Yoga and the Art of Letting Go
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Here in NYC, we have to let go and accept that this cold spell is going to be with us for the foreseeable future.
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Back on January 7, the PBS Newshour aired a segment about how several communities are struggling with rebuilding one year after the devastating fires that tore through L. A. One of the people interviewed was a Palisade’s resident named Peggy Holter who lost her townhome. Unfortunately, she did not have insurance so she did not even get a payout to replace her life possessions. And yet while she was initially devastated, a year later she seemed to have a change in outlook, as she recently said to correspondent Stephanie Sy:
“This stuff is not so important now … Well, I think the lesson is your happiness doesn’t depend on things … It’s pretty simple, really. But you realize, when it’s all taken away, you can still be very happy.”
The part of the story that really got to me. And gave me courage.
And it made me stop and look around my own apartment and think: could I really be happy if I lost all of this? While that question is a hypothetical one for me, I would like to think that the answer is yes.
And it was a reminder to me that an important core realization of yoga and meditation practices is that the essence of who we are is something far beyond and way more eternal than our material possessions. Step-by-step, with each practice, we come closer and closer to connecting with that realization more often.
Hearing Peggy Holter’s story and outlook reminded me of something I read long ago that the venerable Thai Buddhist monk, Ajahn Chah, had said:
“Do everything with a mind that lets go . . . If you let go a little, you will have a little peace. If you let go a lot, you will have a lot of peace. If you let go completely, you will know complete peace and freedom. Your struggle with the world will have come to an end.”
As I started my January – and my new year – I realized that I possess a lot of stuff that are feeling more like burdens, things that are weighing me down rather than uplifting me. I recently complained to my husband “I have piles around me that I need to sort through and things to get rid of.” So, I’ve begun to rededicate myself to lightening my various loads.
I am also realistic enough to know that this cannot be accomplished overnight – unless of course a fire should happen to tear through my apartment, which of course I would not want to happen. Physically removing things is actually the easy part. Psychologically removing them is harder. So many mental attachments have been built up around my possessions.
I was reminded recently that the practice of the 4th limb of yoga – Pranayama (breath control) – should be learned with patience and deepened over time. Otherwise, it could be counter-productive and even dangerous. As such, the part of Ajahn Chah’s statement that I have been reflecting on a lot lately is:
“. . . If you let go a little, you will have a little peace. …”
Just a little is all that is needed each time I practice letting go. To me, that is the essence of the art of letting go. Surely, drop by drop, the letting go will build up and eventually I will arrive at a point where I don’t feel so burdened. So, I say to myself: “Just try letting go of a little bit today. Don’t be overly ambitious.” And I remind myself that letting go takes not only time, but also compassion.
I’ve also been contemplating the national political situation and the “(gun) fire” and “ICE” that are causing so much suffering and cruelty. Four teachings from four distinguished teachers have helped me to put this time into perspective and helped me to see a potential way forward:
Joseph Campbell said: “We must let go of the life we planned in order to make room for the life that is waiting for us.”
The Japanese Zen Priest Kosho Uchiyama (1912-1998) said: “When we let go of all our notions about things, everything becomes really true.”
The American Buddhist Teacher Jack Kornfield said: “When we let go of our battles and open our hearts to things as they are, then we come to rest in the present moment. This is the beginning and the end of spiritual practice.”
Lao Tzu, the author of the Tao Te Ching, taught: “When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.”
Taken together, it makes me think that perhaps we have to start to let go of some of our ideas of what America has been, and awaken into new possibilities of what it could be. Armed with tools like yoga and meditation, the next “American Revolution” may in part be confronted with breath and expanded physical, mental, and heart-space awareness. Therein may lie some freedom during these turbulent times.
At any rate, individually and collectively, I think there is some letting go that needs to happen. The true art of letting go just might involve each of not only releasing outdated notions of what we have been but also doing whatever we can – however we can – to expand our minds and our hearts just a little more so that we can imagine new possibilities. With each breath we practice letting go. As a result, we create more space for new possibilities to unfold.
Echoing Ajahn Chah, the goal of yoga is to experience peace and freedom. Practicing letting go is one way of achieving that, and I hope that with each day you can achieve just a little bit more of it – not only for your individual benefit but for the benefit of society as a whole.
And as always, I am well aware – from personal experience! – that this is not an easy practice, and so therefore, I bow down deeply to your best efforts.
And so, with that, I will now let go of sharing my thoughts. And let you decide for yourself if any of this is useful and helpful.
May you be happy, …
May you be healthy, …
May you let go of just a little bit more in each day, …
May the additional space in your mind and heart as a result of your letting go somehow help those nearest to you, … and ultimately benefit All Beings Everywhere.
Aloha and Metta,
Paul Keoni Chun
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Images from this past month that gave me pause
Moon Series
As seen from Marie Selby Gardens on Jan 2, the moon seems to be watching our every move. And it seems to be preparing for Artemis 2's arrival. Thankfully it doesn't appear to be letting go of its grip on the Earth anytime soon!
This is what democracy looks like: No Kings protest down 5th Ave on Jan 11.
This is what democracy looks like: The People's Filibuster: A Protest for Humanity on the steps of The Public Theatre on Jan 31.
Photo Credits:
Photos from around NYC and Selby Gardens all shot by me.