Cleanse Journal Day 10

Yogic principle for the day: the external discipline of SURRENDER TO LIFE.

What does this principle mean to me?
It means I give up.

Surrender to life, the final or tenth niyama, means turning the heart completely to God. It means “let thy will be done.” It is the highest virtue. It is the highest state of mind, the culmination of jnana, bhakti and karma. Mastery in this brings Samadhi, or divine bliss.


In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna said to the warrior Arjuna:

"I consider the yogi-devotee - who lovingly contemplates on Me with supreme faith, and whose mind is ever absorbed in Me - to be the best of all the yogis." (B.G., Chapter 6, Verse 47) "After attaining Me, the great souls do not incur rebirth in this miserable transitory world, because they have attained the highest perfection." (B.G., Chapter 8, Verse 15) "... those who, renouncing all actions in Me, and regarding Me as the Supreme, worship Me... For those whose thoughts have entered into Me, I am soon the deliverer from the ocean of death and transmigration, Arjuna. Keep your mind on Me alone, your intellect on Me. Thus you shall dwell in Me hereafter." (B.G., Chapter 12, Verses 6-8) "And he who serves Me with the yoga of unswerving devotion, transcending these qualities is ready for liberation in Brahman." (B.G. Chapter 14, Verse 26) "Fix your mind on Me, be devoted to Me, offer service to Me, bow down to Me, and you shall certainly reach Me. I promise you because you are My very dear friend." (B.G., Chapter 18, Verse 65) "Setting aside all meritorious deeds, just surrender completely to My will. I shall liberate you from all sins. Do not grieve." (B.G., Chapter 18, Verse 66)

Several gurus teach surrender to God.

For Patanjali, surrender dissolves endless agitations of the mind, and a means to the unified state of yoga: samadhi. Ishvara pranidhana shifts our perspective from the vritti-activated "I," that creates a perpective of separation. Surrender reunites us with the true Self.

B.K.S. Iyengar states in his book Light on the Yoga Sutras:

"Through surrender the aspirant's ego is effaced, and . . . grace . . . pours down upon him like a torrential rain." Like the descent through layers of tension to rest in the release of Savasana, Ishvara pranidhana provides a pathway through the obstacles of our ego toward our divine nature-grace, peace, unconditional love, clarity, and freedom."

Prem Rawat, formerly Guru Maharaj Ji, was quoted in 1978 as:

"But there is nothing to understand! And if there is something to understand, there is only one thing to understand, and that is to surrender!"

How do I honour it on a daily basis? What could I improve?
Before any action, offer it to God. Dedicate practice to something or someone other than self, like an offering.

Start with our own intimate connection to the universe, Ishta-Devata. Ishta-Devata recognizes that each individual self has its own, personal relationship with the Divine and that this serves as a powerful means of finding the unity. Many sadhus surrender to the traditional Shiva, Vishnu (Rama or Krishna), Lakshmi, Kali, or Durga. Sri T. Krishnamacharya, advocated the use personalized language, imagery, and names of the sacred.

Through intimate listening to this voice within yourself, have a relationship with inner guidance in all aspects of life. Finding the connection to this inner sense of direction and listening how it guides you through your thoughts, speech, feelings and actions. Surrendering in trust to the inner voice.

• Inner listening
• Setting intention
• Chanting
• Visualization
• Noticing attachments
• Accepting what is, instead of struggling against it
• Acknowledging and honoring the Divine
• Trusting/surrendering to the Divine

Observations regarding the practice of my assignments:
Day 10 was, again, enjoyable. My body felt tremendously alive, once again, when I awoke. I performed the neti-pot nasal cleanse.

Sleep record:
I was really tired Sunday night and had yet another long, satisfying rest, up to 12 hours.

Additional thoughts or feelings:
Otherwise, this is easy. I am at peace and optimistic about the future.