Life, in all its complexities, often pushes us to strive for control, robbing us of the opportunity to experience the magic of simply letting go. We strive for control, tire ourselves out, and forget the magical practice of letting go and surrendering.

You can let go and surrender through praying, journaling, meditation, movement, spending time in nature, and simply crying and releasing all of your emotions.

In this article I will share with you 6 ways how you can let go and surrender. You can also check out the video below!

“Letting go is like the sudden cessation of an inner pressure or the dropping of a weight.”

— David R. Hawkins, Letting Go: The Pathway of Surrender

What is Letting go?

To let go and surrender means to give oneself over to something and stop resisting. Meditation, prayer, a walk in Nature, crying, are all ways in which you can practice Surrender.a 

Letting go is all about turning over your fears, worries, or problems to a Higher Intelligence – the Universe, Spirit, Angels, your Highest Self. (You don’t have to use these words, by the way, but this is what works for me!)

Letting go is simple, but often it’s not easy

We love control, we love being in charge, and our minds love connecting all the dots. Therefore, at times, it might be uncomfortable to surrender and trust that life and The Universe will take care of everything.

Because, well… we believe we know best how things should be done.😅

Bringing back the Magic

Surrender & Letting go is an incredible tool that allows us to experience the magical aspect of life. It enables us to tap into something bigger, release our worries, and trust that we’re not alone.

Our attachment to negative feelings, worries, and problems create lots of mental suffering. It doesn’t do us any good, nor makes us feel at peace. More importantly, if we can’t let go of our worries and stress, we can’t expect to create space for better things to come in!

Our stubbornness on how something should happen creates limitations.

If we only look to the left because we believe that’s where our dream partner is coming from, we might just miss him — because he’s waving at us from the right!

We can stay committed to what we want, but we need to be flexible in how it might happen.

“When we surrender our will to the power of the Universe, we receive miracles.”

— Gabrielle Bernstein

How I let go and surrender

I rarely ask for help. I’m very independent, tough, and love to be in control. I want to know how something will happen and when it will happen. (anyone else?🙋‍♀️)

However, at specific points in life, things were looking so gloomy and dark, that I simply didn’t know what to do!

I felt like a tiny, lost human in this grand world.

I was trying to figure things out on my own, I was forcing things to happen, and nothing was working.

I believe that the Universe (God/Spirit/Angels/Higher Intelligence) wants to help us and guide us. Whether it’s meeting our dream partner or discovering our purpose, Higher Intelligence is here to assist us. I know this, I live by this, yet sometimes I forget it. Therefore, when I get lost and need some guidance — I surrender.

My form of Surrender is either talking to the Universe, meditating, journaling, or simply crying. In the toughest moments in my life, I would get down on my knees and sob. I would declare to the Universe ‘I surrender. I can’t do this myself anymore, that’s it. Please help. Show me what to do. Guide me.’

Some days, when I get frustrated and impatient, running or boxing are the best ways to let go. I might be sprinting or punching a boxing bag, thinking to myself:

‘That’s it!! I’m done forcing this, and I’m done worrying about this!! UNIVERSE, PLEASE INTERFERE! HELP A GIRL OUT!

Spoiler alert: when I ask the Universe for help and guidance, miracles happen.

Every. Single. Time.

Where can you use this?

My answer: everywhere.

The possibilities here are endless. Whatever your worries are, whatever you’re struggling with, whatever you’re wanting but don’t know how to get it — let it all go! From the tinniest of concerns to the biggest of worries, this works everywhere.

If you’re unemployed and stressed out about finding a job, Surrender and ask life/Universe/Higher Power to guide you. If you really want to be in a relationship and are getting frustrated thinking about how you will meet your partner — relax!! Surrender and stop thinking about how it will happen! Have a clear vision of what you want, how you want to feel, and let life surprise you with how it will happen.

How to let go and surrender?

Surrender doesn’t just have to be praying and meditating. There are a lot of different ways in which you can let go, and what works for me might not work for you. My advice is: try a few of the methods listed below, and see how it feels. If a specific practice resonates with you — great! If not, you can get creative and come up with something yourself. At the end of the day, my advice is: stop trying to control everything and just let go! The methods mentioned below can help you.

• Praying
• Journaling/Writing
• Meditating
• Crying
• Movement: running, dancing, boxing, yoga, etc.
• Spending time in Nature

When it comes to praying, you can either have a specific prayer in mind and repeat it, or you can imagine that you’re talking to the Universe/Higher Power as if it were a close friend. Talk about your worries, express how you feel, and ask the Higher Power to help you out. Try to feel the presence of this Higher Intelligence next to you; covering you in a blanket of love and light, telling you that it will take care of everything. With a specific prayer, close your eyes and repeat it out loud a few times, connecting to the words.

Journaling could be an extension of praying. If you’re not comfortable with praying, or it’s not something you’re resonating with, you can try journaling. Write all of your concerns, worries, and request down on a piece of paper. Whatever is bothering you — leave it all on paper. Don’t censor yourself, don’t overthink it, just write. If you want, you can even write a letter and address is to to the Universe!

There are a lot of different ways to meditate, but the simplest and easiest practice that you can use is simply setting a timer for 10 or 15 minutes, and sitting quietly with your eyes closed. Focus on your breathing: feel the way your tummy expands when you breathe in, and how it contracts when you breathe out. Imagine that with every breath, you breathe out every worry and concern that you’ve been carrying. If you want to attract something into your life (a new job or a partner), visualize yourself as a magnet. With every breath that you take, imagine your magnetic power increasing, and all that you desire is drawing closer.

Crying is a powerful way to let go. This form of release and Surrender usually comes naturally — whenever we’ve been pushed to the edge and simply don’t know what to do anymore. When you feel the tears and emotion build up — let it happen and let it all out. Surrender to the experience.

Physical movement is a great way to release built up worries and negative energy. If you’re not a fan of more ‘internal’ practices like journaling and meditating, physically doing something might do the trick for you. Choose an activity of your choice, and with every punch, step, movement and drop of sweat, imagine yourself physically letting go of whatever it is you’re holding onto.

Nature is a great teacher. Whether it’s going for a walk in the Forrest or swimming in the Ocean — it makes us feel grounded and more connected. Whenever we find ourselves trapped in our own head with thousands of thoughts, Nature has the power to make us understand how small we are.

Find a way in which you can connect to Nature and make it a regular practice. Whilst on a walk, you can ask the trees to help guide you in the right direction. When swimming in the Ocean, you can ask the water to take away your worries.

How to surrender without giving up?

listen — letting go is not the same as giving up!

If you give up on something, it means that you’re no longer pursuing it, you don’t care about it, and you feel defeated. That’s the opposite of surrendering! Surrender means that we are able to get out of our own way. Rather than having a limited view of something, we open ourselves up to the guidance of a Higher Power and declare that we’re ready to be guided.

When I was looking for a new apartment in New York, I knew exactly what I wanted it to be like. The size, price, location, how many windows, a nice landlord, fun neighbors, and so on. I knew exactly what I wanted, but I didn’t know how to get it.

I wrote out a long list detailing what I want my perfect apartment to be like. I trusted that the Universe would make it happen, and I let it go.

This didn’t mean that I wasn’t taking action — oh, trust me, I was! I was reaching out to agents, looking at listings, and going to viewings. I wasn’t focusing on how or where I will find this place — I simply had faith that it will find its way to me.

Long story short, one afternoon, I was viewing a mediocre apartment with a broker that didn’t seem to care. After the viewing, I was slightly disappointed and started making my way home. Out of nowhere, I got a text from some real estate agent saying, ‘Hey, I know you reached out to me a few days ago about a certain apartment, but it’s already rented out. However, I have a place that I think you’ll like, and it’s not even on the market yet.’

An hour later, I was sitting in his car, going to view this unlisted apartment. Five seconds after walking through the door, I knew this was it. It was everything I wanted, and it felt exactly how I imagined. An hour later, I was signing the papers, and a week after that, I was all moved in. I lived in that place for 15 months, and I’m still in awe of how it came about.

I took action, had faith that my dream apartment will show up, and stopped worrying.

Put it to use!

We’re these teeny-tiny humans who go about life struggling, worrying, and thinking we know everything. What if life could be more easy, joyful, and fun? What if we realized that this whole time we’ve been creating unnecessary resistance, and finally, we can let it all go?

Have an open mind, and try it out. Open yourself up to this invisible, loving, and powerful tool. This journaling exercise might also be helpful for your inner explorations. You can also check out my journaling class.