What it truly means – and how to practice it
1. What does letting go actually mean?
Letting go doesn’t mean forgetting or suppressing. It means releasing the emotional attachment to a thought, desire, expectation, or experience. It's the moment you stop fighting and start trusting.
Taoist view:
The Tao teaches: Everything flows. Holding on means going against the current. Letting go means being carried by it. Wu Wei – non-doing – is not passivity, but a deep trust in natural transformation.
2. What keeps us stuck?
- Fear of the unknown
- Wounded ego or need for control
- Unprocessed emotions (grief, guilt, anger)
- Identification with the past (“This is just who I am”)
Buddhist perspective:
Suffering arises from attachment. When you learn to observe rather than judge, you begin to loosen your grip.
3. Practical Tips & Rituals for Letting Go
1. Embodiment: Feel the Release
- Shiatsu, Anpuku or Tao Touch: Tensions in the body often mirror mental clinging.
- Breathwork: Consciously let go with each exhale (e.g. say internally: “I let go…”)
- Shaking Rituals: Set your body free – wild, instinctive, alive.
2. Writing as Soul Hygiene
- Journaling prompts:
- What am I still holding on to – and why?
- Who or what could I forgive today?
- What is ready to die, so that something new may grow?
- Unsent letter ritual: Write a letter to a person or situation – and burn it symbolically.
3. Symbolic Release Practices
- Decluttering your space = decluttering your soul.
- Nature ritual: Drop a stone or leaf into a river – and with it, your old story.
- Body Feng Shui: Clean your inner space like your living space.
4. Energetic Letting Go
- Tsubo work: Activate specific points to release emotional tension (e.g., liver or heart meridian).
- Smudging: Use mugwort or sage to clear old energy.
- Energetic cord cutting: Visualize golden scissors or dissolving ties in light.
5. Mantra & Affirmations
- “I am ready to let go. I trust life.”
- “I open to the new – and lovingly release the old.”
4. When are we ready to let go?
It’s not the mind that decides, but the body. When resistance softens, space arises. Then you begin to receive instead of force.
5. Letting go as a life practice
Letting go isn’t a one-time act – it’s a way of being. A daily invitation to meet life with openness. A soft “yes” to change.
The key: Don’t fight. Don’t force. Be willing.