Ishvara Pranidhana is the practice of fully surrendering to and trusting the wisdom of something that is greater than yourself and allowing that something to guide your life. That something is often referred to as “the Higher Self”, the universe, or even as God, depending on the practitioner.
Surrendering doesn’t mean giving up or stop trying. It means letting go of things that don’t serve us. We can’t control everything and yet we try. We have this idea that if we don’t try to control everything, we are weak.
It’s been said that the cause of all suffering is the mind. This stems from The Four Noble Truths of Buddha. By holding on to desires, wants, ideas, and control, we hold on to our suffering. We make ourselves unhappy. The ability to surrender removes our suffering and sets us free.
Next time, Ishvara Pranidhana in our yoga practice.