The Art of Surrender: In Light of the Full Moon

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“Surrender is faith that the power of Love can accomplish anything even when you cannot foresee the outcome”

Oh sweet surrender… For some of you reading this, the word surrender may bring up feelings of fear and unease. You see, there’s a lot of confusion around the meaning of surrender. If like me, you come from a society that values ‘doing’, ‘achieving’ and ‘succeeding’, then you may have been taught from a young age that to surrender means to give up. It may require letting go of control and trusting something outside of yourself… and this can be SCARY!

The truth is though, there is so much beauty in surrendering. The art of surrender requires you to get out of your own way and allow life to flow with grace, even though it may not feel or look that graceful at the time. It encourages us to let go and trust in something bigger than ourselves – the Universe, Source, God, Higher Power or Spirit; whatever it is you resonate with. 

To do this, you must accept that what you’re holding onto, or what you are resisting, is not working. This requires trust. Trust that perhaps you are being guided in a different direction.

Letting go of stories and limiting self-beliefs that have been attracting the same experiences and patterns into your life that you DON’T want to repeat can be hard. But from my personal experience, I find it even more challenging to let go of the aspirations and dreams that I DO want to cultivate.

What would happen if I let them go? Is my happiness dependent on whether or not my vision manifests or not?

Yoga explains that attachment (Aparigraha) and aversions (Dvesha) are both obstacles on your path to freedom. Identifying with what you don’t like and seeing those things as ‘bad’ or ‘wrong’, influences you to avoid and resist those things. Alternatively, identifying with what you would prefer and what you do like, can lead to an attachment to these desires and goals. Both of which leave little space for the Universe to deliver you anything outside of your narrow vision.

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“When we surrender, we allow the universe to work its magic; we say yes to infinite possibilities; we trust that things will work out as they are meant to; and we give ourselves permission to let go of the outcome. This can be liberating, intimidating, blissful, scary, and a swirl of so many other emotions. But in the end, if we are true to our heart, life unfolds with magnificence…and we get to celebrate”

The Full Moon is a time of illumination. It is a time when you can truly see and feel what’s real for you. A time where your emotions bubble up to the surface. The energy of Full Moon offers the opportunity for you to consciously surrender and let go of what is holding you back in your life. 

Through this process of surrender and letting go, you create space for more abundance in your life. You create space for your intentions and your deepest desires. However, it’s important to remember that what comes up for you during this time, may not be different to what you had thought or what you had planned.

For me, the Full Moon often stirs up some feelings of resistance and fear as it represents letting go and I’ll say it again – Letting go can be SCARY. Therefore I like to surround myself with the love and support of other women. Together, women can create a container where we feel heard, valued, supported and safe through this process. For a beautiful outline on how to create a women’s circle, head over to our recent blog post.

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If you’d prefer something a little more intimate, I’d like to share a letting go ritual that I often practice, particularly on the Full Moon. 

Firstly create a sacred space for yourself. If it’s a Full Moon and the weather is nice (or at least bearable), perhaps set yourself up a cozy little space outside. Gather your sage, oracle cards, crystals and a little bowl that is safe to burn paper in and follow the below guide:

1. Give yourself permission to FEEL

Allow yourself to surrender to how you’re truly feeling. Release the need to know or understand these feelings with your mind, and instead tune into your heart and soul. Notice where in your body you have been storing any tension and notice what thoughts and feelings arise as you release this tension completely from your body.

Each time you breathe in, allow yourself to be with whatever it is that comes up. Each time you breathe out, continue to let go and release. Connect with your breath here and take some time to sit in stillness and silence and observe what emerges for you.

2. Reflection

Take out your journal and write down what came up for you through the process of sitting with your feelings. If you’re unsure where to begin, bring back into awareness your intentions and deepest desires and reflect on the following questions:

• What’s blocking you from feeling that way? (What’s holding you back? If it’s fear, go a little deeper- what are you afraid of?)
• What have you gained from holding onto this belief/pattern/habit/thought? (Consider your ‘why’ for holding on).
• What might happen if you let go of these things? (How may it effect your relationships/ beliefs/ values/ perception of identity/ old stories)?
• With this awareness, what do you consciously choose to let go of and release from your life? 

3. Burning Ceremony

Read out the words of what you are letting go of. Set the intention to release this from your life and light the paper on fire and watch it burn away. 

4. Cleanse Yourself

Cleanse yourself clean of what you have just burnt and let go of. There are many ways to do this. Wash your hands with salt water, take a shower, cry, or my personal favourite – go for a late night swim under the moon – clothing optional… 

5) Move and Shake it off

Explore how your feelings now want to move through you. You may have noticed during this letting go process the areas you’re storing tension in your body. Movement is beautiful way of letting go and releasing this tension without the mind needing to analyse or understand it. Chuck on some pumpin beats and free yourself of everything you’ve been holding onto through dance, movement and anything else that makes you feel FREE!

 

Notice how you feel after completing your letting go ritual. Know that every time you let go, you are creating space. Space to receive greater abundance in your life. Space to receive more of what your heart and soul yearns for. Space to receive more love, more joy, more clarity, more purpose, more gratitude. Allow yourself to feel in your body the space that has opened up for you now. Feel the expansion within.

Surrender does not have to be something you fear or resist. In the words of Reinhold Niebuhr “Change is the essence of life. Be willing to surrender what you are for what you could become”. Let go of your attachments, let go of your aversions, your stories and your fears. Surrender and allow life to flow with grace.

Give yourself permission to receive your intention and all that is wanting to come into your life right now. And who knows, perhaps life has something in store for you that is far more magical than you could have ever envisioned…..