Learning to Surrender

“Surrender is a process that takes place inside of you.  When fear, anger or any strong emotion arises, if you can let those feelings go, you are surrendering.” (S. Shambhavananda)

I must confess that I have done a fair amount of wondering about whether or not I really know how to surrender.  Over time, I am learning to let go of my confusion and desire for immediate results.  Every now and then I see clearly the benefit of my meditation practice, and there is absolutely no doubt of its gifts.   It goes something like this.  A pattern, such as jealousy, shows itself over and over again inside of me.  Someone has something that I want and can’t have, and I feel jealous, left out, sorry for myself.  Or maybe someone has hurt my feelings, and each time I think about it, my chest gets tight and I play out a brief but colorful revenge fantasy.

These days, it is becoming second nature to use my meditation practice to help me when I am in danger of becoming stuck in mental/emotional ruts such as these.  I simply notice my reaction, I soften, I take a breath, I connect to mantra, and I let the feelings or reaction go as best I can. To be honest, it does not always seem to be working immediately.  Some feelings are strong and tend to linger.  Over time, however, I’ve developed some faith in the long term process.  I’ve come to believe that my countless efforts at surrendering really do make a difference.  The miracle comes when, one day,  I am presented with the person/object/situation that triggers my anger/jealousy/hurt feelings and … I don’t feel a trace of a reaction to it.  It’s just not there. There is no tightness in my chest, no surge of stress hormones, no craving or aversion of any kind.  In place of the familiar tension, there is in fact a lovely feeling of openness. A lovely inner spaciousness. This is the magic of my meditation practice.  In my experience, it is the purpose of surrender.  It allows me to have great peace and acceptance for life “just as it is.” Events may or may not change, but my inner experience is completely transformed.  I am loving this practice of paying attention, taking a breath, whispering a mantra, and feeling the magic.