Letting go of what’s not necessary.
When I started to plan this whole course I had many doubts and fear about how it is going to look like, what the content will be and will I be determined enough to go through with it.
Will it be enough? Will it attract any people? What if it’s not interesting enough or not pretty enough? What if it’s not enough?”
All these questions came, flooding through my mind, blinding my clarity.
My reaction to them was quite surprising: instead of telling myself that all of these are just worries and at least I will enjoy the process, I started to postpone the whole thing.
My mind won the game…
A few days later I realized that it was the silliest thing I could’ve done. Of course, it’s not going to be one of those fancy, perfectly organized and written, high-quality meditation courses but it is not my style anyway.
What I have to share is rather simple, slow and very easy to understand.
We tend to always look for something new, something better, bigger, shinier. But in fact, that’s the cause of our suffering.
What you are is enough!
Our mind will always explain why we need all those unnecessary things (and if we don’t get it… well, we know what happens then) and will listen to this voice until we know the driving force.
So on our third day I would like to write a little bit about the action of letting go, the practice of having less, doing less and wanting less.
Why is it necessary to let go?
It is of course not necessary, don’t take it too seriously.
Letting go is a very simple yet greatly challenging action and practice.
In itself, it doesn’t sound so challenging but imagine practicing something for the rest of your life. Would you take on this habit? Would you embed this amazing technique into your life, in exchange for dissolving your stress, minimizing everything that’s bothering you, annoying you, causing you anger, hatred and suffering?
Well, this is how powerful this practice is. Let’s take a closer look:
If you would be able to let go of all the unnecessary things from your living area – clothes, furniture, books, piles of papers – then you would have to clean less, organize less, have fewer responsibilities and more space to think clearly.
What if you could let go of all the unnecessary expectations you have towards yourself, others, the world or the system? You would stress less about how you look, how others talk to you, what the weather is like, how global warming is happening and so on…
Let’s take another example.
What if you could let go of wanting to control your life? If you think you can control life, you’re wrong. That’s the beauty of the illusion: you don’t know if it’s true until you realize it’s not. Instead of wanting to control your employees, events, partners, you children or even yourself, ask yourself: is it really necessary or can I just be grateful?
Try to look at those moments when you felt an urge to control a situation, otherwise it would not turn out the way you want it. You control because you have the expectations that it will turn out just how you need it, want it or desire it. All it does is it feeds our egoic self and creates even more frustration, stress, imbalance and expectation or disappointment. And we don’t want that.
Do you see where I’m going? It is a vicious circle and as I said, an illusion.
For me what is very inspiring is that we can actually become aware of how we led our lives until now. And in that realization, so many underlying patterns, conditionings, long-held pains and traumas can release, all by themselves.
So in a way we are doing therapy here. 🙂
If we learn to let go, we can enjoy life, welcome the moment and observe it unfolding in front of us.
What does that mean?
It means that life can be easy and effortless. We can recreate a lifestyle where we allow and let things happen. It might seem a rather passive and lazy way of living but it doesn’t mean we don’t have to take actions or make effort.
It only means that we have a choice if we want to live in an aggressive, stress-driven and unhappy cultural environment or we choose to practice – letting go – and enjoy this freeing way of living.
Also, if we let go now, we also have less mess to clean up later – not to mention all the free time you will have if you live this way… 😉
If you are judging all of this mentally, now you see that that’s what our mind does: it finds problems, creates ideas, forms beliefs, so it is “safe” and able to control.
Click play to start the meditation:
After each guided meditation or movement practice you will receive a task, so you can bring whatever you’ve learned in here into your day, your job, your practice out there. Take the opportunity to create a life where you actually enjoy to exist coherently, in balance with nature, Self and others.
Furthermore, you will also receive an affirmation or mantra for that specific day which you can repeat several ways but here’s my tip for it:
Repeat the sentence mentally (silently) with your exhale for 12 breath cycles (one breath cycle: exhale-inhale) so it can sink all the way to your core.
(Read after the meditation)
Take a deep breath it…hold it……let it out…
Task:
How did it feel like to let go of tension held in your body?
Describe and write it down in details.
The next time you feel that something is bothering you, your boss, your mother, brother, neighbour, can you become aware of the action of letting go?
If we can immediately realize that situation, we won’t have to carry is with us, like a heavy bag in the future. In that very moment, we let it go. In that moment and every other moment.
I also invite you to look at 3 things from your life that requires the most mental tension, anxiety or fear. An ex-boyfriend, a deceased loved one, a fight that happened or anything that you are aware of, that which is coming up in your mind every day, several times a day, or even just a few times a month.
Take this situation and observe:
Why is it coming up?
What is the purpose?
What am I holding on to?
Why am I holding onto it?
Can I let go now and every time it comes up?
Either you can take the time to find the answers within you or you can take the more advanced path and let it go instantly. This will require practice, focus and awareness but this is why we are here, isn’t it?
Also, make a deal with yourself about what will you have to give up if you don’t let go of it.
This way it will become like training for the mind. It might sound silly but trust me, our minds are like old players, tricksters and actors, it’s better if we don’t fall for them.. 🙂
Write down your thoughts, ideas and solutions. Write it all down and observe the changes without wanting to control, without fixed beliefs or expectations.
Are you able to do that?
Affirmation:
“I let go of all the unnecessary tension that is not serving my highest divine good.”
(Repeat this sentence for 12 breath cycles, with each exhales.)
If you feel ready for change: