The Spiritual Practice of Surrender

What does surrender mean to you? Does it mean defeat? Does it mean you have to give up something that is meaningful to you? Do you cringe when you hear the word? Contrary to popular belief, surrender is not something to dread. It is something to embrace for it is a powerful spiritual practice that opens the door to inner freedom.

From a spiritual perspective, surrender is not about giving up or resigning ourselves to a reality we don’t want to experience. Surrender is recognizing we have come to a place in life where we are ready to let go of our attachment to whatever is causing our suffering or limitation and open ourselves up to something bigger within ourselves.

“The moment of surrender is not when life is over, it’s when it begins.”
– Marianne Williamson

Since our consciousness creates our reality, doesn’t it make sense that if we desire to expand our life, we must look within and ask ourselves what is standing in the way? Whether it is a belief, a behavior, or a relationship, we hold the key to creating a better life for ourselves by surrendering that which no longer supports our dreams. When you develop a regular practice of surrender, your mind will be consistently clear and open so you can live your greatest potential.

One of the interesting things about surrender is that there are two aspects to it. Surrender as something to release, and surrender as something to become. Both aspects work together to free us into living a greater life experience.

Surrender as release clears our energy of all that is preventing us from having the life we would like to live. When we surrender all that is weighing us down, we make room for the reality we would like to experience to manifest.

The second component, surrender as something to become, immerses us in the feeling state of what we would like our life to feel like. This creates a powerful energy that cannot help but demonstrate in our physical reality: like attracts like. Once we surrender that which no longer serves us, we become open and receptive for something better. Surrendering to joy, love, or any desired feeling state brings forth an extraordinary life.

Surrender truly is a spiritual practice, for we are using our conscious mind to work with an unlimited invisible field of energy that says “yes” to our direction. Since our divine nature is to expand, we cannot grow unless we are willing to let go of what is constricting us so we can become our next greatest expression of being.

So how does one implement the spiritual practice of surrender? Just follow these five steps every day: 

1. Find a quiet place where you can sit and relax and be undisturbed.

2. Inhale deeply, and as you exhale, consciously empty your heart and mind.

3.  Ask yourself these two questions:

• What can I surrender today that will free me?

• What can I surrender to that will expand my life?

 4. Close your eyes and open up to whatever arises.

 5. Take notes!

If nothing comes up, don’t be concerned. By doing this simple exercise every day, you are activating your mind to find the answers, so the answers may come when you least expect it.

Bringing the spiritual practice of surrender into your daily life will enable you to see everything you need know to free yourself from stagnation and rigidity so you can experience an expansive joyful life. You will develop the ability to quickly identify what you need to surrender so you can clear the space for your life to be everything you want it to be, and you will get clarity on what your spirit is desiring to surrender to. You will experience the ever-present creative flow of life that keeps us in the now and excited about the infinite possibilities that are present at every moment for us to choose and live into.

“To the mind that is still, the whole universe surrenders.”
-Lao Tzu