Ultimately there is nothing I can tell you
about surrender except:
Having nothing and wanting nothing;
Not keeping score,
Not trying to be richer,
Not being afraid of losing;
Not being particularly interested in
our own personalities;
Choosing to be happy,
no matter what happens to us,
These are some of the clues.
The rest we learn with practice and grace.
Let’s Practice On!
-Swami Chetananananda
The practice of surrender may seem simple on the surface, yet for me it's one of the more challenging aspects of life. Whether I’m cultivating a dream or persistently and diligently tending something I love, the more invested and close to my heart the endeavor, the more attached I seem to be.
How do I hold a clear vision for my life or work without holding too tightly to outcome?
How do I tend the flame of passion and feed it my attention without entangling myself in how things should be?
Regardless of how carefully I plan or how fiercely I work, study and devote myself, the mystery of Life will inevitably invite the unexpected to remind me, again and again, that I am not in control. When detours show up on my path, I may resist, push back, effort or will my way forward, striving to make a mark on my life, but more times than not my energy will wane and I, most certainly, will be asked to yield. To surrender to something larger than myself.
Yield is not a static place. It’s not a melting or collapsing, but an engaged, open and responsive space. For me, it’s the sweet spot between willful action and non action; a place that is receptive to the ground beneath me, that trusts I am held and supported. It is a place that can hold tensegrity.
Within the dance it is the ground from which I practice: how to stay engaged as I release to gravity…how to be fluid in body and mind through waves of change…how to skillfully navigate the realm of choice and empower my response-ability…how to embody - on all levels of my Being - the full creative cycle from impulse to dissolution. And from this ground I slowly learned to trust. To allow. To let the dance move me.
I may still push and pull on the fabric of my life, attempting to shape it to my own making, but the more I practice yielding on the dance floor, the more consistently I can allow the mysterious, unseen forces to co.create the tapestry of my life - a tapestry woven of fluidity and grace, persistence and commitment, trust and devotion.
Contemplation: Think of an experience in your life in which you find yourself pushing to stay upright and forward facing in the world?
How did you react or respond?
What action or inaction did you take?
How did it play out?
The Dance as Practice: Allow the dance floor to be your playground. Explore, get messy and try again as you expand your capacity to trust the dance…to trust your body. Start here:
Yield - notice where there is resistance in your physical, emotional, or mental experience. Practice softening into the present, slowly and steadily letting go of tension by inviting more breath into the places that are holding. Notice where you’re exerting - on any level of your being - and gently move toward them. Push into the floor, for example, as you inhale. Sense and feel the exertion, then slowly and consciously exhale as you release any effort and yield to the floor. Push then yield until it becomes a fluid exchange between the two.
Stay Engaged - Fully participate in your dance by offering your full attention to what is arising. Stay curious, mobile and open to change as you engage your experience. Adjust to stay present while exploring the edges. Remain a witness to all that's unfolding.
Respond - Accept what is happening, while recognizing your free will and choice in response.