Surrender is a curious concept. In a time when wars seem to be on the rise, we often assume that surrendering means there must be a winner and a loser. But what does it mean to surrender when we’re talking about our bodies?

In Body-Mind Centering®, we learn that the first stage of movement is “yielding,” which involves releasing bodily tension and allowing gravity to guide us. Here’s a great workshop on YouTube about this that I recommend. When I was first introduced to this idea ten years ago, it didn’t click with me. Both my body and mind resisted the act of yielding. Fortunately, wisdom did come with the years ;-).

In our Western society, we’re conditioned to believe that action and effort are everything—that without them, nothing will change, and even if it does, it might not be for the better. But this blog post isn’t advocating for a complete abandonment of action; instead, it’s about reflecting on when and how to act intentionally.

When it comes to life and movement, taking a moment to pause and reflect before taking action is essential. Yielding allows us to release tension and find a more balanced and efficient approach to achieving our goals.

However, in our action-driven world, surrendering doesn’t come easy. We’re conditioned to constantly act and put in effort, which makes it difficult to embrace yielding. It’s essential to understand that surrendering isn’t the same as giving up; instead, it’s about letting go of unnecessary tension and trusting our bodies to find the most effective way to move through life.

In my personal experience, surrendering has played a significant role in my well-being, whether it’s about releasing resistance to a situation mentally, or letting go of tension physically. Concrete example: since childhood, I’ve had a tendency for my lower ribs to flare, causing occasional discomfort and affecting my posture. Yielding here means fully releasing my diaphragm in order to calm my lower ribs. How? A simple sigh of ‘release’ will do the trick to ‘reset the tone’ in that area, allowing for a fuller breath into the back and sides of the ribs instead of the low front of the ribs.

From the moment we’re conceived, our bodies possess an innate intelligence that shapes our form. By connecting with this principle through sensory experiences, we can deepen our understanding of ease and movement. All we need to do is relinquish the idea of constant effort.