Ishvara Pranidhana: The Journey of Surrender
What does Ishvara Pranidhana mean in yoga? In this blog, we are delving into the final of the niyamas – Ishvara Pranidhana.
A higher power
The term ‘Ishvara Pranidhana’ is composed of two Sanskrit words: ‘Ishvara,’ meaning a higher power, and ‘Pranidhana,’ which means to surrender + devote.
This surrender to a higher power teaches us to embody a deeper + more trusting relationship with our higher power + the universe. It’s not so easy when we prefer to control things! Yoga is a personal spiritual practice, so we can think of this niyama as a spiritual act of surrendering the self fully to something larger than ourselves, guiding us to trust in the divine wisdom of life itself. Ishvara Pranidhana is a beautiful way to live in a manner that serves + offers to something greater than ourselves.
When we practice Ishvara Pranidhana, we are surrendering to our Ishta Devata, a personal deity, which creates a connection to the universe. However, to practice Ishvara Pranidhana, you don’t necessarily have to choose a religious deity. Instead, a beautiful way is to focus on an idea or spiritual wisdom that inspires you.
The translator of the Sutras, Swami Satchidananda, emphasizes that ‘Ishvara Pranidhana’ means offering our actions up to ‘the divine’ + humanity because, in fact, we are not separate but all as one. Ishvara means ‘a state of collective consciousness,’ highlighting that there isn’t a godlike figure we are supposed to worship. Rather, ‘God’ represents this collective consciousness + therefore represents all of us too.
Ishvara Pranidhana can teach us to surrender to the things that are outside of our control. We can think of Mother Nature as a great example of this. We have no control over the weather, and when it rains when we hope for sunshine, it can be a grounding reminder of this niyama.
Yoga, meaning union, can teach us about connection to the present + remind us of what we can + can’t control. Therefore, we can surrender + devote to what we can + surrender + devote to what we can’t.
We can practice tapas to help us in many areas of our life, just like all the yamas + niyamas.
We can explore this final niyama in many ways; it can help us live a yoga-inspired life.
It truly embodies surrender, devotion, trust, letting go, freedom, liberation, belief, the ability to soften, relax, + be.
Sounds serene, right?! But oh my, it’s very hard to practice. Just because something is simple doesn’t mean it’s easy. We are so inclined to control so much of our daily lives: every action + outcome. Modern living has created a world abundant in instant gratification, + patience seems like a long-lost art form. Passion isn’t the same as desperation. Being passionate, inspired, + creative requires trust, surrender, + patience. What is meant for you will find you + is on its way to you.
Art of Surrender
Surrendering to the fact that as human beings, we like to control, be compassionate with yourself knowing that your ego will make an appearance on your mat. It tends to force + take control over postures, focusing far too much on what they LOOK like rather than how they FEEL. Can you surrender instead to how your body feels in the moment you’re in – is it tense, tight, spacious, relaxed, open, tired? And can you MEET yourself where you’re at in that present moment? It’s a much more joyful + freeing way to practice because when we give ourselves what we need, we’re going to feel better. Think of your ego + self as two opposing magnets – they’re never going to ATTRACT the energy you want to feel.
A beautiful way to practice this niyama is by trusting that flexibility takes time, consistency + dedication. The breath, rest + our nervous system play such an important role in our flexibility. There is the statement – you’re only as flexible as your nervous system. If you constantly force a posture, you’ll be taking your body into fight/flight meaning it doesn’t feel safe + naturally as a protective mechanism, it LIMITS your flexibility, applying mini brakes in your muscles to PROTECT you (that’s right – your body is working FOR you + loves you). Your breath is so closely linked to your nervous system. When we breathe slowly + deeply, we take our nervous system into a space of rest/relaxation + your body will be like ‘Hey, we’re safe here! Here’s some more flexibility!)’. You won’t be able to breathe deeply in a posture if you’re forcing it, so connecting the breath is a great way to recognize if the ego has taken over your practice.
Your mind is always going to be a mirror reflection of what you’re journeying through in life. You could have a solid daily meditation practice for years, but if life is a lot right now, then your mind is going to be feeling it too. Instead, can we practice Ishvara Pranidhana + surrender + devote to the busyness of the mind?
Meditation for Surrender
Meditation helps us in so many ways. It inspires our behaviors, how we respond, how we react + so much more. Trust that your meditation practice is making so many changes under the surface neurologically. You just have to TRUST that your practice is doing wonders for you.
When we slow down to meditate, we’re met with the present moment – which isn’t always going to be pretty. Sometimes it’s really messy. To be human is to FEEL so many different emotions – some that are easier than others. Rather than forcing them or fighting them, can you surrender + devote to them by feeling them, breathing through them + giving them space to be + then leave when they’re ready. I love to use the analogy of feelings being like waves – they ebb + flow. There is a difference to drowning in emotions + riding the waves of them. Meditation + yoga teaches us to be in flow with the waves.
Naturally, when we lay down to practice savasana, meditation, or yoga nidra, TRUST that your body knows how to heal, slow down + do its thing. You don’t need to control, force, or do anything – just surrender + devote. You’ve shown up – now let your body + mind show up for you.
Out of Your Control
There will always be things you can + can’t control in life. You can take action on what you can control but also surrender + devote to what you can’t.
Consider the things that are beyond your control. Instead of wasting energy by gripping + forcing, can you free up your energy + seek expansion, lessons, or simply accept what is?
Trust
Another beautiful way to practice Ishvara Pranidhana is by placing our trust in all the seeds we have planted. I’m a big believer in dreaming big + making our dreams become our reality. They require vision. They require action. But they also require space, time + patience. Sometimes, we can desire something so strongly that our energy becomes desperate rather than magnetic. Everything needs time and space to breathe, bloom, and grow. Look to nature. When we plant a seed, it needs sunlight, fertile soil, and water to thrive. Too much of any of these things can result in stagnation.
Ishvara Pranidhana can teach us to surrender + devote to the seeds of life we have planted + shower them instead with the energy of “being” – trust, patience, + space.
Just like the earth + nature, we too are cyclic beings, + everything requires balance. We don’t achieve by just doing. We achieve + THRIVE by doing + being. Nothing ever grows when we smother or suffocate it.
Manifestation
“Manifesting is cultivating the experience of what it is that you want to feel — + then living + believing in that experience so that you can allow it to come into form.” – Gabby Bernstein
Ishvara Pranidhana can support us with our manifestation journey because it requires us to place faith + trust in something bigger than us. What is meant for us is on its way to us. As humans, we OVER obsess over the when + how. Instead, we need to trust that the inspired action we have taken is enough + then we have to surrender + devote to that + begin to trust in divine timing.
Ultimately, ishvara pranidhana serves as a guiding principle for living a yoga-inspired life—one that involves embracing surrender, devotion, trust, letting go, freedom, liberation, belief, + the ability to soften, relax, + be. As we integrate these principles into our daily lives, we find a harmonious balance between doing + being, realising that the journey itself is as important as the destination.
Learn More
Learn more about Ishvara Pranidhana + how to live a yoga-inspired life over on the Inspired Club.