Chad WoodfordStrategic AI Counsel & Advisor | Attorney | Technology Philosopher

Staying Power through Surrender

29 Dec 2022 · 26 min

Watch on YouTube

26:18

In this guided yoga session, the instructor leads participants through a structured sequence designed to build inner resolve while cultivating deep surrender. The practice begins with a four‑part square breath (inhale‑hold‑exhale‑hold) lasting about a minute per cycle, encouraging the mind to let daily events fall away. It then moves into swayam kriya, a six‑minute arm‑crossed posture with navel‑pumping synchronized to the mantra “Hari Nam,” focusing attention on the third chakra. The session continues with a gentle clockwise arm‑circle while chanting the Sanskrit mantra “Aham Shraddha” (I am surrender), emphasizing a softening heart and a stronger spine. A final meditation employs the Sufi “Hu” mantra, with hands placed at the second chakra, a light‑ball visualization, and subtle torso twists to deepen presence. The practice concludes with a quiet sitting, optional five‑minute meditation or shavasana, and closing chants of “Om Shanti” and “Hari Om Tat Sat.” Throughout, the instructor repeatedly invites participants to notice the balance between resolve and surrender, to keep promises to themselves, and to open the heart to life’s flow.

Chapters

Okay, this is going to be a short sequence where we're going to go through some pranayama and some kriya that's designed to help us to strengthen our resolve, but then drop into a state of deep surrender. And throughout all this, to experience a little bit of healing or a little bit of sort of A release of some things we may be holding on to. Okay, so find a comfortable seat that allows you to sit tall, long spine. We'll begin with one Om. Hands to namaskar, closing the eyes.
Om.
And opening the eyes, we'll begin with yogic 4-part breath. So in this one, we inhale for, for about 15 count, and then we hold the breath for the same amount of time. We exhale for 15. We hold the breath out for 15. And so it's kind of a square breath. We're just taking about a minute to take one breath that has 4 equal parts. Okay, so tall spine, closing the eyes. Hands are just resting on the knees. Shoulders are relaxed. Face is relaxed. Inhaling through the nose. On the count of 15.
Holding.
Exhaling. Holding the breath out.
Inhaling.
And going at your own pace, if you can't do 15, do 10. The more you practice, the deeper and longer the breath will get. As we breathe, The events of the day are falling away, and we are just here with the practice, the experience, and the state of yoga. And after this round, come back to breathing normally. Keep your eyes closed for a breath. And bring your attention to your heart center. See if you can Find a softening, just a very even a very slight just softening through the heart center, starting to create some space there. And opening your eyes, we'll move into swayam kriya, which is great for strengthening our resolve. We're going to have our hands on our shoulders. With our arms crossed in front of us. The upper arms are parallel to the floor, but keep the shoulders back so the shoulders are neutral. So the shoulders are sort of back here, the spine is tall. And then do your best to keep the arms up. We're going to be here for about 6 minutes. Okay, I'm going to work with a mantra, so you can lower the arms while I'm explaining. Um, we're going to work with a mantra.
Hari Nam, Hari Nam, Hari Nam, Hari.
Okay. And then when we chant Hari, we pump the navel. So we bring the navel towards the spine. Hari. Okay.
Hari Nam, Hari Nam, Hari Nam, Hari.
Okay. Keep your attention on the 3rd chakra. So the navel center. Okay. As we as we practice, eyes are closed. Okay, so let's begin. Tall spine, hands on the shoulders. Inhaling.
हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे inhaling when you need to हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे push past any physical resistance push past any mental resistance emotional resistance keep going keep going go all the way with this practice go all the way with this practice हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे thirty more seconds हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे हरि नम हरि नम हरि नम हरे and inhaling lift the arms hold the breath And exhale the arms down.
Sit quietly. Deep breaths. Ujjayi breath. Through the practice, we come into a deeper relationship with ourselves. We start to keep promises to ourselves more frequently. You start to become more firm with a stronger spine, but also a softer heart. So it's this, it's this sort of balance that we have between resolve, but also surrender. Resolve and surrender, they're both different aspects of the same power, ultimately. And so we'll explore that a little bit more in this practice. Practicing aham shradha. And so in this one, we're going to interlace the fingers, extending the arms up over the head. The arms are long alongside the ears, and we're going to be sort of like going in a clockwise direction. It's very subtle, very, very small movements, making a circle with the hands. The circle is bigger. The arms are sort of making the circle for the most part, but the you know you're moving a little bit through the through the hips as well. We're going to chant "Aham Shradha." Aham Shradha. I am surrender. Okay. So tall spine. We'll close the eyes. Palms are facing down. Shoulders are going down the upper back, widening through the upper back. Okay, and starting to move. Ah hum shradha.
Ah hum shradha. Aham Shraddha. Aham Shraddha. Aham Shraddha. Aham Shraddha. Aham Shraddha. Aham Shraddha. Aham Shraddha. Aham.
Aham Shradha.
Aham Shradha. Aham Shradha. Aham Shradha. Aham Shraddha. Aham Shraddha. Aham Shraddha.
Aham Aham Shradha.
Aham Shradha. Aham Shradha. Aham Shradha. Aham Shraddha. Aham Shraddha. Aham Shraddha.
Aham Shradha.
And lowering the hands, letting the mantra fade. Keep the eyes closed, just totally letting go, sitting in a state of surrender. Just letting your life sort of wash over you. Let yourself be carried by your life, at least for a little while. Aham shradha. Through surrendering to life, we start to dance with life. We start to listen to what life is trying to tell us. It becomes a collaboration, a playful coming together, a love story between you and life, really, your life. Your life is always loving you. Okay, and so let's answer the call of life's longing for us to invite it in with a final practice. This is a who meditation. So we're going to work with a Sufi mantra, Hu, H-U. We're going to be holding our hands in front of our navel, second chakra, roughly that area, imagining that we're holding a ball of light. And we're going to be twisting gently from side to side, moving from the core as we chant Hu. Just keep chanting Hu in a rolling Mantra, so just keep chanting it. And as you finish, just inhaling and continuing. And we'll do this for a couple minutes. Okay, so tall spine, eyes are closed.
Who?
You don't have to stay in sync with me. Just keep chanting who. Who.
Who.
Ooooo. And then come back to center, sitting quietly, letting the mantra fade. Maybe turn your palms up on your legs. Just opening, opening to life, staying open to whatever is coming in your life regardless of the label we put on it. You know, introducing intentions into that field, but Maintaining that openness regardless. And bring your attention back to your heart center.
Mmm.
Noticing the spaciousness in your heart. Okay, I'm going to close the practice now, but I invite you to sit in a meditation for five minutes or lie down in shavasana for five or ten minutes.
Om shanti shanti.
Shanti.
Hari Om Tat Sat.
Thank you so much.