Many of us tend to think of “surrender” as a dirty word. I often see an incredulous expression on clients’ faces when I talk about the act of surrendering; it is like I am asking them to give up or give in. But, actually, surrendering is sometimes empowering. It asks us to let go, or at least to loosen our grip. By submitting to certain situations and circumstances, we place trust in the process of life. Whatever the outcome may be is merely a natural development. When we are no longer over-governing our lives, our minds can be clear of distracting thoughts.
We have become a society of controllers. Our thoughts and actions are often dictated by fear of what another person will or will not do. To stay “ahead of the game,” we try and control everything in our power: another person, a situation, a belief…
I come from a line of demanding women on both sides of my family tree, so I am very familiar with this desire to dominate. Over the years, I have continuously worked on letting go of the reins of life. I have learned to trust life’s process, even when I am scared. Do you trust the process? How do you let go and surrender in your own life? Or do you not?
As someone who has been practicing meditation for over 40 years, I find that chanting is the best tool for letting go. It asks your mind to relax by creating a new pathway of thinking in your brain. Coincidentally, this will only happen if you surrender to the act of chanting. That means you need to press past the weirdness you may initially experience when repeating syllables out loud. Once you incorporate it into your life — practicing daily, maybe even multiple time