“Just let it go,” is a statement we hear and use quite often, especially when we talk about our worries, fears, old habits or people and situations that do not feel good to us anymore. Letting Go – it sounds easy, but what does it mean really and how do we bring it into practice?

Acceptance

Letting go starts with accepting your life as it is, to surrender to the present moment and be willing to let life unfold in its own natural way. It is, having the courage to accept change and the strength to move forward. By accepting and owning your life, you allow yourself to perceive new insights, which opens doors to possibilities you would never have envisioned with your thinking.

Personal Freedom

Each time we allow our emotions to come to the surface and take responsibility for it, we give ourselves the gift of personal freedom. Liberation that comes from releasing the burden, we might have carried with us for nearly a lifetime. Personal freedom is the result of lovingly and compassionately looking at ourselves, our past and our hurts, in a non-judgmental way, and at the same time liberated ourselves from the need for approval from anyone outside of ourselves.

Resistance

We might have a conscious desire to release a burden we have been carrying with us, but somehow it is just too hard, or not working. Most likely, an unconscious part within us has a good reason to not to. This unconscious part is very powerful and related to deeply felt emotions, personal fixation and the stories we have been telling ourselves for many years. “What you resist persists,” therefore, trying to push it down and prevent it from coming to the surface, reinforces it, which might limit you to live your life to its fullest potential.

Resistance often comes from fear, pain or parts within us which have the need to be recognised and accepted. By making an effort to communicate with these parts, they can be healed and released. We will not only become free of our problems but also of our limited sense of identification with the person we ‘think’ we are.

Always, be gentle with yourself, by taking little and carefully considered steps. Connect with the people who respect and support you, your journey and your choices. Create moments of solitude, silence, and contemplation, enabling you to hear your inner voice. Additionally, be out in nature and tap in the flow of life, which generates balance and healing.

Healing Ritual

Real healing only takes place from the inside, and never from a place outside of ourselves. An easy and practical use for self-healing is writing a letter to yourself, or to a person who has hurt you in some way. This practice can give a great sense of openness, clarity, and relief. Write everything down, all the pain, hurt, frustrations, and anger. After you’ve finished the letter, read it out loud, and remove it, by either burning it or by burying it under the ground. Close your ritual by doing something that is healing and nurturing for you, like taking a bath, going for a nice walk, buying flowers for yourself or see a movie. Just anything that gives you joy, pleasure, a sense of self-worth and value of self-love.

Healing Journey

A very helpful and insightful guide to help you in this process, to liberate and free yourself from undesired burden is: ‘The Healing Journey’ from Brandon Bays. Besides her ‘personal journey story’, she has included a step-by-step process for accessing the infinite wisdom within, and revealing old emotional patterns and memories that are stored in our cells. This guide can be used for both physical and emotional healing and a variety of other life challenges.

Conclusion

Letting go starts with being honest with yourself and accepting yourself for who you truly are. Any effort towards inner searching will be rewarded with a sense of personal freedom, enabling you to make healthy choices, enhancing and improving your life in significant ways.