Fifth Niyama - Isvara Pranidhana

The last Niyama, Isvara Pranidhana, is the big daddy of the Niyamas. It’s about devoting ourselves to something greater than ourselves whether we call this God, Universe, Source, Divine Love, Allah...you get the point. Sometimes, the act of putting our faith in the hands of something we cannot see, hear, or touch puts our minds in to overload and this is where the struggle begins. We tend to think we can ‘do it all’ ourselves or we need no help from others. At times in our lives, we all need help from another. This is where surrender comes in.

According to Patanjali liberation or freedom can be found through the surrendering of the ego and self. The surrendering and devotion to God when done with intention, creates the space for us to let go, surrender, BE….it creates the opportunity for us to get out of our own way, and the “I”, and move toward a more whole, heart centered, interconnectedness with all things.

When the present becomes disturbed by thoughts that drift into apprehensions about the future, allow yourself to open up to the idea of surrendering. Nothing is for certain. Change is happening each moment. Nothing stays the same. When things don’t go our way, we need to trust, to dig deep, to find the faith, to surrender to something larger than ourselves...knowing that we will be taken care of. Isvara Pranidhana. Surrender.

The concept of God or the Divine scares some people as the words have forever been associated with religion. Connecting to God or Source doesn’t have to be about religion. You can create your own devotions of surrender with simplicity, beauty, integrity and ease. Some examples of devotion could be creating your own prayers and/or songs, lighting candles, walking in nature, stopping to pause and listen to the song of the bird, silent meditation, walking meditation, the smell of a flower, feeling your bare feet connect and sink in to dewy, cool, blades of grass, taking in deep breaths, and the miracle of our own bodies: listening to the heartbeat, breath, movement and stillness.

One of the ways I practice devotion is through ritual. Each morning devotion may be a little different, however, the ritual typically contains the following: candles and or incense, prayer, affirmations, journaling and movement. I create sacred space as a way to invite God into my heart space so that I may be a vessel to move and work through. These simple rituals set the tone for my day, bring me back to center and remind me of what is important as I begin the day. Physical offerings or ‘puja’ takes my perspective away from the “I” and invites me to look at the bigger picture of we, community, tribe. Through surrendering, I am able to calm my mind and reunite myself back to God or Source. I know that whenever I need to focus, recenter, ground, I can close my eyes and reconnect with intention and purpose to Isvara Pranidhana.

What simple action can you create each day that will bring you closer to God, the Divine?

How do you practice ‘surrender’ in your daily life?

What tools do you use to bring you back to center?