8 Simple Rituals for Letting Go
By Dr Lauren Tober
Release What No Longer Serves You
Are you ready to let go of something that is no longer serving you?
Ritual can be a powerful way to do this.
I like letting go rituals that are simple.
Here are some ideas:
Write down what you would like to release (a list, a story, a letter, a poem, a drawing or a photograph) and burn it to ashes. As you do so, you might like to say to yourself “with love, compassion and gratitude for myself and all beings, I let go, I let go, I let go.”
There are other ways to let go of what you’ve written. Try putting it through the shredder or ripping it up and throwing it in the compost (so it can act as a fertiliser for your growth).
Release it to the wind. You might release the burnt ashes, or symbolically let go of a feather, a dandelion or allow the sand to flow through your fingers at the beach on a windy day.
Try a breathing practice. Inhale and imagine yourself breathing in love, or whatever you wish for yourself. Then exhale, visualising what you’d like to let go, and say silently to yourself “I release, I release, I release.” Perhaps notice how the visualisation fades as you repeat this, and you’re left with the exhalation and the silent statement of letting go.
At the beach, write what you would like to let go of in the sand, near the shore when the tide is coming in. Watch as the waves wash it away.
Write in your journal what you’d like to let go of. You might like to start with ‘with love, compassion and gratitude for myself and all beings, I let go of ……….”
Wash your hands or have a shower, and as you do so imagine what it is your letting go of washing away down the sink.
Practice the ease of letting go by cradling a soft cushion or toy in your hands, then gently moving your hands apart and allowing it to slide through your fingers and drop to the floor.
Try including gratitude in your letting go ritual. Say thank you for the lessons you’ve learnt. You may be ready to let something go, but before you do, acknowledge the blessings that it brought, however small.
If you’re brave enough to say goodbye, life will reward you with a new hello. – Paulo Coelho
Words by Dr Lauren Tober
Psychologist, Yoga Teacher, Capturing Gratitude Founder