Letting go is easier said than done. To truly let go of the attachment to the outcome and trust that you have done enough is a challenge. To have faith that the situation will resolve for the greater good of all concerned is not an easy task. I have to admit, I was better at it before I became a mom! Motherhood gave me and continues to teach me a series of lessons in the gentle art of letting go.

From the first day away from my babies, to their last day of school it has been a challenge for me to practice what I preach. As they grew up and became more independent my worries increased. My hips started to give me problems as I worried about the girls learning to drive. How hard it was to let go and let my girls go off to college and then to move out of the house to a large city! Whew! There has been a lot of opportunities to learn to let it go. Even though I knew intellectually that these were normal and wonderful milestones that they needed to go through to be able to live successful, rewarding lives of their own, the letting go process did not come naturally.

And being the mom of a child with a developmental disability has made the letting go process even harder. Our youngest daughter is now an adult and, yes, we have gone through all of the above benchmarks (except the driving!). Some events happened a little later for her than for her sisters and in different ways but nonetheless emotional for me. She has needed support in many areas and it has been a fine line between holding on and letting go. And it still is.

We are currently in the process of helping her transition to independent living, where she would have her own place to live, and begin to take care of herself more. Yes, we will still be a big part of her life but she will also be supported by other caregivers and move out of the family home.  Yikes, this is the biggest letting go that we have had to practice so far!

My Let It Go Yoga practice is my stability in the midst of all of these changes. As I navigate the world of safe housing, appropriate roommates, support personal, etc., I notice that my head is spinning most of the time and my body is full of tension. That’s where my practice comes in to serve me best. To take an hour out of my busy day and lay down on the floor and just be with it all. Nothing to do, nothing to decide, nowhere to go…to just be in the present moment. During my practice lately, I notice that it’s harder to slow my thoughts down and I notice that my neck and shoulders are holding a lot of tension. But I have to say that as I begin to breathe deeper and begin my practice, I can feel my body beginning to relax a little. I can use my simple meditation techniques to help me slow down my thoughts and focus on my breathing.  It’s as if a comforting old friend is with me, telling me that all is well and that everything is going to be ok.

My daily practice is not always an hour of asana and a 15 minute relaxation, although I do try to get that in as much as possible. It sometimes looks like just sitting still and closing my eyes and breathing in love and exhaling fear. It can look like writing down positive statements or counting my blessings.  It can be as simple as turning the situation over to a “higher power”. All lessons that I have learned through my Let It Go Yoga practice.

I know that we will get through this amazing transition and that she will have the strength and courage to navigate her wonderful life. And at the end of the day, after I have done all I can to help her along the way, you will find me on the floor… just letting it go.

Contributed by Sue Anne Parsons

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