Letting Go

Those who know me well will tell you that I am an organized planner. This characteristic is deeply rooted in me and brings me comfort. I like to feel prepared and I also find that I’m more productive when I have some sort of plan. I’ve always thought this was a good thing! While there are definitely positive aspects to it, there is also another side. As plans become more firm, a degree of flexibility is sacrificed.

My love of planning is equally matched with my love of quotes, and when I read this one I knew that it would be the basis for my next blog post.

“Autumn shows us how beautiful it is to let things go.” ~Unknown

Summer is my favourite season. I love the warmth, sunshine, and spending time relaxing with family. At some point in the season, usually August where I live, the nights begin to get cooler. At first this is a welcome relief from the hot days. As this cooling starts moving into the daytime hours I feel myself holding on tightly to every last minute of the summer’s warmth. I actually start to feel some tension in my body as fall approaches. But, the lighting in September is by far my favourite of the year, and the colours of the changing leaves are magnificent! If somehow I were able to hold onto summer forever, I would miss this incredible time. And so as the leaves start to change, I pause, and remind myself that it’s ok to let go.

Something about the phrase “letting go” brings up feelings of negativity. I associate it with discomfort. While it’s true that letting go does mean giving up something, that doesn’t always have to be negative. While it can be hard to give up control and lean into uncertainty, you can also let go of rigidity and acquire flexibility.

What does letting go mean to you?

In my prenatal classes we talk about letting go...

…of tension in your face and jaw and allowing your pelvic floor muscles to relax

…of focusing exclusively on books/facts to prepare for birth and leaning into your intuitive knowledge (because both are important!)

…of judgment which can lead the brain into the suffering realm (which is very different from physical pain!)

…of expectations of how you think birth should go and opening up to possibilities of how you’ll cope if things take an unexpected turn

Letting go still isn’t something that comes easily to me, and it doesn’t always have to be. There are some things that I will never let go of and at times that can be a very easy decision to make! My goal is to have awareness of each situation I encounter and to be mindful of the possibilities that can arise when letting go isn’t exclusively seen as a negative thing.