Yoga corner: Ishvara Pranidhana Surrender

HEALTH LEADERS

2021

Ishvara Pranidhana Surrender

Only by giving up control can we experience the blessings of life as it really is.

BY LISA GREENBAUM

SSo here we are, the last of the Yamas and Niyamas—the social and personal codes of ethics—or the first two limbs of the eight limbs of Yoga.

If you have been following Yoga

Corner, I have been sharing different ways we can take our Yoga practice off the mat. Through the last 10 issues we have systematically explored the five Yamas: non-violence, truthfulness, non-stealing, moderation and noncoveting; and the five Niyamas: purity, contentment, discipline, self-study and now—surrender. The question is: surrender to what? The answer: to whatever will allow you to let go and trust. For some, this is a spiritual connection: surrendering to a higher power or divine entity or experience, such as let go and let God. For others, a more ethereal connection as we surrender to love or simply to the universe. In either case, it is a surrender of the need for control, a letting go of having all the answers, and then simply allowing things to find their own way. In reflection of the last two Yamas, Tapas or discipline and Svadyaya, self-study, I always come back to the same thought. We have the discipline to do the work that is needed, we do our research, look within and do everything we can for our goals or missions or to solve our problems, and then we let go. We surrender, knowing in our hearts that we did all we could, that we did our best.

It is this final Niyama that forms the foundation of the saying “worry about what you can change, let go of what you can’t.” We spend countless hours, days, weeks and years struggling against the things in life we can’t change. We let this hamster wheel take over our thoughts and our emotions, sometimes manifesting as chronic pain in the form of tension headaches.

I’m not saying this is easy. Surrender is a practice like all nine other Yamas and Niyamas. If it was just innate within us, we wouldn’t have to practice. At the same time the act of prayer is thousands of years old, passed down through the generations as we are taught to surrender. We need to pray (or meditate) often because it takes continual practice to put our faith outside of ourselves. To trust in the natural order of the universe. To trust that even in our darkest hour, the light is always there, just on the other side. If we have strong spiritual or religious ties, the action of prayer helps us on the path of surrender. If not, our meditation practice helps us find clarity of mind and to let go of what is not serving us. We can also keep a journal, writing the stories out to free our minds and hearts. Or we can simply repeat the mantra: I surrender to the universe, I trust in the universe.

Note: Stay tuned to Yoga Corner. In the next issue we will learn about the Koshas, the five layers of the subtle body as we continue to explore our Yoga practice off the mat.

Lisa Greenbaum, E-RYT 500 and C-IAYT yoga therapist, has worked with countless individuals by using yoga to release trauma, find ease from chronic pain and tension and develop a deeper connection to Self: mind, body and spirit. She has over 750 hours of yoga education and logged 4,000 teaching hours. She is also a certified fitness instructor and personal trainer with canfitpro, and a Women in Fitness Association (WIFA) Global Ambassador.