Letting Go of Control - the Tailspin

Letting go is hard to DO. It requires that we take our hands off the illusionary sense of steering the path of life to a certain destination. 

Yesterday I got to guide 8 women from all over the country who were here to celebrate the impending marriage of one of them. These women connected deeply by sharing their fears, concerns, what they imagined had been in their control - was no more. In the afternoon, five women gathered to support an experiment of ‘what happens if’ that I felt prompted to offer. The morning experience involved stillness to access the quiet place where control has no purpose. The afternoon invited movement to access the quiet place where control has no purpose. At some level, these women recognized the futility of using energy to try to control the uncontrollable. And while many of us think we want to take our hands off the wheel, the idea of actually doing so is terrifying… so sometimes, like Chuck Yeager, we need to be knocked unconscious. 

Many decades ago, there were experiments of a different type going on to see what happened when flying at higher altitudes than ever before. These were life and death trials, and many pilots lost their lives to learn that beyond atmospheric pressure, the laws of aerodynamics no longer applied, evident as the planes tumbled end over end as pilots tried to desperately and unsuccessfully control the situation. The panic in these pilots’ voices was evident to ground control as they sought guidance, and, for some, plunged to their death. Chuck Yeager was knocked unconscious when his plane began to tumble; 7-miles later he entered the atmosphere and was able to safely land. In his unconscious state, he had no control and thus, letting go quite literally, saved his life. Once he regained consciousness, the plane was behaving ‘normally’ and could be landed. His life was saved as he was forced to let go of the control. 

Being knocked out of our normal thinking state is necessary to move into the full journey of life. 

“Problems cannot be solved by the same level of thinking [consciousness] that created them.” Albert Einstein. 

In the Amrit lineage, (my primary area of my study and exploration) a phrase used is to ‘let life come to you.’  The depth of meaning of this phrase has shifted and changed for me over the years, with a deepening awareness of the profound invitation that if I can but loosen my grip on the steering wheel, my life will come to me in ways that were previously unimaginable. And, much better than I could have imagined even though it might not feel like it at the time. The uncertainty of each day unfolding is met with a little more ease, the reaction of those around me less captivating, and my willingness to let it be gradually deepening. 

The practice of yoga therapy helps us let go of that which we cannot control. It invites us to tap into the heretofore ignored messages of the body where wisdom resides. Yoga therapy is not limited to a single modality – it encompasses the merging of several related modalities within the umbrella of yoga to support the total person, moving toward improved health and well being. 

Based on both personal experience and that reported by students and clients, yoga therapy can help reduce stress and anxiety, gain insight into lingering impact of childhood and other wounding, improve balance and stability, enhance physical plus mental and emotional flexibility, and more. It is not a replacement for counseling or medical support; it can be complementary or even stand alone. 

So, consider taking your hands off the wheel, loosen the grip and see what happens when we let life to come us, changing our level of consciousness and deep-seated, behavioral, habitual responses by simply BE-ing.