Surrender

Surrender 

 It prepares us for the rest of the path 

In recovery we practice surrendering over and over again.  Sometimes it is the same issue…sometimes it’s the same subject in a different form.  To“turn it over” we must first acknowledge the part that the ego plays in our struggles.  True surrender moves beyond the control of our addiction, to surrender of our unhealthy behavior patterns. The ego fights hard to be right… to control and to judge.  Our work with the steps is to acknowledge and identify our personal challenges.  It requires trust in a higher power…a higher self…our inner wisdom. (Serenity prayer!!)  It requires doing our best with right effort and keeping the ego out of the outcome.   

Our path is progress, not perfection.  It is a practice that can result in a beautiful unveiling of the true self. 

Deborah Adele writes “As we let go of what we cannot change, we are able to grow more and more into our unique gift and contribution to life.. it is an image of strength and softness at the same time…to be strong enough to engage each moment with integrity and at the same time to live soft enough to flow with the current of life.” 

In yoga we practice sukha and sthira..softness (surrender) and strength (action)…a moving through and beyond resistance to calm the mind and create the flow of energy through the body.  We give up the egotistical illusion that we know best, and instead accept that the way life unfolds may be part of a pattern too complex to understand.  In yoga, the practice of Ishvara Pranidhana ( final Niyama in the eight fold path of yoga) is a practice of surrender to our divine within and faith in a bigger purpose.  What if we surrendered to being here now, instead of asking the question why am I here and what is my future?  Can we trust that surrendering creates space for personal power and fulfillment instead of struggling to control the outcome? 

Surrender gives us peace and serenity in the present moment, preparing us for great things as we continue on our precious journey of life. 

Practice surrendering to the moment in Recovery Yoga with meditation, breath and gentle yoga.   

See you on your mat!

Thursdays at Namaspa, 7 pm

Namaste,  Julie