Trust the unfolding of life.
Ishvara Pranidhana is a key concept in yoga philosophy. The great yogi Patanjali lists it in his 8 limbs of Yoga (a path to liberation) - it is the fifth and final of the Niyamas, which is the second limb of Yoga.
In fact, Ishvara Pranidhana is mentioned multiple times in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. Patanjali gives many different options for aspiring yogis to experience Yoga (meaning enlightenment in this context) and the 8 limbed path is only one of these options. In Sutra 2.1 he recommends that by practising Tapas (discipline), Svadhyaya (self study) and Ishvara Pranidhana (surrender to a higher power) one can experience Yoga. And in Sutra 1.23 he advises that by devoting oneself completely to Ishvara Pranidhana alone, the state of Yoga can be realised.
So we can recognise here that this practice was considered of great importance to Patanjali!
Let’s dive in a bit deeper…what is Ishvara Pranidhana? What does it mean and on a practical level how can we practise in our day to day life?
Ishvara is a Sanskrit word that means ‘higher power’ ‘universe’ ‘God’ or ‘universal consciousness’. Pranidhana can be translated as ‘to surrender’ or ‘to devote’. This is the practice of accepting that much of life is outside of our control. It is recognising that there is an intelligence far greater than our own limited human perspective.
For many people, Ishvara Pranadhana is worshipping a particular God or Deity. For others it is recognising the awe and wonder of Mother Nature or the universe. Yoga does not require everyone to believe the same thing - it recognises our differences and simply reminds us that there is great power in devotion itself.
The teachings of Yoga tell us that each and every life form comes from the divine. Atman (individual consciousness) and Brahman (universal consciousness) are one and the same. When we practise Ishvara Pranidhana we see the beauty within all beings and recognise the interconnectedness of all of life.
Ishvara Pranidhana teaches us to let go of our ego (small self) so we can experience the unlimited joy of the soul (big self or higher self). According to the teachings of Yoga the world of form (every thing we perceive as ‘real’ in the world) is impermanent and ever changing. Even our body, our emotions, our thoughts are all impermanent. But there is a part of ourselves that remains unchanging and eternal - that is our consciousness or pure awareness - this is part of each and every one of us, but often we forget. Ishvara Pranidhana is the practice of surrendering to a higher power so we can remember who we truly are beyond time, place or space.
Daily practices you can try!
TRUST the unfolding of life. We never know why things happen the way they do and sometimes something that seems bad at the time actually turns out to be a blessing in disguise - hold the faith! Perhaps you have read the story of the Zen Farmer
LET GO of the outcome. We live in a society obsessed with results. Next time you have a task to complete do it to the best of your ability, be as present as possible and let go of the result. There is a saying the fruits of our actions do not manifest the day we plant the seeds…be patient.
USE A MANTRA to remind you that you are connected to all that is. So Hum can be a powerful phrase meaning “I am that” - as you inhale silently say “So” and as you exhale silently say “Hum” Repeat this mantra during a meditation practice, whilst in a yoga pose or when walking in nature.
FIND WHERE YOU FEEL CONNECTED. Whether it’s a church, a yoga class, a dedicated space within your home, a beautiful place in nature, a combination of these or somewhere else entirely…know where you feel able to connect to your highest self. Where do you feel a sense of awe and wonder? Where do you remember who you really are? Where do you feel the vast and limitless possibilities of life? Remember to visit these places often 💛
SEE MAGIC IN THE MUNDANE. Every single day, every single moment, every single breath is a miracle! Staying open and recognising the awe and wonder that exists in the present moment is a form of devotion to life itself. In the words of Marcus Aurelius “When you arise in the morning think what a privilege it is to be alive - to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.”
A personal story:
This weekend I was due to attend my first ever silent meditation retreat. This is the second silent retreat I’ve booked, the first was earlier this year. In the week leading up to that first retreat, I had a terrible cold and sinus infection. I convinced myself I was fine and would be recovered by the time the retreat started. Sadly life had other plans for me! The night before I was due to go, Roo (my dog) hurt his paw and was clearly in quite a lot of pain. Instead of going on retreat, I ended up at the vets and the pharmacy! After this experience, I realised I had been fighting against the reality of my situation. I wasn’t accepting life as it was…I wanted life to go the way I had planned it in my head and got stuck in the story I was telling myself.
Soon after that experience, I booked a silent retreat with my regular meditation teacher. I convinced myself this was the retreat I was supposed to do - I knew a few of the participants and it was for a shorter time frame of two nights instead of five. Just a few days ago my teacher got in touch to say that due to personal circumstances, the retreat this weekend has been cancelled. What was most interesting was that I had no particular reaction to this news at all…I was neutral! I was very much looking forward to the retreat but I also know that life will unfold as it unfolds and whatever happens will be fine. Who knows what is good and what is bad? I now have a much stronger ability to accept things as they are and trust the unfolding of my life…the teaching of Ishvara Pranidhana has certainly helped me with that.