The

The Letting go can be one of the hardest things we have to do in life.

When we have to let go of loved ones or long-held expectations, it can be a soul-deep challenge. It can also be one of the

most healing and cathartic things we do in life. Letting go of the need to control situations,

letting go of stress can open you up to deep peace and greater ease. But either way, letting go requires awareness.

Sometimes when I'm doing yoga or I'm in meditation, I'll silently say to myself,

allow on the inhale and let go or surrender on the exhale. This little mantra helps me to keep

my mind focused and brings that awareness I need to let go of the tension or anxieties that

often creep up without my notice. We are creatures of habit, and our minds and bodies crave familiar patterns,

even if those patterns don't necessarily serve us. Meditation is such a powerful tool because it

helps us bring awareness to who we are being moment to moment, which then gives us the power to make choices about who we are

being. If you are stuck in a pattern of grief, anxiety, or depression, the thought of simply

letting go of those intense emotions might seem far too simplistic, and it probably is.

But by watching those intense feelings, by becoming an observer of them, we can get some distance. This distance gives us the option to not

react to them so much, and when we stop reacting as much, it becomes easier for the emotions

to pass through us

and not linger or get stuck within our bodies or minds.

I had the opportunity to do this last week.

I was having all my six-month post-chemo tests and doctor appointments,

and a lot of fear and anxiety was cropping up within me.

As I awaited results of a particular scan in the doctor's office, I could feel my heart beating

hard and my breath going shallow. But I was able to dip into my meditation practice and

...