Isvara Pranidhana
Isvara Pranidhana (“Surrender”)
By Anna Hughes
And so we reach the last of the Yamas and Niyamas, Isvara Pranidhana. I’ll be honest, I find this one tricky to articulate. It is one of the Yamas and Niyamas that I grapple with and yet it is one that speaks to me most often. Something tells me it holds the key to resting in a quiet peacefulness that I associate with the state of yoga.
As I prepared to write this, the first roadblock I hit was the definition of Isvara (pronounced eesh-vara) itself. How does one define that which is ultimately undefinable, as it exists in a realm that is beyond our limited human understanding? It is sometimes simply defined as God; this isn’t satisfactory for me. While this is a descriptor I can embrace, I realize that “God” does not work for everyone. The Yoga Sutras are designed to have universal appeal, no matter what the reader’s background and belief, so Isvara simply defined as God just isn’t as inclusive and comprehensive as it might be. In many translations, Isvara is more aptly described as the original source of knowledge and wisdom, the teacher of all teachers, the original and eternal teacher.
This led me to the idea of Ishta Devata. “The yogic concept of Ishta-Devata recognizes that we each have our own, personal relationship with and taste of the Divine.” (Yoga Journal, “Isvara Pranidhana: The Practice of Surrender,” Shiva Rea) This idea offers the practitioner the opportunity to understand Isvara as a felt sense of something within themselves, within all, within everything, AND YET, greater than the sum of all of these parts. Basically, our own personal way of feeling and understanding Isvara may be as unique as our fingerprint. Either way, it is agreed there is a Force at work, a Higher Power or something of that sort, that may take many ideas and forms, ranging from concepts such as Love, Source, Great Mystery, Nature, or even Science to a more defined being/representative or deity such as Jesus, Krishna, Shiva, Buddha, or Mohammed. The list goes on and on. The one caveat is that whatever our understanding of Isvara, it should be “something concrete enough to sink our spiritual teeth into, something that offers us hope and faith” (Judith Lasater).
And now on to Pranidhana. As with most Sanskrit words, its meaning is nuanced, but it boils down to the idea of letting go or surrendering. This act of surrender is not just when it is convenient and, ideally, not just when we feel we have tried everything else. It is not intended to be an ideal we cling to only when all else fails. Rather, it is intended to be something we strive toward in every action. It requires a vigilant and ongoing willingness to turn over or relinquish the results of our actions. “Pranidhana implies a state of humility in the presence of something higher.” (The Path of the Yoga Sutras, Nicolai Bachman) Pranidhana asks that we trust, not just in good times, but in everything all the time.
When we combine these two words, Isvara Pranidhana, we can begin to grasp the potential in this sort of practice. We use the concepts in the previous Yamas and Niyamas (kindness, truthfulness, non-grasping, maintaining appropriate boundaries, continuously doing the work to keep our hearts and minds clear, discipline and self-study) to shine a light on the path of action. And then, with the understanding of our limited perception, in humility and with full trust, we relinquish the outcome of each of our endeavors. In faith, we offer up each of our efforts to a creative force at work that is greater than our understanding. We do not have to agree with or even like the outcome, but there is a deep acceptance nevertheless. In this act of surrender, in giving up the illusion of control, there lies the potential for great solace, great peace, or, as described in one of my favorite prayers, “a quietness born of trust.” And from this quiet, steady place, we arrive at an understanding that our inherent self-worth is not tied to any outcome.
1. Dedicate or devote actions
“If Isvara is the compass, Pranidhana is remembering to stay connected to that essence, not just occasionally but throughout the day… Isvara Pranidhana connects every action to its sacred source.” (Yoga Journal, “Isvara Pranidhana: The Practice of Surrender,” Shiva Rea)
Before I enter the studio to teach a class, I have a ritual of washing my hands and repeating this mantra, “May my hands, heart, and words be of service.” After I teach, I similarly wash my hands and this time the mantra is simply, “Isvara Pranidhana.” In this practice, I acknowledge that I am a vessel to pass along the teachings of yoga as taught by my teachers, my teachers’ teachers, and on down the line to the original source. I offer up the efforts. I find peace knowing that I did my best in that offering, and how it is received or what the ultimate outcome is, lies beyond my control. In this simple practice, I humble myself, perform my action with right intention and, when finished, I trust and let it go.
Consider cultivating your own practice of offering your efforts and energies to your understanding of Isvara. Start with something that is easy to remember. Maybe it is the beginning or end of your yoga practice, before rising in the morning or before going to bed, when cooking a meal or sitting down to eat or even folding laundry. Maybe it is before or after an important meeting or conversation. Shifting from the “me, me, me” perspective to the higher perspective helps us shift from our own smaller self to the larger Universal Self. It offers us a way of honoring the sacredness of the moment and trusting that, with right intention, all is and will be as it should be.
2. Mantra for landing back in a place of trust
From the book Meditations from the Mat by Rolf Gates, I found one of my favorite mantras for Isvara Pranidhana. It is simply, “ACT AS IF YOU TRUST YOUR GOD.” Whenever I catch myself ruminating over past actions or anxiously anticipating future ones, I simply repeat this mantra as a way to calm and steady my body, mind, and spirit. I find this mantra even more effective when I hear myself following that up with a “yeah, but…,” as if there may be an exception to this rule. The true practice of Isvara Pranidhana guides us to an understanding that there is no exception.
3. Celtic Prayer
If you have a prayer practice, or would like to start one, here is an excerpt from the Celtic prayer I mentioned above. It has served me as a powerful way to ground myself in Isvara Pranidhana.
This day is Your gift to me;
I take it from your hand
and thank you for the wonder of it.
All that I am,
I place into Your hands.
All that I do,
I place into Your hands.
Everything I work for,
I place into Your hands.
Everything I hope for,
I place into Your hands.
The Troubles that weary me,
I place into Your hands.
The thoughts that disturb me,
I place into Your hands.
Each that I pray for
I place into Your hands.
Each that I care for
I place into Your hands.
May I feel Your presence
at the heart of my desire,
and so know it for Your desire for me.
Thus shall I prosper,
thus see that my purpose is from You,
thus have the power to do the good which endures.
Help me to find my happiness
in my acceptance
of what is Your purpose for me;
in friendly eyes, in work well done,
in quietness born of trust,
and, most of all,
in the awareness of Your presence
in my spirit.
4. Meditation and Visualization
(from an article in Yoga Journal by my Yoga Sutra teacher, Kate Holcombe)
“Find a comfortable place to sit quietly. Close your eyes, relax your chin and neck, and take a few relaxed breaths with your hands resting on your lap (or at your sides if you choose to lie on your back).
As you continue to breathe comfortably, begin to visualize the quality or image you most associate with your higher power or with a force greater than yourself. This could be a wise person or an elder you respect, a religious figure or symbol, or something in nature that represents for you the order of the universe—something like the sun, the moon, a star, or a flower. You might even choose to focus on a quality such as compassion, reverence for life, or joy. Whatever you choose, it should feel like a positive support, something that resonates with you as a symbol of Ishvara.
Inhale, bringing your palms up and together over your heart as you imagine bringing in and filling your heart with that image. Exhale, gradually lowering your palms as you imagine that feeling or force emanating outward from your heart throughout your entire body, suffusing every part of your being. Repeat this as few as 3 times or as many as 12, depending on how much time you have. Afterward, sit quietly again and breathe comfortably for a few moments.”
Incorporating Isvara Pranidhana into Your Yoga Practice
For additional ways of incorporating Isvara Pranidhana into your life and practice, start with a pose (asana), mudra (hand-and-finger gesture), and mantra (a sacred utterance repeated continuously). Hold the pose with its mudra for 5-8 breaths in the beginning, working up to a minute or more of seated meditation, mindfully chanting, aloud or internally, its accompanying mantra.
Mudra: Anjali mudra
Draw your palms together at your heart center, often called “prayer position,” with the hands together at the heart, thumbs resting against your sternum.
Asana: Pranamanasana (Prayer pose)
Lie flat on your belly with your forehead resting softly on the ground. Extend your arms in front of you. Incorporate Anjali mudra by drawing your palms together in prayer position (Anjali).
Mantra: OM
The soft sound of Om, that universal sound, the sound of the universe being created. We often begin and end our yoga practice with the universal sound of Om. As you chant Om with Isvara Pranidhana in your heart and mind, imagine surrendering that which no longer serves you. Give away the fears and anxieties that hold you back in this life. Let the weight be lifted and let your life be lighter in this state of surrender. Begin to trust in the knowledge that, “that which we seek is already present within us.” (Yoga Journal)
Over the last several months we’ve covered the first two limbs of the eight-limbed path of Pantanjali’s Yoga Sutras: the Yamas and the Niyamas. Special thanks to Anna Hughes for finishing up the 2019 year with this complex and important concept of surrender. In 2020 we will dive in to asana, pranayama and beyond!
Copyright 2019 Metta Yoga LLC