Living your Yoga off the mat: Surrender

The autumn leaves do not rush, they do not compare themselves, they do not race to the finish - they simply surrender, only when the moment is right, and trust their path towards the ground. Twirling. Swirling. Cascading. Dropping. Each leaf has a unique journey, gently moving with the flow of life, no need to control, just to allow. Another of the Niyamas from Patanjali's 8 Limbs of Yoga, Ishvara Pranidhana invites us to surrender and allow, to move with the flow of life and trust in the Divine. Nature knows this so well, and we see it clearly with the falling leaves of autumn.

The Niyamas give us a chance to notice how we move through life. Through Ishvara Pranidhana, we may ask ourselves where we hold distrust, pessimism, or an unwillingness to let go of control. Within that, our lives can look over-scheduled, over-planned, with little space for play. It can be in small ways that we allow more space, less need to direct all aspects of our lives, that more lightness, freedom, and joy can emerge. This principle from Yoga asks us: where can we flow more naturally with life?

Wishing you all the bounty and fluidity of the fall!

Jen Rizza, Therapeutic Yoga Teacher, Reiki Master, IAHC Certified Health Coach, Creator of Cultivate Your Purpose, Founder of Newtown Wellness Collective