Humans are sentimental beings and because of this; most of us are very bad at the practice of “letting go”. We horde memories, mementos, items, and even relationships because of how they make us feel. Even if some of them makes us feel unpleasant and uncomfortable; we keep them because they have become familiar to us. They have become part of our comfort zone.
However, staying in our comfort zone is not what we’re made for. We have to keep learning by experiencing new things, overcoming challenges, having fun, overcoming our fears, and many more wonderful encounters. This is what our bucket list is for. We should be constantly in the process of transforming ourselves as we work for our dreams.
Why We Need to Let Go
While we acquire things that we enjoy; we also need to let go of things from time to time. Just like a computer; we have a finite space for the things we want to keep. So we need to delete some files that we don’t need or use anymore so we don’t bog down our computer and we have space for updates. Similarly, in our life; we need to let go for many reasons.
We need to clear out old clutter that are only taking up space in our minds and in our environment. This will help us clear a path and space for the things we actually want to keep and the new things we want to have.
Letting go allows us to have a clearer mind so we can focus on what we really want and avoid distractions. It also starts the healing process for old traumas. By letting go of excess mental, emotional, physical, social and environmental baggage; we feel lighter in our mind, heart and body. We get a sense of freedom because nothing is holding us back anymore; or at the very least, our burdens have been lessened.
What and How to Let Go
If you are ready to let go; then take pen and paper and start writing down the things you need and want to let go. To help you decide what things to let go of, consider these criteria:
- Things that have served their purpose in your life and are just taking up space.
- Things that are holding you back from what you want to do or to be.
- Things that you are not aligned with anymore based on your new goals.
These criteria will surely give you a lot of ideas on what to let go. It is helpful to break things down even more by asking yourself some guide questions.
Letting Go from Head to Toe
Start thinking about the things that you need to let go by reviewing yourself from head to toe. Ask yourself some guide questions for each section.
Mind: This is about your mindset, thought patterns, limiting beliefs.
- What old thought patterns do I need to let go?
- What limiting beliefs do I need to let go?
- What things do I need to unlearn?
- What materials / media do I consume that I need to stop consuming?
Words: This is about how you talk to your self as well as how you communicate with other people.
- What things do I tell my self that I need to let go?
- What words should I let go from my vocabulary?
- What things do I say to other people that I need to let go?
- What books or materials do I read or consume that I need to let go?
Body: This is about your self-image and the feedback about your self that you get from others.
- What beliefs and experiences does my body have that I need to let go?
- Do I have uncomfortable sensations in my body that I want to let go?
- What bad habits does my body have that I need to let go?
- What do I use or put on and into my body that I need to let go?
Relationships: This is about your social attachments and the mental and emotional baggage that you are carrying from these interactions.
- Do I have toxic people in my life that I need to let go?
- Do I have friends who I feel I need to let go?
- Do I have work or business partnerships that I need to let go?
- Is there a relationship situation that I want to move on from?
Environment: This is about the external stimuli that triggers you and your environment that influences you.
- Are there things in my home that have served their purpose and are just lying around taking up space?
- Are there things in my space that do not serve a purpose anymore?
- Are there items and fixtures in my surroundings that I have an excess off that I need to let go?
- Are there spots in my space that feel suffocating or heavy that I need to clear out?
Ho’oponopono: Healing Chant
After you have written your list; take a deep breath and close your eyes for a bit to calm yourself. The next step is to acknowledge the things you are letting go and releasing them back into the Universe. To do this, you can use the Ho’oponopono. It is a forgiveness and healing prayer from Hawaii. The prayer can be long but you can use the brief version as a chant.
I’m sorry, Please forgive me, Thank you, I love you.
The prayer helps you to acknowledge and be grateful for the lessons and usefulness of the things that have served their purpose in your life. It is also a way to clear your space and your self of unpleasant and uncomfortable thoughts and feelings so you can start healing them. Finally, it helps you to accept things as they are, and to forgive yourself and others from all that has happened so you can move forward.
As you read each item on your list; say the chant for each item. Repeat the process until you have finished all the items in your list.
Releasing Your Self
Once you are done going over your list, it is time to release these old energies to complete the letting go process. A good way to do this is to burn the list and visualize all the feelings in those items being released back to the Universe. This is a signal to the Universe that you have actually let go and you are moving into a new direction in your life. As you watch the list burn, repeat the Ho’oponopono chant again until the list has turned to ashes. Take as much time as you need to bask in the freedom that you feel after this ritual.
Ideally, you should do this ritual outdoors, surrounded by nature. Think, bonfire by the beach. But if this is not possible; it could be as simple as burning your list where you have a view of the outdoors.
Watch the video and get the worksheet to guide you in this process.
Feature Image: Original Photo by Ryan Moreno on Unsplash.
