“Surrender is the inner transition from resistance to acceptance, from no to yes.” – Eckhart Tolle
Weekly Focus: Isvara Pranidhana (surrender)
Isvara Pranidhana is the fifth niyama or personal observance. This is the practice of surrender to the divine or a higher power, be it, the Universe, a Community, the Human Collective, etc. Isvara Pranidhana reminds us that we are a piece of a larger whole, and asks us to devote ourselves to something greater than our individual Self.
Embracing Isvara Pranidhana is to embrace both the greatness and the smallness of ourselves at once, holding both things to be true.
This niyama invites us to see ourselves as something more expansive than our individual physical being – a cause, an energy, a passion, anything we may devote ourselves to. As an individual we are but one small piece of a greater whole. We may name this greater whole or see this whole as many differnt things, as mentioned above. The key of this is not how we name the whole, but how we surrender, accept and devote ourselves to it.
In this, lies a beautiful reminder. As much as we are simply a thread in the larger tapestry of life, as a part of that tapestry, we hold greatness, expansiveness, and absolute potential. We hold all the strength and beauty of the entire tapestry. You do not look at a tapestry and pull each thread apart seeing it as individual, you see the craftsmanship, skill and beauty of the piece as one. We are infinite. Surrendering to our “oneness” shines a light on how immense our capacity truly is.
To surrender is not to deem ourselves unimportant or to assume that the Universe will take care of us. To surrender is to relinquish our grasp on what we believe should be and allow ourselves to seamlessly blend and weave into the tapestry. No resistance, no knotting, just smooth artistry.
Here is a simple practice in surrender:
- Find 15 minutes for rest — lie down, dress comfortable, and get comfortable. Use whatever you need, blankets, pillows, etc, so that you can be relatively still for about 15 minutes. Set a time if you need.
- Body scan — walk yourself through a body scan. Begin at your big toe. Travel your awareness to every part of the body you can imagine, from the big toe, through the feet, legs, hips, torso, arms all the way up the head. Go SLOWLY.
- Surrender and release — at some point, you may drift into rest and unconsciousness, that is OK, don’t resist it. You may notice the body releasing tension and softening into the floor. Work through this process and notice how you feel after your 15 minutes. Is the body holding less stress and tension? Has your mindset shifted? What has changed?
Passive Pose of the Week: Janusirsasana (head-to-knee pose)
Janusirsasana is a posture symbolic of surrender and release, as we fold forward and bow to the earth and all around us, including ourselves.
- Begin sitting on the floor with the legs straight out in front of you.
- Move the right leg out to a slight angle. Bend the left leg and bring the sole of the foot towards the inside of the right thigh, making a checkmark shape with the legs.
- Turn to face the extended right leg.
- Reach your hands forward for the shin, ankle or feet. If this feels too far, a pair of blocks framing the leg provides a comfortable place to rest the arms. Allow yourself to fold forward to any degree.
- Use about [3] breaths to gradually enter the pose. Once you come to your most comfortable posture, take about [5-7] breaths before gently lifting out of the fold.
When we consider the idea of surrender in our physical practice (asana), we are reminded to release into a pose, finding a balance of effort and ease. Sometimes, that balance can be challening in a seated stretch position such as janusirsasana. If you find yourself holding tension in unnecessary places, how can you adjust your position, or add props, to find that release? This pose can allow for a hip opening, a stretch for the bag of the extended leg, and the low back. If we notice the shoulders scrunching or tightening, or the jaw clenching, it make take away from what we are looking for. Here are some suggestions to try: a blanket under the hips OR a blanket roll behind the knee to help flexion in the hips. A block or blanket roll under the bent knee to allow that hip to release. A bolster on the extended thigh, for the arms to rest on.
Active Pose of the Week: Chaturanga Dandasana (four-limbed staff pose)
Chaturanga Dandasana is a very challenging posture. It is essentially holding the bottom range of a push up position. That menas if you can’t do pushups, this position will be very difficult. Rather than surrending to the pose and collapsing through the shape, can we surrender the idea that we have to do chaturanga dandasana in it’s most advanced form, and focus on building awareness of their body in the posture?
- Begin in a tabletop position.
- Take about 3 blocks (or thick books if you are at home), and stack them in front of each shoulder. Step into plank.
- Tighten the body and lower down to tap the blocks.
- Drop your knees to the ground and press back to table top, starting again.
- If that felt very manageable, lower the height of the blocks. If it felt hard to keep the body rigid, try raising the height to reduce the range of motion.
- Practice for 5 – 8 repetitions, remembering to rest as you need.
- Hold in the bottom position for a full 1 – 2 breaths as you are able before pressing out.
The above steps are a progression towards the lowest variation of chaturanga dandasana. These progression will allow you to feel the tension that should be felt in this position, so that you can work with the pose, rather than collapsing in the shape. Chaturanga Dandasana should feel challenging but also strong! Give yourself permission to find the shape that makes you feel strong and capabale.
Join us in class this week to practice your surrender and acceptance. See the full schedule HERE.
To get weekly updates from our parent brand, Myriad Fitness + Yoga, follow our weekly podcast “For Time.”
