Dedicated to J
1. The Serenity Prayer, the ever popular go to for so many. Learning and actually using this prayer regularly has had an irrefutable impact on my letting go muscle development. Saying each line slowly and fully taking in the meaning of how they work together allows me to understand what I am letting go of and focus on what I can change. My thinking and attitude about something are what I can change. Additionally, I can change my actions. At that point of understanding, I now have a choice of how I respond or react to any given situation. More often than not what is required of me is to be quiet and not act. When I get out of the way and find acceptance in the situation I can actually feel a physical shift, a release in muscle tension, a letting go.
2. The God Box, my very first tool. In early recovery, I used a shoebox, wrote out my problems and put them in the box. I did this regularly. There is something that would happen in the process of writing letters to God, folding them up, placing them in the box, and then putting the box away. I find this to be helpful when I am holding onto something for a lil too long. I have also written letters to God and planted them in the earth or placed them into a fire, tapping into elements of nature. When practiced regularly, this shifting of thought energy and emotions through this process can also build the letting go muscle.
3. The surrender breath. Many people do this intuitively. I did not. Before getting into a regular meditation and yoga practice I had never even thought of my breath. I feel like I was holding my breath for the first 35 years of my life! I take a DEEP breath through my nose and lift my shoulders up to my ears to create tension, hold for a moment and then open my mouth, drop my shoulders, and let go of the breath with an audible sigh. I usually do this a couple of times to LET GO of the minor things I am clinging to. It helps me slow down and get back to the principles of the Serenity Prayer that is now so infused into my innermost self.
If you are new to letting go, the practice of aligning your will with that of a Higher Power, I hope you will find these simple practices a starting place for developing this powerful life skill.