Surrender to Summer
Surrender to Summer
We enjoy feeling as if we have control. In the West, we’ve grown up in a culture that tells us we’ll be what we want and get what we want if we just work hard enough. When we don’t, it can be a harsh awakening. Many of us are drawn to spiritual practices like yoga or meditation to make sense of how ungrounded we feel when things don’t go the way we planned. Yet we bring this same ego, desire for control, and warlike work ethic to our mats. We approach yoga and meditation in the same mistaken way we approach our lives.
In the Yoga Sutras, a collection of ancient philosophical teachings, Patanjali outlines the Eight Limbs of Yoga. The second limb is the Niyamas — the ethical principles to be practised in daily life. One of the Niyamas is Isvara Pranidhana.
The meaning of surrender in the Yoga Sutras: Isvara Pranidhana
- “Isvara” translates as “higher power, true self, or ultimate reality”.
- “Pranidhana” translates as “surrender, offer, dedicate, or devote”.
Therefore, the Sanskrit word Isvara Pranidhana is understood to mean the complete surrender of self to a higher power.
It’s not a teaching about failure or giving up. Instead, it means to let go, accept reality, and yield to experiences. Surrendering and turning inwards, one releases the desires of the ego and embraces a devotion to an ultimate reality.
How might we surrender in yoga and meditation?
It’s not enough to just say: “Surrender.” Like anything, we really do need skills and guidance to learn how to approximate and then to do these things.
When you’re learning how to surrender:
- Set an intention. Shift the focus away from personal desires and towards a more selfless intention.
- Cultivate a sacred space. Let your space and practice be free from distractions. Commit to being present and in tune when on your yoga mat.
- Practise non-judgemental awareness. Release all expectations. Allow yourself to surrender to the unfolding experience without attachment to or judgment of outcomes.
- Listen to yourself. Rest when you need to rest, move when you need to move.
- Stay curious. When faced with discomfort or resistance, instead of avoiding or reacting, lean into the sensation and inquire into its nature.
- Embrace vulnerability. Open yourself fully to the present moment and your authentic experience.
- Cease effort. Let go of the urge to strive and achieve. Let your body and breath guide you through your practice.
- Dedicate your results. Offer the fruits of your efforts to someone or something greater than yourself, whether it be a loved one, a higher power, or the ultimate reality.
In a broader sense “surrender in yoga” could be understood as a mindset or attitude of letting go and surrendering to the present moment, accepting things as they are without resistance. This could involve surrendering control, expectations, or attachments, and embracing a sense of trust in the unfolding of life.
In this way, any yoga poses or practices that are done in the effort of cultivating a release of ego and letting go can be considered surrender in yoga.
In some spiritual traditions, surrender is seen as a path to inner peace and spiritual growth, allowing individuals to release the ego’s grip and connect with a deeper sense of self or higher power.
Yoga provides powerful ways to cultivate this state, and these offer real benefits.
Physical benefits
- Relaxation: promoting deep relaxation by releasing muscle tension and fostering calmness
- Flexibility: Holding yoga poses improves flexibility by gently stretching muscles, ligaments, and connective tissues.
- Improved circulation: The supported inversions and gentle twists will enhance blood circulation, delivering oxygen and nutrients throughout the body (according to recent studies).
- Pain relief: Surrender practices such as restorative yoga utilize supportive props in gentle poses which can provide relief for those experiencing injuries or chronic pain.
Mental benefits
- Stress reduction: Yoga activates the parasympathetic nervous system (rest-and-digest response), reducing stress hormones and promoting relaxation.
- Increased mindfulness: This practice fosters present-moment awareness, heightening mindfulness of bodily sensations, thoughts, and emotions.
- Emotional healing: Surrender practices can facilitate the release of pent-up emotions and tensions.
- Enhanced mental clarity: Surrendering to the present moment during a yoga practice encourages improved mental clarity and focus by letting go of distractions.
- More patience: A yoga sequence of poses that focuses on letting go requires patience and endurance. This helps with resilience in facing the challenges of daily life.
- Letting go of attachments: Surrender is part of many Buddhist teachings on how to let go of attachments, be calm and even-tempered, and accept the temporary nature of life.
The wisdom of Ishvara Pranidhana taught in yoga philosophy extends beyond the yoga mat and into daily life. Surrendering requires us to relinquish the perpetual pursuit and the ego’s insistence on control, thereby promoting trust in the organic unfolding of the ultimate reality. Through surrender, practitioners cultivate mindfulness, presence, and inner peace, embracing all that reality brings their way.
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