5 Helpful Tips to Practice Surrender

How many times have you thought about the word surrender? Perhaps you heard it while were practicing yoga. Maybe you heard it a little louder during a church service. Or maybe you heard it in a song during your meditation practice. 

The meaning of this word depends on how you want to look at it. It is inherent in human nature to resist instead of surrender. For some people, they do not like the idea of surrender because, for them, this means giving up. It could also mean letting go, and for some people, this can be very hard to do. 

Surrender does not always mean to relinquish control or give up the power that is in our hands. As scary as it may seem, there is a positive side to surrender. Sometimes, it is all that people need to do to actually gain what they have always wanted in their life -- peace of mind and heart. 

Teaching yourself how to surrender does not mean giving up on what you want. Instead, it is telling yourself to slow down because you might be going too fast or expecting too much. 

What does it mean to surrender?

When you tell yourself that now is the best time to surrender to the universe, what do you actually mean? It can be any of these things:

• Surrender could mean committing to something with all of you. You work hard to make it part of who you are and who you want to be. 
• Surrender could also mean loving someone so deeply that their needs come before yours. 
• Surrender also entails you to live by your principles and set an excellent example for others to follow.
• Submission could also mean admitting to your weaknesses and asking people for help whenever you need to. 
• Surrender could also ask you to forgive others for their shortcomings and accept that they cannot be who you want them to be. Essentially letting go of grudges.
• Surrender could also mean embracing what is happening at the moment and telling yourself that you can do it without any form of judgment or malice. 

Everyone desires something permanent in their lives, whether it’s love, security, or safety. And yet, consistency does not come easy. As much as we want everything to fall in place, it won’t, and that’s the part which you need to accept and submit. Allow things to transition for the better, to transform to the best of their abilities, and allow things to unfold on their own. 

What do you need to surrender right now?

How do you feel when someone says that you should be giving up control? Does it make you feel anxious? Are you worried about how things will turn out? If you let go of your control and your life turns upside down, that doesn’t mean that you gave up or that you have to give up. The more that you resist the pain of change, the more that you should think about surrendering and just giving in to what the universe has conspired for you. 

Anxiety art is one of the many forms of coping for people who suffer from anxiety attacks. Not only does this process allow them to release the creativity within, but it also puts their mind in a more relaxed state. When people begin to see the value of letting life take its course, the easier it is for them to surrender. 

Surrender to:

• Surrender to the thought that it’s okay to get lost because eventually, you will find yourself. 
• Surrender to the idea of loving and losing, but still learning to love again. 
• Surrender to being broken. It is in the pieces of you that you shall be whole again. 
• Surrender to the idea of grief and believe in the fact that you will find joy again. 
• Surrender to the thought that you cannot always be in control of the work that you do; taking advantage of the power of play is sometimes best for you. 
• Surrender to the chaos that comes with life and that sometimes you can be lonely. But it is okay. 

List of ways to start letting go

Practice patience.

When circumstances or people don’t meet our expectations, it makes sense that we feel disappointed or frustrated. But to find peace, make sure always to practice patience. Give room for others and yourself to make mistakes. As yourself, if you need to take a step back to compose yourself, then do it. Not all situations are worthy of your time and effort, so don’t give in. 

Seek moments when you can be alone and quiet. 

The noise of the world outside could make it even more difficult for you to accept surrender and peace. So practice being quiet and aim for moments when you can be alone. Before you start the day, allow yourself to be at peace, clear your head, and give yourself a pat on the back for trying again. Have faith in these small moments, and you will see that it is in the quiet times that you begin to strengthen yourself in more ways than you can imagine. 

Keep yourself from judging others. 

Practice kindness both to yourself and the others around you. Smile more and allow your heart to soften a bit. Don’t be afraid to forgive those who have wronged you and allow them to redeem themselves. Practice the same with yourself. 

Relax your mind and your body.

If your jaw is tightening because you are under a lot of stress, go ahead and release it. The pain that you feel in your back could be caused by all the worries you’ve been carrying around for days. Before you give in to more work, stop and relax for a while. You know you can do better when you are working from a relaxed perspective. 

Be grateful for everything. 

The small victories that you have should remind you that you should be thankful for everything that you have in your life. You may not have everything in place, but you definitely have more than what you need. At this point, every little thing matters. 

How do you teach yourself to surrender? Say a short prayer for all that has happened and be thankful for all the lessons you learned. At the end of the day, it is your peace of mind and heart that truly matters.