Surrender Theme

[Faith Lienhard]

WhenI was walking the dogs this morning, I was praying about what my theme or word of the year would be. As I was picking up one of the dogs poop (I know not a very good word image), the word surrender and the phrase letting go or let go came to mind. I believe it was from the Holy Spirit.

Paul talks about this in the above passage from Philippians where Jesus self-emptied himself (kenosis) taking the form of a human, a servant, and even to the point of death. The greatest expression of love is found within this kenotic love, and through humility, humbled himself to death, dying in a humiliating way on a cross. Jesus is the example of what self-surrender, and self-emptying motivated by love looks like.

To my eternal chagrin, not only did I completely forget to ask her about the Surrender shenanigans, but I point blank failed to fire questions at her about her music at all. Gulp. Not my finest hour, but the Bond theme sure is one of hers.

When I work with beginners, I used to just take them through the poses. These days, I really dive into explanation, doing poses with them but almost having a conversation with them to share the various aspects of the pose, breath and alignment.

While this can make for a good deal of me talking to the class, I try to balance it out with a spiritual or more universal theme and also leave them time for silence. One of the themes I love to work into class is that of balancing both strength and surrender in a pose as well as in your practice overall.

Of course, full surrender in any pose other than a full relaxation pose is not desirable either. Full relaxation can collapse the chest to the point of inhibiting the breath and promoting depression. It can also concentrate the force of the pose in the weakest link, and thus can increase injury risk.

In forward bends, by the way, that weakest link is generally somewhere along the back. It can be the lower back, which can bend too far and actually lead to lower back pain. It can also be the upper back, which when over-rounding collapses the chest and can exasperate depression and poor posture. The realization that full surrender is not the solution to working too hard once again takes us back to the universal theme that yoga is about moving towards a balance between opposites.

In forward bends, that means limiting the flexion along the torso by maintaining some engagement along the back. It also means increasing the flexion in the hips by engaging the hip flexors a bit more. But it also means relaxing the back of the neck where we generally create too much effort. In short, this week we will focus on making our practice smarter than our habits by gently disrupting the habitual patterns of effort and surrender in our bodies to create a greater sense of balance and harmony.

As I walked alone into an ice cream parlor, I noticed a young couple in front of me having an intense conversation while they ordered their ice cream. As I listened, I discovered they were discussing the Eucharist, and, specifically, Eucharistic adoration. This caught my attention. They did not recognize me as a bishop since I was not wearing clerics while on my retreat in the hot Omaha summer.

Every real relationship, if it is to grow, requires surrender, the gift of self. To love another person requires that we turn away from seeking only our own good, and, flowing from the total gift of self we have first offered to God, we sacrifice ourselves for their flourishing.

If we are to grow as disciples and bear fruit as a Church, we must learn how to surrender to God again. To give love, for love. Surrender is a lifelong process, in which we surrender our hearts, minds, wills, bodies and souls to the Trinity.

I believe that the spiritual action of our entire archdiocese opening ourselves to the will of the Father will clear the way for incredible fruit to be borne in the Archdiocesan Discernment Event itself and as we move forward from that occasion.

Our local phase of the Synod on Synodality, what we have called our Archdiocesan Discernment Process, has itself been an act of surrender. We did not plan to do a synod, but what at first seemed like an inconvenience, through obedience to the invitation of the Holy Father, has become a remarkable opportunity to recommit ourselves to the fundamental surrender all of us are called to as disciples of Jesus Christ.

So many of us have a preconceived idea of what we want to do to follow God or help the Church. So many of us feel like we have been fishing all night, working on our own power, and catching nothing as we watch discouraging trends in our culture and Church.

As this process reaches its prayerful conclusion, I look forward to you joining me in opening ourselves to what God is doing in our individual lives as disciples and across our local Church through the Surrender Novena. Make praying the novena a part of your Lenten pilgrimage. May it bear much fruit in our lives, our parishes, and our archdiocese!

One of the best ways to place yourself in a posture of surrender is through prayer and fasting. Through the discipline of the Daniel Fast, you set aside your desires for certain foods for 21 days (see Daniel Fast Food List) and accept a limited menu as you seek the Lord.

Many a yoga teacher have drilled this into us during our practices. But what does it mean to surrender? This article explores how and why we need to truly let go and surrender. Learn the teachings behind the concept and discover guided practices that teach you how to surrender in yoga and meditation.

The Yoga Sutras, a collection of ancient philosophical teachings compiled by the sage Patanjali, serve as a foundational text for the practice of yoga and outline a systematic approach to spiritual development and self-realization.

Within this Niyama, Patanjali is not teaching failure or giving up. Instead, it is meant to let go, accept reality, and yield to your experiences. Surrender and turning inwards, one must release the desires of the ego and embrace devotion to, depending on beliefs, God, or ultimate reality.

You may choose to prioritize the practice of surrendering with any asana. However, the postures that encourage you to surrender through grounding, releasing tension, and connection with the breath include:

Ultimately, the best yoga practice for surrendering will depend on individual preferences, needs, and physical abilities. However, some practices are considered more accessible to beginners to the practice of surrendering, as opposed to a more dynamic yoga class such as Vinyasa or Hatha. Great examples of surrender yoga are:

For example, a yin yoga class will have you holding passive yoga poses for an extended period, often 1-5 minutes. These postures target the deeper connective tissues of the body by letting go of muscular effort and finding stillness in each asana, allowing for a deep release and surrender both physically and mentally.

Why do you confuse yourselves by worrying? Leave the care of your affairs to me and everything will be peaceful. I say to you in truth that every act of true, blind, complete surrender to me produces the effect that you desire and resolves all difficult situations.

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I ask this, because I am about to lose my home with no money to go anywhere else, as I live on $300 per month disability. Do I actively look for help then see what Jesus finds for me, or do I wait until I am homeless?

I am not an ordained priest, but I recommend being proactive. Surrendering to Jesus does not necessarily mean doing nothing (sometimes it does), but that your actions are in accordance with His will. I think that in your situation, it would be appropriate to seek out your pastor or other resources to make sure that you will be able to live with the dignity of shelter.

This prayer has helped me a lot. My dad was in hospital for a blood infection and I would say this prayer whenever i lost hope. This prayer sustained me during this difficult time. My dad is having blood tests this Tuesday and when i feel worried about it or anxious i say this prayer and it truly works. It is a powerful prayer. It is hard to surrender to the Lord but each time i say this prayer im surrendering a little bit more. Thank you for the post. God Bless!

My husband and I found this Novena through an email I received from the Leaflet Missal. I did a google search to find out more about it and stumbled upon your blog post. Needless to say, it hit at the right time, and there is no coincidence when it comes to the Holy Spirit.

We have just started the Surrender Novena, and I honestly cannot get through it every day without tears in my eyes and a lump in my throat, but I also feel a sense of peace as I wait on what the Lord has planned for us. There is pain in the night, but joy does come in the morning. I hold onto hope and faith that someday soon the Lord will provide us with the family we so desperately want and need.

This is by far the easiest and most powerful novena I have ever experienced. You can ask for the right partner that is perfect for you and will love you properly to show up in your life, a job that will meet all of your needs best, the courage to go to confession and make asking for forgiveness for anything you are sorry for possible. Imagine asking for anything that will only be given to you if it will be good for you. Imagine all the things you might have chosen for yourself that never was meant to be, so did not work out.

When facing spiritual struggles, the Sacrament of Confession can be a powerful remedy. God eagerly awaits your plea for forgiveness! Whether you're returning after a long absence or frequenting weekly, delving deeper into the graces of this sacrament is always...

Our family and I are surrounded by a wonderful community where we have lasting friendships, mentorship, accountability, prayer, and love. Most of these wonderful women do a word for the year-something I have never done.

This year is new!! I prayed about my word for the year, what can I work on with the help of my Heavenly Father?

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