Let's Face it, Letting Go Isn't Always as Beautiful as the Autumn Leaves Make it out to be
Sep 24, 2020
Autumn is just about to show us how beautiful it can be to let go.
Ugh…
If I see this meme one more time, I think I’ll scream.
Don't get me wrong, I love being inspired by the beauty of nature.
And, yes, the leaves are dying with incredible majesty and grace.
Of course, letting go CAN be beautiful.
It can also be really hard and not very pretty at all.
Can you relate? After all, the last six months have been a master class for all of us on letting go: individually, collectively, personally, professionally, every which way in fact.
Yoga has a lot to say about the importance of letting go and for good reason. There’s perhaps no more important skill we develop through our practice than getting good at riding the waves of change through healthy detachment, a courageous heart, and clear understanding of the temporary nature of pretty much EVERYTHING.
Letting go, whether it’s of a habit, a pose you used to be able to do, a relationship that has run its course, a job, or a loved one, begins by allowing:
Allowing it to take the time it takes.
Allowing it to be a process of wobbling back and forth between being at peace and being at war with it.
Allowing it to NOT be beautiful (which is actually pretty beautiful in itself, don’t you think?)
Consider taking stock of all you’ve learned about letting go in recent months:
What does letting go looks like in real life (read: in your own experience, not through memes, new age platitudes, or what you ‘think’ is the right response)?
How have you done it? What has your process been like?
What does life look and feel like on the other side of that release?