Life And The Struggle Of Letting Go

Is this the supreme teaching we are in need to learn?

I was recently reading a piece by David Gerken, about the theme of letting go, and I started rethinking about the effort I made during the last decade to let it happen.

Then I found Liberty Forrest, Author with her beautiful reminder of the same topic, and I felt a call to write my experience.

Western and Eastern Culture

The root of this concept of letting go may still sound strange to people living in Western countries, where activity, the art of doing things, prevails over the meaning of doing nothing.

Action and dominance of the external material reality as well as in relationships, is a prevalent pattern of all type of people, rich and wealthy ahead. It is a stereotype, obviously, but unless changes of the last period, it is a fact. Moreover, this was a determinant difference of the two worlds up to not long ago, I would say.

Doing nothing, which I now identify as letting go (not so in previous years) entered Western culture through yoga and meditation. On the other hand, it has been meaningful since long time ago in Eastern cultures, because it’s been integrated in daily life through routine practices of asanas, prayers, and meditations.

The message came to me through meditation, and helped me understand the value implicit in the act of not doing. Letting go came afterwards.

Not doing and letting go

The beginning of my meditation practice was very helpful, because it gifted me with a frame in which doing nothing had a meaning. It was against the common way of thinking of the majority of people around me, and it was only less than forty years ago!

It was hard to create a space for this daily appointment due to my overcrowded house. Luckily enough there was a center for meditation, where I learned TM (Transcendental Meditation) and I could attend weekly group sessions to reinforce the experience. As for the daily routine, I struggled to have my time and place respected and make family members understand it was beneficial for me and for them.

Creating an access to my inner channel of contact with the Unified Field, opened a wide variety of experiences leading to the art of letting go.

In more recent decades, facing difficult life challenges, I voluntarily focused my attention on being the observer, letting critical events pass by, impeding their harming at a deeper level. When I’m not successful at any attempt of letting go, through the reinforcement of the regular practice of meditation I often regain connection with myself, and perspective.

In the end I can state that meditation has been my preferred teacher.

Whereas I might have felt guilty at the beginning, due to cultural influences, being faithful to the practice of Transcendental Meditation (with some different experiences with other prayers and mantras) has given me the utmost results and meaning in the NOT DOING, and letting go.

Conclusion

The concept of letting go may be difficult for people born in Western cultures.

In my experience, meditation techniques can help you getting to the full understanding of the meaningful experience of letting go, as it keeps you balanced also in challenging times, avoiding you lose your center.

In case you seem to have trouble with meditation, observe your cat’s daily behavior and tell me what you have learned. It might even work well.

Please read this revealing, touching and very personal piece about the struggles of letting go by Daniel Ng.

Thank you Liberty Forrest, Author for your efforts on keeping the light of self reflection high.