Exploring the concept of Surrendering...in yoga, in meditation and in life

I was reading an interesting article by Kristine Kaoverii Weber (Director of Subtle Health) on the subject of "surrender" as it relates to the teaching and practice of yoga.  As she points out, the word itself can be interpreted so many different ways.  Is it a form of defeat?  Is it the letting go of yourself to the will of another?  Is it giving in?

As a yoga teacher, working with students who may have experienced trauma (especially when I am working with veterans/military), I am careful not to use the word "surrender" while guiding students through their poses.  Instead of saying "surrender to the breath" or "surrender to the stretch", we are taught to use gentler phrases...."release", "let go of".  In meditation, phrases like "surrender to the quiet", or "surrender your physical body" are meant to help students find a connection between the physical and emotional bodies.  But when teaching victims of trauma, these words may become triggers that cause unintentional harm.

As I continue on my own journey of self care and self discovery, I found this article very thought provoking.  I kept re-reading it, not really sure why it was striking a cord with me.  And then it hit me.  My fears...I am exploring ways to overcome some of my fears - the fears that hold me back/keep me stuck.  Every time I let a fear keep me from achieving, I am surrendering to that fear.  I am letting it win. 

BUT, what if I changed the way I look at the word surrender.  When I teach yoga/meditation, I use different words and phrases to convey the idea of "letting go" (surrender).  What if I did the same thing when looking at my fears.  Instead of giving in to my fears, I let them go.  I release them.  I take the power back!  Weber refers to it as "spiritual surrender".  It's not about giving into your fears, its about FREEING yourself from them.  She goes on to explain that when she sits in meditation, she can explore these feelings more deeply.  Comparing them to an onion, she paints a very vivid picture of the complexity of our emotional layers.

And finally the connection is made.  The reason I kept coming back to this article about surrender is because in it, I may have found a tool that I can use to help me let go of these fears that hold me back.  MEDITATION!  My old friend.  The one I turn to to help me fall asleep at night.  The one I turn to when I am feeling stressed and want to reset my internal self.  MEDITATION! The answer was right in front of me and I was looking past it.  If I can deepen my meditation practice to include more self discover, then perhaps, I can discover the root of my fears.  If I understand what these fears are and where they come from, I can work at letting them go. Remember the picture of the balloons!

My journey towards emotional health and wellness continues.  Yoga and meditation were already paths on that journey, and now I see that by deepening my meditation practice - by including it to be more about self discovery - I may find another path on my journey...a path that will lead to a deeper understanding of my fears, and ultimately, of myself.💕

NOTE:  I am including the link to  Kristine Kaoverii Weber's YouTube meditation video "Slow Down and Let Go".  If you are new to meditation or are looking for a new guided meditation, I highly recommend this video.  Share your thoughts in the comments.  I'd love to know what you think of this and how you approach your own meditation practice.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2eVQzXNv2ZI&feature=youtu.be