Yoga Challenge: Niyamas (Personal Observances) #5 – Ishvara Pranidhana (Surrender)

Happy Day 10 of our 30 Day Yoga Challenge – Ishvara Pranidhana

Today we are examining the final of the five Niyamas – Ishvara Pranidhana or Surrender.

2nd Limb of Yoga – Niyamas #5 – 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. 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.

Despite the difficulty of both understanding and incorporating this last of the Niyamas into our lives, it is often one of the most rewarding. We all have good days, and we all have bad days. 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. I have called my short temper in the past “Ginger Rage”. Tantrum is probably more appropriate… for example very frequently swearing if I get cut off on the highway. But has my little tantrum helped the situation at all?

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.

Today’s Positive Practice suggestion

Today’s Daily Yogi Practice is to practice acceptance when something bad or less-than-positive happens today. Try a deep breathing exercise when you encounter a problem. If you lose your temper, perhaps try to step outside yourself and see yourself reacting to a difficulty, and ask yourself if your reaction was productive. If it is possible, try seeing the silver lining for potential for growth in a bad situation. If you are practiced in religious faith, perhaps try praying for your own peace, calm, and understanding instead of a solution to a problem you are facing. Again, this is a journey and this particular practice today is one of the most difficult, so be gentle with yourself. If at first you do not succeed, evaluate what your reaction contributed, and try again next time. Treat this as an experiment, and see how you feel later after trying different approaches to problems that arise.

Want more Ishvara Pranidhana practices? Check out our Ishvara Pranidhana Guide!

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Share your Practice

Please comment to share how this exercise impacted you. Feel free to share your successes or your struggles with this challenging practice. Always remember, be kind!