Cleanse Journal Day 20

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

What does this principle mean to me?


See notes from Cleanse Day 10.

Ishwara pranidhana, or complete, free and unconditional self-surrender to God, is the highest virtue, the last niyama, and one of the trickiest niyamas. It is the release of ego and surrender to destiny.

It means “I give up.” It means “Thy will be done.” The foundation is in place and Divine will and communication is occurring to some extent. The mind prompts, "Do this" — I do it.

Patanjali says in the Yoga Sutras that one can even attain the highest form of samadhi, the final stage before kaivalya, if one can effectively surrender to God. Patanjali was an advaita vedantist, and did not understand the principle of God to be a separate entity. So Pantanjali is referring to the unchanging, ever-uniform reality, not nashwara, that which is changing, decaying, and creative.

In the second chapter of the Bhagavad Gita, Arjuna asks Krishna, “Can you describe how a person who is realized lives, acts, walks, talks, sleeps, eats and moves?”

Krishna replies, “That person’s actions are no different to ours. He moves like you and me, he eats like you and me, he sleeps like you and me, he thinks like you and me. The only difference is that he has overcome the duality of life. Whereas initially we do everything for ourselves and are the centre of the universe, now love and compassion have become the centre of the universe, and everything else revolves around that.”

How do I honour it on a daily basis? What could I improve?
Release identification with the self and identifying with the Self. Through the generation of faith and innocence, letting go of the self-oriented, self-centred awareness, one is able to tune to God's energy.

Manage thoughts, ideas, beliefs and convictions and develop a new perspective. Developing a new vision marks the awakening of the spiritual faculty within us. Understanding, modifying and changing the mental vrittis indicates the beginning of spiritual awareness and surrender to life.

Daily food/elimination comments:
I’m drinking a lot of teas and a lot of water.

Performed my second round of basti, yogic enema and held only a few minutes this time. Also, forgot to strain the Dashmula.

Sleep record:
I was not tired Wednesday night, yet slept about 10 hours.

Additional thoughts or feelings:
This is easy. I continue to be generally quiet, at peace and optimistic about the future. I plan to continue the lifestyle beyond the 21 days of the cleanse.

I am so pleased with what I have learned and experienced during this cleanse. It was mind-body all encompassing, and the timing in my life and with the changing of the seasons was another synchronicity. I was at home long enough and alone enough to perform the routines and contemplations. I would recommend this for anyone looking to gear down, lighten up, and explore within.