot in my classes. I constantly remind my students that the journey is all about letting go. Life is a constant Letting go. Letting go of what we think we are. When we begin to surrender it’s like butter melting in our mouth. Things dissolve and life takes on a different meaning. The asana takes on a different meaning. We don’t need to think about it, we just do it. Breathe and Be it.
Surrendering is not an easy practice for anyone, especially in Yoga. It can seem a rather alienating experience at first, but as we work through a pose with balance, breathing and inner focus, things happen. We experience a deep letting go, a release. Just like in life itself. Surrender to your Ego and say Yes. Breathe. Observe what happens.
The strongest person in the class is always the one who takes a rest. The one who relaxes in childs pose when they most need it. Stop and listen to your body next time your in class. If you do one less chaduranga does it really matter?
It is called self-surrender. Self surrender rightly practised, helps to achieve the ultimate aim of the yogui, superconsciousness.
If we switch off and allow the parasympathetic nervous system to engage we can go deeper. Our minds surrender. Our bodies surrender. we melt, we become soft. We allow the body to go into re-wiring mode. It is then that the body can heal itself, enabling the energy to flow through us creating a harmonious state. Like water flowing through a river. An eternal flow and depth.
The one true power we have is choice. The choice to live the life we wish too. We may not be able to control the results, something greater has the power, but we can surrender and let go of expectations. To truly become who we are, we have to surrender to the limited perception of who we think we are – the little self in order to realize the higher Self, our divine potential. if we can incoporate this practice into our lives, surrender to ourselves, to something greater, we open doorways. Through surrendering and letting go we find freedom. Freedom in our hearts, bodies and mind.
So, Surrender to Ustrasana, surrender to whatever is, surrender to love. Let go and let life unfold. Trust.
“What would happen if you let everything to be exactly as it is.” Adyashanti