Surrender Meditation - A Spoken guided visualization (Letting go of control)

Surrender Meditation Trusting the Universe Hello and welcome to this guided meditation. My name is Jason Stevenson and over the course of the next half hour or so, we will begin transforming our fear and disappointment into trust and hope. We will let go of our need for complete control. Surrendering to the love and wisdom of the Universe. Thank you for joining us in this process. Competence and perseverance are admirable qualities for so many aspects of our lives. From interpersonal relationships to goal setting, we pride ourselves on choosing our mark, aiming and hitting it dead center. We move through our lives with accuracy, diligence and compassion. And yet, even our best intentions and carefully laid plans can bring us stress, anxiety and depression sometimes. When the unexpected happens, our carefully built scaffolding trembles as the ground on which it is built begins to shift. If you have felt an earthquake or even just a tremor in your life lately, this meditation is for you. Finding a comfortable place now, either sitting or lying down, closing your eyes gently and relax, taking a deep breath in and sending that breath all the way to the bottom of your diaphragm, holding that breath for a few seconds and then releasing that breath. You may like to give the breath a color as it's going in, a lighter color that you breathe in and on the breath out, releasing tension, it may be a darker color. So just over the course of this next minute, I'd like you just to focus now on your breathing, breathing in and holding and releasing any stress or tension. So as we journey a little further into this meditation, take a moment to name whatever has shifted in your life. It could be a happy occurrence, like the beginning of a new relationship or the birth of a child. Perhaps it is a sad occurrence, like the death of a family member or loss of a job. And maybe this part of your life is neutral, a new goal, a change in objective or some other unexpected twist. Whatever it is, it is out of your control and this can be deeply frightening at times. In much of the Western world, we are taught that control, objectives and contingency plans are what will keep us safe. You probably have a plan for any given area of your life, a backup plan in case that doesn't work out and an absolutely worst case scenario and how you would cope with it. There is nothing wrong with this and in fact, thinking strategically usually reduces anxiety and results in excellent outcomes. But what this mindset doesn't teach you is that you can't control everything. Even if you are a centered, compassionate being, this is deeply unsettling. And yet, past this fear lies peace. A peace that is impossible to disrupt. Over the course of the next few minutes, we will journey into this all-encompassing serenity. As we go, you may encounter painful or frightening memories, beliefs and possibilities. All I ask is that as we walk through this soulful process, you continue on. Myself and thousands of people who will listen to this example, are with you as you confront the things that hold you back. And no matter what happens, you are safe. So, take a few deep breaths and allow your muscles to soften. You are safe. From the tips of your toes, your ankles, feet, they are safe and relaxed. Your calf muscle, supple and relaxed. Your knees, thighs, hips, relaxed. Surrender. Let your bottom half of your body surrender. Your stomach, chest, back, neck, supple, relaxing and nurtured. Release your head, shoulders, arms, right down to your fingertips. Trust in the process. Feel the freedom. Release. Your face softens. Eyes, nose, mouth, ears. Let go. Surrender. Your mind opens, expands, is safe, is free, is letting go. In all of the universe, in every galaxy, there exists only one thing that you can control. That thing, that magnificent, loving being, is you. You cannot control the weather. You cannot control another person's actions. At best, you can offer love and respect for each person's freedom. At worst, you can attempt to manipulate others to do your bidding, either through psychological tactics or force. You can only control you. And yet, you are a universe within yourself, a vast sea of emotional processes, a garden of biology, a creature capable of surviving at the bottom of the sea or on another planet, thanks to the contributions of other beings like you. You are totally unique, a heady cocktail of experiences. Memories and passions that will never, ever be created the same way again. You have almost infinite choices in every moment. What to do. How to react. When to do it. And yet, they are your choices. And they are the only things that you can control. If this realization feels painful or foreign, embrace it. If it feels freeing, welcome it. Something greater than us exists. It doesn't matter if you follow a specific faith tradition, a general spirituality, or nothing at all. However, you understand the greater intelligence and purpose of the universe. You know that something created the world around you, and that some greater order keeps it safe. Breathe in this love. Breathe in this safety. Breathe in the greater intelligence that surrounds you and is within you. You are born of the universe. You are treasured by it. And this higher consciousness, whether you call it love or god, or any number of other names, is caring for you every moment of every day. It is responsible for the shift, the delicate earthquake that has disrupted your life. And whether you realize it or not, this gentle rumbling has happened for a reason. Take a moment now to let go, drift off, float free into the stars of the universe, knowing all the while that you are 100% safe and nurtured. There is an old Celtic legend that says, just before each person is born, they are allowed to choose all the hardships they will experience during their lifetime. In this tradition, everyone selects the challenges that they will be able to overcome, the situations and conditions that will push them to learn and grow, but that will not defeat them. What if your toughest moments had been selected because someone, or something, knew you could not fail at them? How would you feel? Would you act differently than you have been up until now? Trust. Trust is a word we use often, although at times it means different things. Do you trust that there is meaning in what you are experiencing right now? Do you trust that you will learn from this change? Do you trust that the universe is watching out for you, even in your darkest moment, nurturing you into an even more beautiful being? For many of us, we cannot trust without loosening our hold on control. We cling to beliefs, habits, and people that feel safe, hanging on to rotting logs, instead of letting the benevolent waters of life carry us into worlds more beautiful than we could ever imagine. This is a logical instinct, one developed through millennia, of striving and surviving as human beings. Holding on to something ugly at least means knowing what you have. Letting go, opening yourself to possibilities, and releasing the need to manage everything, is both terrifying and deeply freeing. Could you surrender your need for control, letting yourself float into the paradise the universe wants to share with you? Breathe in peace, let go of control, breathe in new possibilities. Let go of any stagnant ways on your breath out, breathe in a new paradise, float within it, let go, and surrender to this. Many times, for many of us, we grasp at things or events because we know what we want. A particular romantic partner. A job at a certain company. A body that looks a certain way. Understanding exactly what we desire helps direct our actions and attention toward a particular goal. But what we often overlook are the things outside our control. You could be the most charming, attractive person in the entire world. And that special someone still might not be interested. You could have the best interview in the history of interviews. And you still might not be selected for that job. You could be an Olympian and still not achieve that physical goal. Some things aren't possible, and we don't know which they are. If this seems disheartening, all you need to do is shift your perspective a little bit. On your breath in, breathe in compassion for yourself, for others. On your breath out, let go of control, of fear. If you knew everything that was going to happen, or if you got exactly what you wanted all of the time, you wouldn't grow much as a person. And you wouldn't have as much fun. Today's terrible first date is tomorrow's bedtime story for your grandchildren. Losing your job today might pave the way to a career so fulfilling you can't imagine it right now. The universe is trying to give what you want, but it may not look the way you expect it to. If we orchestrate our lives down to the finest detail, we leave no room for pleasant surprises, exhilarating adventures, and the deep wisdom that comes only from failure. Would you rather have a life full of bland, safe experiences? Or spend each day in righteous laughter, earth-shaking love, meaningful companionship, and the tears that come from seeking and achieving it? Letting go of control, allowing our life's careful architecture to shift with the changes we experience, requires intense vulnerability. Like surrender, vulnerability is often mocked in contemporary western culture. And yet, vulnerability is not weakness. Instead, it is the willingness to drop your facade, to experience your feelings and life's happenings with every part of your being. It is a willingness to trust your intuition, the universe, and even the web of people, 7 billion people, who are seeking the same things as you. You are a small ship on a vast and majestic river. The current will carry you where you want to go, if only you stop trying to row upstream. In a day, or a week, or perhaps even a year, you will look back on this difficult time with fondness, no matter what happens. At this very moment, you are learning and changing, being carried into a beautiful new awareness by a kind, loving presence. You can only control yourself, but you are enough to enact big changes on the world. Love, compassion, trust, and vulnerability are your tools, and with them you can do everything. I, and your fellow companions on this journey through life, know you will not only succeed, but thrive. You are a masterpiece in progress, believe, and anything is possible. Namaste.