Wednesday, Mar 30, 2022 • 3min
The Journey to Letting Go
Play Episode
Letting go is a lifelong process
Read more
Talking about
Speakers
(1)
Dora Kamau
Transcript
Verified
Break
Dora Kamau
00:47
Hey, it's me Dora. Welcome to Radio
Headspace
and to Wednesday. For today I wanted to explore the idea of letting go. In mindfulness you hear this term a lot. I think sometimes this idea gets sugarcoated and minimized as something that should be and could be done in a matter of moments, but letting go is really a lifelong process.Share
01:12
To let go means to be in the here and now, relinquishing any control of what happens next. So, what are we holding on to when we're afraid of letting go.
Share
01:25
I was reading this story about a man who thought his life had no meaning. He couldn't find the way to get out of this feeling. Then one day he met with a
Zen
Teacher and he asked the teacher for advice on how to gain true happiness. The teacher didn't say anything, he just picked up one bamboo basket and took the man to the bank of a small river.Share
01:47
The teacher asked the man, "Do you see the stones along this path? From this spot, walk one step, pick up one stone and put the stone in the basket on your back". The man didn't understand the intention but because of his faith and confidence in the teacher, he would do it. When the man got to the end of the path the teacher asked him how he felt.
Share
02:11
The man shook his head and said, "The basket is getting heavier and heavier. I almost can't lift it". The teacher smiled happily. "Do you know why your heart isn't able to be happy? Because you're carrying too many things". Then the teacher took a stone out of the basket, one at a time. He said, "This stone is having power" and he threw it into the river. "This stone as well" and he threw it into the river.
Share
02:37
"This stone is our anxieties, this stone is loneliness, this stone is thinking and worrying about the past and future", he threw it in the river. The man picked up the basket once more and it felt light and easy to lift and suddenly mindfulness arose. If one is just able to put down the stones, then happiness will overflow.
Share
03:02
So what needs to be let go from your basket? Our experiences are the stones that we carry which after a while are meant to be put down so we can make space for more. In this story the man followed with faith, confidence and trust that the teacher knew what he was doing.
Share
03:21
Faith and trust are also teachers that can guide us when we decide to let go. Faith is a commitment we make that things will work out how they are meant to. Trust is the attitude we can cultivate that connects us to a deeper sense of confidence in the present moment. And we can't forget acceptance, the understanding and courage to see things as they are.
Share
03:44
One of my favorite meditations in the
Headspace
app is about letting go, so if you haven't seen it already I highly recommend it. Until next time, see you back here again soon.Share
Add podcast
🇮🇹 Made with love & passion in Italy. 🌎 Enjoyed everywhere
Build n. 1.38.1
Dora Kamau