A Meditation on Letting Go

Letting go is the path to freedom: It is only by letting go of the hopes, fears, the pain, the past, the stories that have a hold on us, that we can quiet our mind and open our heart. Letting go does not mean losing the knowledge of the past. Instead, it is releasing the images and emotions, the grudges and fears that bind our spirit. Letting go begins with letting be. We need to feel it fully, for if we resist, it will secretly follow us as we try to push it away. Follow these steps to begin this meditation. Let yourself sit comfortably. Breathe. Let yourself be settled in the ground of the present. Next, bring into awareness the story, the situation, the feelings the reactions that it is time to let go. Name them gently (betrayal, sadness, anxiety, etc.) and allow them to be without resistance held in a heart of compassion. Ask yourself if it is wise to let go of the past. Then feel the freedom and east that will come from this letting go. Say to yourself, Let go, let go, let go. Sense how the feelings can be released like draining a bath. Feel the space that comes as you let go. Now envision the future, the freedom, the innocence now that this situation has been released. Sit quietly and notice if the feelings return. Each time they return, say kindly, I’ve let you go. The images and feelings may come back many times. But as you continue to practice, they will eventually fade. The mind will trust the space of letting go and the heart will be easy. And you will be free.