Trust in the Unknown
“My darling, if we knew what life has in store for us what would be the point of living it.”
My grandma shared this wisdom with me a few years ago, and it was a timely reminder for me to surrender during what was a dark time in my life. A time in my life when I was in the depths of the struggle to conceive a child via IVF treatment. A time when I so desperately wanted to know that I would one day become a mum. I had many demands of the universe around the when I would become a mum, and experienced very little peace in my life as a result.
After hearing these words from my Grandma, I became more conscious of the concept that resided behind this statement, the concept of Surrendering to the unknown. I slowly began to surrender to the unknown, and trust me this is a constant practice in my life. I don’t do it perfectly, and sometimes I still try to push and control things. But, I’m more aware now that there is a more peaceful way to live.
Surrendering involves a great amount of trust, and acceptance. It is not dissonance or resigning yourself to unhappy or unhelpful situations and experience. It is the acceptance of what was, and the learnings that come for experiencing life, taking conscious actions towards what you desire and then allowing it without the struggling. I say struggle not sacrifice, all that we desire comes with some form of sacrifice or choice as I prefer to call it. Surrendering isn’t about just wishing for something and waiting for it to come without any form of conscious action.
Surrendering is the step that comes after you take the action towards what you desire, It is the step of allowing and not forcing. It is the step that comes after you do the hard work, it is essentially the rest. Rest is an essential ingredient to surrender. When we do all that is required to be done, we must take rest. If we continually force and work without purpose, then we will lead ourselves down a path of resistance and that will manifest into burnout.
Here are some simple and helpful practices that I use to embrace the art of surrender in my everyday life:
Willing hands. Plant your feet firmly on the floor, feet hip width apart, arms down by your side and palms facing forward. This is the posture of surrender. Your body is release tension and giving over the uncertainty. Essentially you are saying I trust and I allow with your body.
Ground through nature. Being grounded is of great importance in the art of surrender. Spend time in nature just being and flowing.
Slow down and accept the present moment. Focus on your breath (breathing as though you are breathing through your heart), focus on your surroundings (the sound, the smells), bring awareness to each part of your body, day dream and look up in the sky.
From my heart to yours,
Krista
