Perhaps the reason surrender is such an important part of the spiritual path is it gives us permission to be happy, or happier, even if things are not perfect. Surrender has the potential to help us stop thinking we need to fix life, and to understand that we really don’t have control over much anyway. And yet we resist. I suspect one of the reasons so many of us seem to have so much trouble with surrender is we are trying to work with too big a slice of the pie.
Good evening and welcome to Monday Group Meditation. We will be sitting from 7:30 to 10:00 PM EST. It is not necessary to sit for the entire extended time, which is set up to make it convenient for people in four North American Time Zones; sit for as long as you like and when it is most convenient for you. Monday Group Meditation is open to everyone, believers and non-believers, who are interested in gathering in silence. If you are new to meditation and would like to try it for yourself, Mindful Nature gave a good description of one way to meditate in an earlier diary, copied and pasted below:
"It is a matter of focusing attention mostly. In many traditions, the idea is to sit and focus on the rising and falling of the breath. Not controlling it, but sitting in a relaxed fashion and merely observing experiences of breathing, sounds, etc. Be aware of your thoughts, but don't engage in them. When your mind wanders (it will, often), then return to focus on breath and repeat."
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Maybe we could just start by bringing a little something from our meditation into our day to day lives. It doesn’t mean we need to maintain a constant internal focus, life requires our attention. But what if, several times during the day, we took little breaks to breathe and pay attention and then surrender to what ever is arising within us? Maybe that would be a small enough portion of life or reality for us to begin with. Maybe working with just that bit would be enough to start us off, to help us experience for ourselves just how liberating surrender can be.
If surrendering is extraordinarily difficult, we could approach it like an experiment. Just give ourselves permission to surrender for just these few moments, and after this quick break we know we can, if we so desire, once again pick up all our shoulds and should nots.…in just a few short moments.
What if we stopped several times during our day, just for a few moments, and turned inward to notice what is arising within us?
What if we just spent a few moments softening and surrendering to whatever we find?
What if we accept exactly whatever is arising with in us, with no need to deny our feelings, or manipulate our experience?
What if we just offered love and tenderness to whatever arises?
What if we just let go in this moment, of every idea or concept about how we should be?
What if, in surrendering to this moment, we became aware of silent, peaceful Presence?
What if we stopped grasping and pushing away? What if we stopped making such a big deal of everything and just allowed ourselves to relax with it all… even if only for the space of a few breaths?