Letting Go, Letting Be

We are gently asked to let go every day and throughout the day.  

Every outbreath is a practice in letting go just like every night when we let go of the day and let ourselves sleep to rest and restore our energy from the day. Every morning, we asked again to let go of the night before. 

Letting go is the opposite of clinging or pushing away. Letting be is the opposite of struggling for our experience to be different than it is.

Letting go isn’t a superficial act of pulling out a pair of imaginary scissors and cutting away whatever we want to be free from. Letting go is the opposite and a practice of letting in. Integration. An opening to accept the moment as it is, our lives as they are, our bodies, minds, hearts and loved ones. In letting go, we let our experience become integrated as wisdom, empathy and compassion. 

Letting go may sound passive and in a way it is. We soften our grip. Lighten our step. Open to what is. And let ourselves be. Feel the feels in a compassionate and nonjudgmental way. 

Letting go and letting be become a practice of awareness so our actions can become more proactive and less reactive. 

Letting go is a practice in trust. Trusting our intuition, trusting the impermanence and temporary nature of a situation. Trusting our ability to learn, grow, adapt, evolve.

Letting go is a practice in letting life flow and nonjugding. This moment is whole just as it is. Opinions may arise and opinions can change. We can let go of judgments that cause suffering.

Letting go and practicing acceptance, we can open our hearts and minds. 

Letting go of scarcity, we can notice there is enough, we are enough, this moment is enough and open to gratitude & joy. As we recognize our blessings, we can continue the opening and celebrate the joy of others. 

Letting go of incessant doing, pausing and opening to simple gifts of the moment, we can practice the attitude of kindness and let ourseves be whole as we are.

Letting go of anything happening faster than it does, letting life unfold, we can practice patience.

Letting go of everything we know and remembering that we only know what we know and there is always more to learn, we can practice the attitude of a beginner’s mind.

Letting ourselves be just as we are – this moment is good enough and it will change too – we can practice nonstriving.

Opening to the wonder of each new moment, we practice curiosity.

Letting our hearts be filled with light -- even when the heart feels heavy -- and taking the moment a little less seriously, we can feel the party inside the heart with humor, humility and humanity for our shared experience of being here on this earth and learning together.

This week in class, we concluded the eleven week series of the Attitudinal Foundations of Mindfulness that we began in January. As we let go of winter and step into spring, letting go of one season and opening to another, may we remember that all things arise and pass away and continue with the practice of peace and equanimity through all the changes and transitions we experience individually and collectively.

Letting go is personal and may feel and look different for each individual. As I end this series, the gentle reminder that everything I offer here is in the spirit of invitation. You are welcome to take with you any part that resonates and supports your journey and leave behind any part that is not for you. 

May we let go of whatever is holding us back from experiencing the aliveness of the moment with a whole heart and let life in.

May you be open and balanced and peaceful.

Namaste,

Tehroma

 

Let Go by Danna Faulds 

"Let go of the ways you thought life
would unfold; the holding of plans
or dreams or expectations – Let it
all go. Save your strength to swim
with the tide. 

The choice to fight what is here before
you now will only result in struggle,
fear, and desperate attempts to flee
from the very energy you long for.

Let go. Let it all go and flow with the
grace that washes through your days
whether you receive it gently or
with all your quills raised to defend
against invaders. 

Take this on faith: the mind may never
find the explanations that it seeks, but
you will move forward nonetheless.

Let go, and the wave’s crest will carry
you to unknown shores, beyond your
wildest dreams or destinations. Let it
all go and find the place of rest and
peace, and certain transformation." 

Danna Faulds