March 26, 2012
Ishvarapranidhana ~ Surrender
This radiant teaching of Ishvarapranidhana, is allowing yourself to let go of control and to go with the flow of life. If we let go of expecting life to go the way we desire, we can experience true appreciation for all of the opportunities that surround us. As His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama states; “Not getting what you want in a wonderful stroke of luck.”
When you can have faith that there is a Divine force in your life, and trust in the Universe completely, you are practicing Ishvarapranidhana. Surrender.
Deborah Adele explains, “Ultimately this guideline invites us to surrender our egos, open out hearts and accept the higher purpose of our being. The yogis tell us that we can live this way all the time, unless we are getting in our own way.”
Savasana, or corpse pose is the ultimate posture of letting go…and is the most challenging posture to “master”. Here, we learn to let go of control, to cease rigidity and to stop fighting with life. It’s truly a powerful gift we offer ourselves.
Ponder these fine words from Swami Chetanananda,
“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.”
