This is a paragraph about surrender as a means of clearing samskara or breaking free of habits, from the empowered yoga manual-the yoga of transformation
Surrender (Variyaga)
Abhyasa-vairgyabhyam tan-nirodah- The restriction of these fluctuations is achieved through practice and disspasion-Yoga Sutra 1:12
Surrender or “letting go” can be a confusing concept for most people as we have grown to believe that surrender is synonymous with giving up and therefore carries a negative connotation.
Surrender in this context refers to the ego, and the identity and attachment that are ultimately born from it. In my yoga classes I will often invite my students, after slowing down, in a challenging pose, to find just one area in their body that does not need to be engaged in order to sustain the posture; Where can you soften?
When working with my clients off the yoga mat, the practice of surrender requires them to become aware of their attachments throughout the day. These attachments include, the need to always win, the need to be right, the need for things to turn out a certain way and the need to posses certain items. I ask them to observe what they feel in their body, like a tightness in the chest, a redness in the face, a weakness in the legs or a knot in the guts and through this observation they can then ask themselves, is the cost worth the reward?
For instance, in an argument with your co-worker or family member, What is the cost of being right? Respect? Love? What is the reward? Self importance? Pride? And finally, is it worth it?
When we realize that most of our attachments are born from ego or a fear of being vulnerable we can choose to surrender or let go and create space for new possibilities, weather it is in our hamstring or in hearts.