Back to school time here in the northern hemisphere soon gives way to the signature signs of autumn. The trees start letting go of their leaves. The sun’s journey across the sky gets gradually shorter. Depending on where you live, the thermometer might be shedding a few degrees too.

Like it or not, fall teaches us about letting go. Maybe that’s one of the reasons I like it so much.

(Um, not really. Truth be told, it’s all the pumpkin stuff, colorful leaves, football, fresh crisp air, and the impending joy of the holidays that make me adore autumn.)

Autumn’s message of surrender is nature’s reminder that opportunities to let go and release arise over and over, from tough ones, like saying goodbye to a loved one, to easier times, like releasing tension in a long soft smooth exhalation.

It’s a spiritual principle I’ve been studying a long time and could do so for lifetimes.

Like any practice, the more you learn to let go—or at least resist it a little less—on your mat and in your life, the more energy you’ll have for what truly matters.

My Pre-Travel Surrender Practice

My pre-travel routine has offered me an unexpected way to practice letting go.

As the seasons tell us to let go and wind down, my schedule usually tends to fill up with things like back-to-back travel, lots of family birthdays, and the fall holidays in my handsome hubby’s culture.

For some reason, before I travel, I feel like I have to finish all the projects that I’ve put off doing. I kick into high gear because, you know, that pile of papers, the one that’s been growing for months, just can’t wait until I come back from my trip. That drawer that I need to declutter can’t either.

A totally unrelated event, like a trip or guest arrival, often creates a due date for projects that have languished without one.

Without fail, I find myself totally overwhelmed with an impossible to-do list before hopping on a plane. Without fail, a couple of days before I leave, I end up realizing I won’t be able to do it all.

Knowing this tendency, I’ve started loosening up my expectations of myself before a trip.

Rather than stressing myself out, I take several deep breaths, shrug my shoulders and arms, and release my need to get it all done.

Simple as that.

If the pile of papers and cluttered drawer waited that long, they can hang on until I’m back from my trip.

Making sure I have clean clothes to pack during my two-day turnaround between trips, however, cannot wait until I get home from the second trip.

I focus on the most important tasks before I leave, like laundry, packing, client work, eating, the basics. Anything else I manage to complete is a bonus.

Because we’re never going to get it all done.

Change the Question

Instead of asking, “how am I going to do all the things?” the question I now ask is, “what can I let go of so I can focus on what’s most important?”

Sure, that pile of papers is still sitting there, and I’ll get to it sometime…

Maybe.

When I do, I’ll be a lot more productive because I won’t be trying to rush through it before I pack, and it won’t be taking up energy in the background anymore by being a longstanding to-do list item.

Or I might just throw it all in the shredder.

Letting Go for Now or Forever

Sometimes the solution is to recognize when you need to let go of something completely.

Like…

…your attachment to things working out a certain way.

…your expectation to do all the things always.

…an offering that’s not contributing to your mission or making you money.

…a toxic job.

…a one-sided relationship.

…a pile of papers that is no longer relevant.

Unresolved Energy Leaks

Tasks that linger draw on your precious life force energy or prana. When you leave something undone, it can take up bandwidth in your mind, even when you’re not doing it or thinking about it.

It’s like having the TV on in the background even when you’re not watching it. You might not be giving it your conscious attention, but it’s still using electricity.

The effort you spend on doing that thing takes up energy while you’re doing it, when you’re thinking about doing it, and just by being something on your to-do list.

When you let go of something that’s draining your energy, even if only in the background, you plug the leak.

You end up with more time and energy for what really matters.

Like your yoga practice, pumpkin bread, the crisp autumn air, your purpose, or whatever it is that lights up your life and helps you feel focused and inspired.

Meditation is one of the best practices I know for learning to let go of the little things and the hard stuff. Click the button to grab my guide, 4 Simple Secrets to Making Meditation Happen, to jumpstart your practice.

This information is for educational and informational purposes only and solely as a self-help tool for your own use. I am not providing medical, psychological, or nutrition therapy advice. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat any health problems or illnesses without consulting your own medical practitioner. Always seek the advice of your own medical practitioner and/or mental health provider about your specific health situation.