If Yoga is to surrender, how can we truly let go

How do we let go of situations in our life that feel racked with conflict? Einstein once said that we can not solve a problem from the same level of thinking that created it. Also Krisnamurti’s vision of the future was to raise our individual level of consciousness in order to transform the world. What does this mean to us in everyday life? We can very easily become affected by the barrage of negative influences that bombard us from the media and other systems that still adhere to a ‘yang’ state in which we become addicted to doing more, thinking more and focused on power and ego. Focusing on situations that seem painful and draining adds much of the same energy that created them. If we keep on reacting to negative situations we just keep the wheels of conditioned thinking turning. We have to shift perspectives. But how do we shift from doing to being?

The first step is to accept the situation fully, even the part we are playing. By being fully grounded in the present moment we can become fully aware in situations we are affected by. For most of us, the fears and conditioning held within our subconscious mind block the conscious manifestation of the higher self. The part of us that is free from the limitations of the ego. The part of us that doesn’t judge or need to analyse, it just knows. Eastern philosophy calls this part of the mind buddhi, or the intellect. The Ahamkara or the ego is the part of the mind that is limited both in time and space. It has a set way of structuring thoughts, producing a constant stream of chatter, comments, evaluations, comparisons, and judgements. These judgements and evaluations always lead the mind to look for something wrong either in you, in somebody else, or in the situation. The mind cannot rest in the present; instead it oscillates between past and future, always looking for ways to change things. It is not intent on ‘being’ but ‘becoming’. Everything we do is ultimately an expression of the mind, all human-made creations, intellectual as well as material. A mind that spends it’s time judging inhibits the flow of creative or intuitive thoughts. Meditation can be one way of loosening this grip and can help you to feel more connected and whole. It has been shown that the activity in a certain area of the left frontal part of the brain is decreased in a meditative state, which can lead you to identify with the more spiritual aspects of your being and can enhance intuitive faculties. In Yogic philosophy it is called developing the intellect or the Buddhi. From the Yogic perspective it is leading towards an enlightened state or Samadhi

Healing our minds in this way can allow us to experience a sense of wholeness and a sense of peace. Where there is no feeling of separation between you and another. We can then truly experience the interconnectedness of all living beings with this sense of unity. Recognising the unity of all living things brings us closer to the concept of integration into the present moment. We can then heal the whole by healing the individual and loosening the grip of the modern mind. Focusing on being, rather than becoming.

A mind that is truly unified and whole can express true love