Letting go

I'm off to Suffolk leading a mini retreat for a few special people this weekend and we're going to look at this, so I thought I'd share a bit here.

What does it actually mean?

Maybe you have come across Aparigraha - a yama, or 'moral code,' which is one of the 8 branches/limbs in the yoga tradition? It translates as non grasping, not possessing or non greed. But there is much more to it than the inaction of not doing something.

When researching this subject I came across the Buddhist monk Sri Ajahn Brahm. He talks about the act of 'trying to let go' as being counter productive. He says one only needs to do it. He speaks about a simple letting go exercise A.L.L. Allow, Label, Let go. Sometimes our mind takes over and we start over things don't we?

This is really helpful not only in a yoga practice, but a life lesson too, when we face uncomfortable situations, feelings and sensations. We could use this tool to notice how our bodies react to experiences of pain, sadness, hurt and discomfort. So it's not just physical, but emotional and psychological.

I've been really inspired by Wim Hof and the show on BBC 1 - Freeze the Fear.

You probably know that our mind is the greatest influence of our fears. The narratives creep in and before we know it we're in that spiral of I can't, I'm too this and too that.

Wim Hof's methods are yogic. He focuses a lot on the power of the mind and uses cold to shock the body and mind into being more present and removing our minds narratives. Obviously there's a lot more to it than this. But I think this is the key.

Seeing some of the contestants (who I have to say have come across as really genuine) putting their bodies in uncomfortable places has demonstrated how powerful being more mindful and not giving in to expectations can be. Watching how they have experienced the challenges and seeing their reactions has been quite amazing.

They've definitely been finding their edge, which I often say to myself, and to others in yoga.

Doing something which challenges us. Sends us out of our comfort zone. Like a rush of adrenaline triggers our fight or flight response. It seems to make us even more present to the 'letting go'.

Equanimity, which is a lovely word, means feeling all the feels. This is part of the 'allowing' and 'labelling', Sri Ajahn Brahm talks about.

It's good to remind ourselves too that the ultimate purpose of a yoga practice is to stop the constant whirling of thoughts and be present. (Patanjali's Sutra yogas chitta vritti nirodha).

Going back to Aparigraha. It is considered one of the main teachings in the Bhagavad Gita (another foundational yoga text I touched on in my last blog). Krishna (God) says to Arjuna (the central character) 'Let your concern be with action alone, and never the fruits of the action. Do not let the results of action be your motive, and do not be attached to inaction'.

That's quite powerful isn't it?

So when we consider letting go. It's not about wimping out and 'trying not to let things bother us,' (inaction), but to notice and not attach to our feelings, reactions or sensations. A.L.L. Allow. Label. Let go. (Action).

But perhaps more importantly, we need to learn not to tune out and get bored, go to comfortable places, as Krishna in the Gita instructs. But tune in, feel the feels. Equanimity. In order to do this we need to explore things which are less comfortable.

In doing so we can use our responses to cultivate a higher sense of awareness. And this is an important part of guiding us to an inner peace. Whether it's not giving in to a posture we find difficult, or maybe sitting in a tub of iced water. This is where the real yoga happens. Being in tune with the 'action' and not the end result. Like Krishna directs Arjuna.

I've been inspired enough to turn the shower to cold a few times this week, for a few seconds. It most certainly wakes up all the senses, and you definitely aren't thinking about anything else!

Namaste