Are you inspired by the plethora of New Year posts, messages and articles instructing us to make lists and claim what is rightfully ours....go out and get; be your best; do your best; reach and grab your success; be ready to take on 2022?
My recent social media break has probably made me more sensitive to this barrage of illusory New Year suggestions, unleashing a huge howl of despair...... NOooooo.....with the hope that you can hear me. There is nothing to take on! There is only everything to receive.
And so I'm inspired to write this New Year blog on surrender.
We are all so conditioned in the belief that nothing will ever come to us in life unless we reach out and grab it. It is drummed into us almost from the moment we are born, not left to watch and wonder, but instead instructed to reach for the dangling mobile stars, as they circle above our head to a tuneless rendition of Twinkle Twinkle.
No one talks to you about the magic of life, its cycles and flows; no one lets you move with the cycles and flows, experimenting and waiting patiently to see what is delivered. No. You are taught to take control of nature, of life, to be superior, and most importantly, to be at the top. This creates fear, nothing but fear, making us distrust the natural and easy flow of life. And that is why, whenever I talk about surrendering, letting go, handing your big issues over, you stare at me bewildered and confused. The notion of surrender is a huge one for many of us to get our heads around, and yet this is why we practice yoga, learning to surrender our egos into postures, meditations, our breath, so we can become empty and create space to receive. It's like re-birth, starting again, so we can connect back to what is important - to Mother Nature, to the whole, to life!
When you live in fear, controlling every aspect of your life by pitting your individual will against the whole, Pride will begin to rule your life. Your will is the foundation of human pride - it is the belief that you as an individual can control the forces of nature and come out on top. In business we see this everywhere - in the modern world, hierarchy, competitiveness and ego are considered normal, even healthy. So why are so many of us collapsing under the pressure, experiencing burn-out from this relentless climb to the top?
Real health is only found when your inner being is completely at ease with life's inherent uncertainty. Societal conditioning tells you that if you really want something badly enough, you make it happen. If you base your life on this premise, pride and ego will gradually grind down your immune response, leading to stress and premature ageing, not to mention a whole host of potential problems or diseases associated with the weakening of your immune system. If you try to force life to follow your will, you may well succeed in achieving your goals, but at what cost? By moving against nature, you deny yourself true happiness and replace it with an addiction to stress. When you are unable to relax, even for a single moment, unable to sit still in meditation for a few seconds, twitching your fingers and toes during savasana at the end of practice, you are a victim of your ego and identity, craving security in your identity, frightened to let it go and see what is left behind in the emptiness. unable to hand over your tensions, worries, labels to Mother Earth and be held in her arms just for a few moments of deep relaxation.
The process of surrender begins with the understanding that your higher purpose is something you must tune into, rather than impose upon the world. And again, a regular practice of connecting to self, understanding your self, prioritising your self and your health, will lead to a strengthening of your immune system, your nervous & glandular system, nurturing a gradual slowing down of all your systems. In fact your thymus gland, associated with the heart, will begin to engage at a higher level and some curious things will happen throughout your being. You may notice that you feel physically and emotionally warmer on the inside as the higher functioning of the thymus gland releases a soft vibration throughout your chest area, bringing with it a wonderful feeling of open-heartedness and warmth. It all starts with listening, deep listening to your intention without needing to do anything, just listening to the higher purpose inside you. You are then no longer identified with your own ego - it becomes something you just use, like a costume you put on before a show. You embrace the energy of pride and ego that lies within us all, and simply use it in the service of your higher purpose.
My wish for you all is to embrace the notion of surrender, to be passive and curious, and patiently wait for life to deliver its gems. Because it will. The moment your body and mind relaxes, returning to ultimate health, you will synchronise with the natural rhythms of Earth, of the Infinite, of life.
Ranjan and I have created programmes of classes, consultations and retreats all designed to guide you towards relaxation and surrender, back to vibrant health, so you can tune in to your purpose and live it. May 2022 be the year when you surrender, by
Subscribing to regular classes with our Full Membership Package.
Putting yourself and your health first with an Ayurvedic Consultation
Learning to relax and connect to Mother Nature on our Sri Lanka Retreat
Comments