Most people associate surrender with something negative: giving up, losing, being humiliated, or allowing yourself to be controlled or even imprisoned. When used in a spiritual context, however, surrender also means to give up, but this time it means to give up everything that no longer serves you. Spiritual surrender means ceasing to struggle against “what is,” letting go of life’s smallness, and fully embracing its totality.

Surrender to God
Spiritual surrender is referred to as the “joy of surrender” in Vedic texts. It’s that wonderful, positive sensation you get when you simply let go. It means breaking free from all constraints, expanding beyond your usual conditioning, and opening up to infinite possibilities. It is surrendering the small self or personal identity to the absolute.

When you surrender spiritually, you stop imposing solutions on situations over which you have no control and instead trust and believe that there is a Divine force in charge of everything in a perfectly orchestrated manner. Here are some examples of how surrender is explained further:

In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna, who represents the Divine, tells Arjuna, “Abandon all types of dharma [intent] and simply surrender unto me alone,” commands Krishna, the Divine’s representative, to Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita. I will deliver you from all wicked reactions, so do not be scared. Spiritual teacher Eckhart Tolle states that surrender is saying “yes” to life and then watching as life begins to work for you rather than against you. According to writer Debbie Ford, “surrender is a gift you can offer yourself.” That requires a leap of faith. It’s saying, “Even though I can’t see in which direction this river is moving, I’m convinced that it will lead me in the proper direction.”

The ego craves power over everything. It establishes the boundaries and limitations within which you confine yourself. Surrender enables you to break free and enter what Deepak Chopra refers to as “the wisdom of uncertainty.” Surrender allows you to fully connect with your source, where the entire universe conspires to support you. You have the ability to become timeless, eternal, infinite, joyful, and fearless. Individual hopes and desires are given up to a higher power. Your personal desires become “Thy will be done.”
Now that you understand why surrender is so powerful, the next question is, how do you surrender? Here are five steps to help you on your way to surrender.

1. Faith
   To fully surrender, you must have faith, which is defined by Indian philosopher Sri Aurobindo as “the soul’s belief in the Divine’s existence, wisdom, power, love, and grace.” There is no need to think about anything else, go anywhere else, or deviate from your goal. It is a state of complete trust and reverence for all things. This means believing in your spiritual teachers, the teachings, and yourself. The faith that allows you to accept everything, good and bad.
2. Be patient
   You must also be patient. Faith and patience are complementary. Each is both the cause and the result of the other. Both are the means and the end result of the other. They contain a complete code of conduct for living a spiritual life. Shirdi Sai Baba, an Indian spiritual master, emphasised them as essential for harmony and well-being. Allowing things to unfold naturally with the understanding that everything you need will come your way at the perfect time.
3. Consciousness
   Surrender necessitates awareness. You must remain focused and diligent, as well as overcome any doubts. While normal surrender implies contraction, spiritual surrender implies expansion. The more you surrender, the more your awareness expands, and this can only happen when you live with a loving alertness.
4. Mindfulness
   Meditation is a surrender act and the most powerful tool you can use on your spiritual journey. You can reconnect with your true, essential Self by shifting your awareness away from normal activity and settling into quieter and quieter levels of the mind. When you enter the silent spaces between thoughts, you give up the small self and all of its limitations to your limitless, eternal Self. You submerge your own identity into the Divine’s, where “I,” “Me,” and “Mine” dissolve into the bliss of oneness.
   As part of the daily meditations, you can ask yourself four questions:
   “Who am I?”
   “What am I looking for?”
   “What am I here for?”
   “For what am I thankful?”
   You can ask these questions at the level of your heart or higher Self, and then simply listen to whatever answer comes from within, without judgement. This is also a type of surrender. You are going beyond the ego in order to receive guidance from your higher self.
5. Bhakti Yoga
   Bhakti is the path of love and devotion in the four paths to enlightenment described in the Vedic tradition. This is also the path of surrender. Patanjali states in his Yoga Sutras that Ishwara-Pranidhana (devotion and surrender) is the most important of the personal codes of conduct (Nyama). According to the Vedas, devotion humbles the ego, which is an important aspect of your journey.
   According to Bhakti Yoga, you should set aside time each day for Divine contemplation in order to become attuned to it and its will. To recognise your life as spiritual and develop your finer levels of feeling. Serving humanity in all you do and viewing everything as Yoga or union with the Divine.

The purpose of this page is to provide information on how to get the most out of your mobile device. You have nothing to worry about when you give everything to the Divine.
Love came into my life and left me empty.
Love arrived and filled me with the Beloved.
It became the blood coursing through my veins.
It evolved into my arms and legs.
It grew into everything.
All I have now is a name.
The rest is the Beloved’s.
—Rumi

To Whom Do You Surrender?
This is a difficult question for many spiritual seekers. Do I submit to a spiritual teacher or Guru? Is it possible that I’m submitting or selling myself out to a religious figurehead or deity I’ve never met?
No truly enlightened teacher will ever ask you to give up your body, mind, or possessions to him or her. If you are fortunate enough to find an enlightened teacher, he or she will only accept what you freely choose to offer. It is easy to surrender when you are filled with the blessings of his or her pure unconditional love. According to Indian yogi and guru Paramhansa Yogananda, spiritual surrender means “self-offering of one’s will to God.” It isn’t.

Spiritual surrender, according to Indian yogi and guru Paramhansa Yogananda, means “self-offering of one’s will to God.” It is not inactive. It is an active surrender to God’s will. God will manifest differently for different people depending on their beliefs. Offering everything to the Divine, in whatever form you choose, is the first and final step towards letting go of the old and creating the world you’ve always imagined possible. In fact, despite being in your possession, nothing truly belongs to you; you simply borrow everything. Allowing the truth, beauty, purity, and goodness that you are and have always been to flow effortlessly through you and out into the world.

When you truly surrender to any aspect of the Divine, human or otherwise, you are actually surrendering to your own being in a different disguise. Whatever you require for your spiritual journey is received rather than given. It is received through your ability to connect with your higher Self, which develops through surrender, love, and devotion. You are automatically elevated to your highest level, so help does not come from outside, but from within. The ultimate fulfilment of your spiritual life is complete surrender. It isn’t about giving anything up. You are not required to abandon your family, quit your job, give up your possessions, or live in a monastery. Surrender is about allowing rather than doing.

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