“Sometimes letting things go is an act of far greater power than defending or hanging on.”
~Eckhart Tolle
I have been reflecting on the power of letting things go and the self-nurturing practice of releasing what no longer serves me. In this process, I was reminded of an evening of yoga, storytelling and music with MC Yogi where letting go was his theme. This intimate event took place at Happy U Namaste Yoga Center in San Diego, a beautiful space that was nurturing and peaceful.
My husband and I arrived in time to place our yoga mats near the front and then settled into the space feeling grateful for the opportunity to connect deeply with each other and with this lovely community of yogis. There was a father with his 8 year-old daughter behind us who had never practiced yoga before as well as many regulars from the studio.
To our delight, MC Yogi led us through a beautiful yoga practice and sang while DJ Drez played music. It was such a treat to have live music during yoga and we even all sang together – pure joy!
The theme of the practice was letting go of anything that does not serve us so that we can show up to be of service to others in our lives. MC Yogi said, “Don’t ask what you need or what you want. Instead ask, what can I let go of?”
I love the way he posed the question for I believe that it is in the process of letting go that we actually make room for what we need and want. Bringing awareness to what we can let go of frees us from unhealthy attachments and a fixed identity of who we think we should be. It changes the focus of our growth and encourages a curious look at our lives.
Reflecting on the question while we practiced the poses was so deeply nurturing and each time I exhaled, I imagined that I was embodying the power of letting go. I exhaled judgment of myself and others. I exhaled criticism of my body. I exhaled fear and limiting beliefs about my abilities. I exhaled grief and sadness no longer useful to me. I exhaled habit energy that does not support my vibrant health. I exhaled feeling responsible for things I cannot control.
The ability to let go through my exhale was both exhilarating and deeply empowering. Breath is our most accessible self-nurturing tool to bring us into the present moment. Realizing that I am in a constant practice of letting go every time I exhale reinforces my belief in my ability to let go.
I notice that when I can let go of my expectations of others my relationships are more harmonious. I notice that when I can let go of my judgment of myself I am more compassionate and kind in the world. I notice when I can let go of being right I learn more from others. I notice when I can let go of shame I can more authentically show up in the world.
So in the spirit of curiosity and non-judgment, I invite you into this practice of exhaling with the power of letting go, by asking yourself:
- What can I let go of?
- What difference will it make in my life?
- How can I use my breath to remind me of my power to let go?
“The key in letting go is practice. Each time we let go, we disentangle ourselves from our expectations and begin to experience things as they are.” ~ Sharon Salzberg
May you embrace the power of letting go with each exhale and may you nurture peace in the world from the inside out!
Sending you so much peace, love and gratitude,
Kelley Grimes, M.S.W.
Counselor, Author & Speaker
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Kelley,
It sounds like such a beautiful experience. Thank you for sharing the powerful insights you received. Your post really resonated with me because as the world shouts its message of more, more, more I’ve been on a journey to BE, release and make room for what’s important.
I ❤️ this quote from your post:
“I believe that it is in the process of letting go that we actually make room for what we need and want. ”
Thanks for being such a bright light!
Xoxo
Linda
Thank you so much Linda! How wonderful that you are honoring your self-nurturing journey to just be, release and make room for what is important. There are many societal pressures we must let go of in order to walk that compassionate path and I am so grateful for your inspiring presence. I so appreciate your comment and kind words!
Hmmm…. Do you think it’s a coincidence? The more yoga I do the more comfortable I am with letting go. Thanks for pointing this out.
I love that the more yoga you do Andrea the more comfortable you are with letting go! I am so grateful for the lessons on the mat that we can take into life. Thank you so much for your insightful comment!
Thank you! Divinely on time as a gentle reminder for a change I am traveling through. Xoxo
Thank you Natasha! May your exhale be your ally in the process of change and releasing what is no longer serving you.
Letting go is so powerful, thanks for sharing
Letting go is powerful Heather and such a gift when we feel empowered doing so in the process. Thank you so much!
Beautiful post. Yes, releasing and letting go is definitely a theme for this year. Thank you for your beautiful writing.
Thank you so much Stephanie! My youngest daughter is graduating from high school next month so releasing and letting go have definitely been themes for me this year as well. I love exploring more ways of supporting my process and nurturing myself along the way! I really appreciate your kind comment.
I love how we both addressed the power of the breath today! Ah…letting go of so much these days. Especially of expectations of those closest to me. I am so grateful for the space that creates. Thank you for this beautiful post and for sharing your experience with us!
I noticed that too Laurie! The breath is such a powerful tool. I love that you are letting go of expectations of others. I so appreciated your quote in your blog about how our expectations stop the flow of energy and I have been reflecting on that all day. Thank you so much for your comment and support!
Can’t wait to give this a try tomorrow morning during my yoga practice! Thanks so much for sharing!
Thank you so much Barb! I plan to include the question of what do I need to let go of anytime I am having a difficulty and look forward to seeing what unfold. I am so grateful for your comment!
This is very timely for me because I’m reflecting on the same topic. I love how you reminded us to use our breath as a reminder to release. <3
I love that we are on the same page Sheila and that you find using the breath as a reminder to release helpful. I really appreciate your comment!
Great timing for this wonderful post, Kelley. I’ve been doing a lot of cleaning and ‘letting go’, too. Great minds think alike…and take action, too!
So happy to be included in your great minds think alike! I love that when I take action around releasing and letting go I feel the results immediately. Such a powerful self-nurturing practice. Thank you so much!