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2nd Limb of Yoga – Niyamas (Personal Observances) #5: Ishvara Pranidhana
The first 2 of the 8 Limbs of Yoga are the Yamas and Niyamas. There are 5 Yamas and 5 Niyamas, and we will take a full day on our Daily Yogi journey to focus on practicing each of the five. Niyamas (KNEE-ya-mas) are guidelines for our own personal habits or observances. Let’s take a closer look at the last of five Niyamas – Ishvara Pranidhana.
All about Ishvara Pranidhana (Surrender)
Ishvara Pranidhana (Ish-VA-ra PRA-knee-DAH-na) is literally translated to English as “renouncing the fruits of action” (thank you Thiru at classicyoga.co.in for this translation!) to all-pervading consciousness. The more common translations include surrender or devotion (which we will use for brevity), and the essential concept here is faith in a higher power.
Ishvara Pranidhana is literally translated to English as “renouncing the fruits of action” to all-pervading consciousness. The more common translations include surrender or devotion (which we will use for brevity), and the essential concept here is faith in a higher power. This surrender is not about giving up hope when you face your problems, but acceptance. It helps to recall the full translation from Sanskrit above for the true meaning of this practice: non-attachment to outcomes of our actions. Ishvara Pranidhana is typically the most confusing of the Niyamas, especially for new Yogis or those who do not practice outside religions. The essence of this is allowing the bad days to pass, trying to believe everything happens for a reason, and keeping moving forward in positive directions despite challenges we may face.
Ishvara Pranidhana is typically the most confusing of the Niyamas, especially for new Yogis or those who do not practice outside religions. This surrender is not about giving up hope when you face your problems, but acceptance. It helps to recall the full translation from Sanskrit above for the true meaning of this practice: non-attachment to outcomes of our actions. The essence of this is allowing the bad days to pass, trying to believe everything happens for a reason, and keeping moving forward in positive directions despite challenges we may face.
Advanced Yogis who incorporate Ishvara Pranidhana into their lives may begin seeing difficulties as challenges to overcome, and opportunities to practice managing our responses. This is one of the keys of long-lasting happiness, since getting upset often does nothing to help a bad situation and only makes things more difficult for ourselves. Instead, try to stay calm, and do not allow a negative encounter to draw you into negativity. Of course, this is easier said than done! Remember, it is a journey.
How to practice Ishvara Pranidhana (Surrender)
How to practice Ishvara Pranidhana (Surrender)
- Practice acceptance
Ishvara Pranidhana means Surrender. This surrender is not about giving up hope when you face your problems, but acceptance. It helps to recall the full translation from Sanskrit above for the true meaning of this practice: non-attachment to outcomes of our actions. The essence of this is allowing the bad days to pass, trying to believe everything happens for a reason, and keeping moving forward in positive directions despite challenges we may face.
Advanced Yogis who incorporate Ishvara Pranidhana into their lives may begin seeing difficulties as challenges to overcome, and opportunities to practice managing our responses. This is one of the keys of long-lasting happiness, since getting upset often does nothing to help a bad situation and only makes things more difficult for ourselves. Instead, try to stay calm, and do not allow a negative encounter to draw you into negativity. Of course, this is easier said than done! Remember, it is a journey. - Try reciting Om
The literal translation from Sanskrit, surrender to all-pervading consciousness. This all-pervading consciousness has a vibration/sound/representation: OM. OM is pronounced as a very long A-U-M or OOOM, not like “on” with an m.
You can do this on your own if you are practiced, or check out this video to learn how to properly OM on your own, or perhaps try this video as background for meditation.
OM
The literal translation from Sanskrit, surrender to all-pervading consciousness. This all-pervading consciousness has a vibration/sound/representation: OM.
OM is pronounced as a very long A-U-M or OOOM, not like “on” with an m. OM is familiar in the East, but often the only exposure for those in the West is at Yoga class. I was intrigued during my Yoga training to learn that the A and U/O sounds in Sanskrit are beginning and ending vowels. Japanese also has A and U/O sounds as beginning and ending vowels, and the final letter is the M/N sound as in OM. The A and U sounds are also the beginning and ending vowels in English. I cannot help but compare to Alpha and Omega from Classical Greek (first and last letters) and other traditions, and wonder about the connections of OM trickling into various languages and religions! You can do this on your own if you are practiced, or check out this video to learn how to properly OM on your own, or perhaps try this video as background for meditation.
Here is a great article on the basic pronunciation of OM and its meaning. If you want more info, please check out this article on OM and Yoga, or check out the Wikipedia article for a deep dive into OM in Yoga as well as religions across the world.
Asana Practices
Here are some Asanas (poses) and Asana series I feel embody the spirit of Ishvara Pranidhana! Click the images to learn to how perform the pose or more about the Asana style!
Please note this section is currently under construction – please check back soon for more!
Meditation Practices
Here are some of my favorite meditations I feel embody the spirit of Ishvara Pranidhana!
Guided Meditation on Surrender.
Guided Meditation with some OMs.
Please note this section is currently under construction – please check back soon for more!
Ishvara Pranidhana Quotes
Surrender isn’t about giving up, it’s about letting go. – Anonymous 
Practicing Ishvara Pranidhana (surrender) leads to Samadhi (enlightenment). – Yoga Sutras of Patanjali 
Sometimes surrender means giving up trying to understand and being comfortable with not knowing. – Eckhart Tolle 
Surrender is like a fish finding the current and going with it. – Mark Nepo 
Animals are the bridge between us and the beauty of all that is natural. They show us what’s missing in our lives, and how to love ourselves more completely and unconditionally. They connect us back to who we are, and to the purpose of why we’re here. – Trisha McCagh 
Accept—then act. Whatever the present moment contains, accept it as if you had chosen it… This will miraculously transform your whole life. – Eckhart Tolle 
If you surrender completely to the moments as they pass, you live more richly those moments. – Anne Morrow Lindbergh 
You must learn to let go. Release the stress. You were never in control anyway. – Steve Maraboli 
Surrender to what is. Let go of what was. Have faith in what will be. – Sonia Ricotti 
Happiness can exist only in acceptance. – George Orwell 
Surrender is a journey from outer turmoil to inner peace. – Sri Chinmoy 
Everything in life is vibration. – Albert Einstein 
You cannot fulfil God’s purposes for your life while focusing on your own plans. – Rick Warren 
Always say ‘yes’ to the present moment… Surrender to what is. Say ‘yes’ to life – and see how life starts suddenly to start working for you rather than against you. – Eckhart Tolle 
Om is the signature sound of this Universe. It is the soundless sound of existence. – Banani Ray 
Just knowing you don’t have the answers is a recipe for humility, openness, acceptance, forgiveness, and an eagerness to learn – and those are all good things. – Dick Van Dyke 
The moment of surrender is not when life is over, it’s when it begins. – Marianne Williamson
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