#5 PRACTICE SURRENDER & GIVE LOVE
Surrender… open your heart…breathe in life…
We often forget to do this and instead, we resist life, close ourselves up and get caught up in thoughts, worries and anxieties. But what if you were to stop worrying and start simply to surrender to life and allow it to unfold in its natural way?
Everything that happens is neither good or bad – it is what it is. Every “bad” thing can turn out to be a lesson or a blessing in disguise. And every “good” is neither absolute nor will it last forever. Practicing surrender is a spiritual practice and you can read about it in books such as “The Power of Now” by Eckhart Tolle and “The Surrender Experiment” by Michael A. Singer. The concepts you will read about in these books will help you come to terms with things you cannot change and allow you to easily give in to the present moment. And that is, in fact, where all life happens – not in the past nor in the future – but the present moment. Resisting the present moment will only create more anxiety, unease and unhappiness.
|-surrender-pose-for-anxiety
Practice this “surrender pose” that I’m doing in the photo. I used to do this often in front of open spaces and places of high energy like waterfalls, oceans and mountain tops. Now, while in quarantine, I do it lying down on the floor with arms out, bottom of the feet touching, and slightly lifting the chest by using a pillow, towel or yoga block. Try this pose for 10-15 minutes a day. It will help you to mentally and emotionally release anxiety by putting yourself in the physical expression of surrender.
Surrendering to what is will also make you more compassionate and willing to help others. Being at peace with yourself, will make you more equipped to give love to others. Everything is made of energy and we are constantly exchanging energy between one another. According to the universal law of energy, a balance must be maintained in this exchange. Someone departs, someone else arrives. Something is lost, something else is gained, and so on. Energy doesn’t just disappear – it always has a way of balancing itself out.
If you want to achieve peace, love and joy, you have to learn to give those things in equal parts to others. That’s why practicing generosity, compassion, empathy, forgiveness, and giving is so important for maintaining that balance and filling our own lives with more goodness.
If you harbor negative feelings like anger, sadness, resentment, guilt, fear or anything of the sort, address them by doing some analytical meditation that The Dalai Lama talks about in his book “The Book of Joy” to ask yourself the following questions:
What is the use of this feeling?
Is it really true?
Can I learn from this experience?
Is there another angle I can see this situation from?
Where is this feeling coming from? Am I responsible for this or is someone else?
The moment you notice any negative feeling you are presented with a fantastic opportunity to deal with it, instead of burying it or running away from it. And the incredible thing is that once you face it head on, it tends to dissipate, if not completely go away. Then you can focus more on loving emotions and feelings, and give them out to others with your words or thoughts.
Helping other people and offering a service that benefits others has a remarkable effect on making your own problems seem smaller. Instead of being self-serving and inward-facing try offering your time, care and energy to those in need. Your mood and perceived life satisfaction will suddenly go up! Call a friend to offer advice or just listen to her problem. Go to the grocery store to help an elderly person stock up on food. Start an online fundraiser for a charitable organization or cause you support. There are so many ways to be generous!
Practicing surrender and giving love to others will ease your emotional pain, anxiety, fear and perceived problems.
Questions to ponder:
1. What would your life be like if you stopped worrying about the future?
2. What is the use of your fear and anxiety?
3. In what ways can you give love and be of service to others?
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