THE YAMAS & NIYAMAS SERIES - ISHVARA PRANIDHANA

Ishvara Pranidhana: Letting Go into Something Bigger

There are moments in life when we’ve done all we can do.We’ve planned, worked, held it together, shown up again and again. And still—something feels uncertain, ungraspable, or out of our control.

In yoga, that is where Ishvara Pranidhana begins.

This final niyama, from Patanjali’s Eight Limbs of Yoga, is often translated as surrender to the divine. But that word—surrender—can be complicated, especially for those of us who’ve lived through trauma or learned to survive by staying in control.

So what if we reframe it?

What if Ishvara Pranidhana isn’t about giving up—it’s about laying it down, softly… into something bigger than ourselves?

Ishvara Pranidhana in the Sutras

In Yoga Sutra 2.45, Patanjali writes:“Samadhi siddhih Ishvara pranidhanat” Through surrender to the divine, ultimate freedom is attained.

Ishvara Pranidhana invites us to trust the unfolding. To let go of attachment to outcomes. To offer our efforts, our fears, our longings into the mystery of life itself—whatever name we give it: God, Source, Spirit, the Universe, nature, love.

This doesn’t mean we stop acting or caring. It means we do our part—and release the illusion that we can control everything.

A Personal Story: Letting Go, Trusting Life

This niyama became deeply personal for me when my father was diagnosed with terminal cancer.

At the time, I was living and working in the Middle East in a well-paying job. Everything looked “secure” on paper—but my heart knew where I needed to be. I resigned and came home to be with him. I had no plan, no savings strategy, no next step mapped out. All I had was this quiet, insistent knowing that I had to trust the Universe. That if I followed love, things would somehow unfold.

I’d dreamed for years about opening a yoga studio, but always assumed it was far off—something for later, or maybe even never.

Then one day, the studio space became available. And I knew.

I was terrified. I had no blueprint. Just a big feeling and a bigger prayer. So I handed it all over to God and went with it.

Wild Soul Studio was born not from a masterplan, but from surrender. And somehow, even in the grief and uncertainty, I knew I was on the right path.This studio, this community, this work—it came from letting go.

The Soft Strength of Surrender

Surrender, in this sense, is not weakness. It’s the brave act of loosening your grip.

It’s saying: I will still show up. I will still do the work. But I will stop trying to micromanage the outcome of everything I touch.

It’s not passive. It’s active trust.

Especially for those of us who have learned to be the fixers, the helpers, the strong ones—this kind of letting go can feel radical. And that’s okay. Go gently. Ishvara Pranidhana can be a whisper, not a dramatic act. You don’t have to leap. You can lean.

Practicing Ishvara Pranidhana in Daily Life

Here are a few ways to explore this niyama in your own rhythm:

• Say, “I don’t know—and that’s okay.” Let yourself rest in the unknown without rushing to fix it.

• Create a simple ritual of release. Write something you're holding onto on paper, then burn or bury it. Or whisper it into the wind.

• Offer your effort. Before starting a task, quietly dedicate it: “May this be of service. I offer this and release the outcome.”

• Spend time in nature. Let the ocean, the trees, or the sky remind you: there’s a rhythm here that doesn’t need to be forced.

• Practice savasana as surrender. Each time you lie down and let the ground hold you, you are practicing Ishvara Pranidhana.

Ishvara Pranidhana in the Studio

At Wild Soul Studio, you’ll hear this practice echoed quietly in the background of everything we offer.

It’s in the exhale that lets go. In the softness of a child’s pose when effort is no longer needed. In the trust that you don’t have to “achieve” anything to be welcome here.

We honour effort. But we also honour rest. Trust. Grace.Sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is say,“I don’t know what’s next… but I trust I’ll find my way.”

So this week, maybe ask: Where am I gripping tightly? And what might it feel like to lay that burden down, even for a moment? Not as defeat. But as devotion.

With warmth,

Sara 🙏