05-Jun-2011

True Good-Byes

The Art of Letting Go

It is said that life is nothing but practicing for death—the ultimate letting go. Every day presents an opportunity to foster the awareness that with every breath you are saying “good-bye” to something. Perhaps you are letting go of old habits, disposing of a favorite sweater or shirt, watching your youth slip away or saying good-bye to your children or a loved one. There’s no way to hold on, no stopping the forces of nature.

You only have the power to control your level of acceptance and gratitude for the ebbs and flows that life brings. To help pass through a particularly difficult parting, do the following: Sit quietly, close your eyes and breathe long, slow and deeply. Go inside yourself, to your heart center. Visualize what you have lost. Hold it there in your loving embrace. Be grateful. Then, open your arms and let it go, knowing there is a plan, that all is in harmony—a perfect practice for that final moment of letting go.

Recommended: The Art of Letting Go: A Pathway to Inner Freedom by Vidya Frazier