Ishvarapranidhana

Our yoga practice invites us to inquire + inspire and also to trust in what we cannot see or know. We are asked us to trust in the future and to loosen our grip on the attachment we have to our immediate actions and their corresponding specific outcomes - both on and off the mat. The practice of ishvarapranidhana requires that we give up the illusion that we can control what will happen to us and to those around us.

Ishvara is a Sanskrit word that can be translated to mean The Supreme, The Divine or God. Pranidhana means to dedicate, devote, or surrender. Put together, ishvarapranidhana can be defined as spiritual devotion or devoting your actions to a higher being or relinquishing selfish motives.

In a time where feelings of separateness and disconnection prevail, so often - too often, in fact - we pride ourselves on being strong and domineering over others.  Like a martyr, we convince ourselves that we can navigate the waters of life our own, that we are the master of our own universe, and often forget that we are connected to the big picture of life.

Our struggle with uncertainty coupled with our desire to protect ourselves and loved ones from pain sometimes leads us to embrace a cautious rigidity that can constrain us from a wholehearted human experience. All too often, we base our choices and decisions from our egos which, ultimately, give us the false belief that we are somehow in control. Consequently, the idea of surrendering is taken to mean something negative, as it implies a sort of weakness, giving up or defeat.

In yoga, however, it’s quite the opposite. Victory is attained as we willingly surrender our idea of who we think we are (i.e. our jobs, our problems, our injuries, our fears, our material possessions, and on the list goes . . .) and create the space needed to connect to our true nature: a Self of limitless joy. Surrender the idea that you have to do every pose instructed. It’s ok to take a moment to pause, to rest. It’s important to remember that when we pause, nothing is lost and we have only everything to gain.

Within a yoga class, there are many ways to practice ishvarapranidhana, and cultivate both our ability and willingness to surrender: set an intention for your practice, take Child’s Pose, have fun! Without this devotion or surrender to something greater than ourselves, yoga can become self-serving and binding instead of liberating. By continuously offering up our efforts and rewards to something more than just personal gain, we are able to keep Ishvara (our own personal form of God or the Divine) in the forefront of our minds. Give your practice your best effort and be detached from the outcome.

Though ishvarapranidhana requires an element of self-discipline, trust, and faith to practice, it usually takes way more effort to cling to the smallness of the ego then it does to surrender to the higher self or the greater good. If we can dedicate our lives to serving this higher entity that dwells within it's possible to move beyond all feelings of separateness and therefore get free from the stress, anxiety, self-doubt.

By putting aside our judgments and criticisms - of both Self and others - and following the instructions offered in class, we learn to open up to something other than than our ego. With each forward bend, we bow down to the Divine (in whatever form that has meaning) and with each backbend, we offer up our hearts so that we may remember that we are a part of the Universe and connected to it with every thought, word and action we take. Peace comes when we relinquish the idea that we are the "doer" and allow the infinite to guide us on our way.