The Truth About "Let It Go"

In this salty meditation, we explore that oft-heard phrase, "Let it go." It's what we might long to do, but it can feel almost impossible to do. In this practice, we explore ways to help us find the peace and ease we long for.

Transcript

Hey there.

Welcome to a hit of hope.

And fair warning,

This one's a little bit salty.

Okay,

So I've been teaching yoga and recording these meditations for a while now.

Clearly,

I believe in these practices.

I trust them.

And at the same time,

I think we have to be honest.

There's a lot of bullshit that gets thrown around in soft and cooing voices.

And some of it,

I think,

Is actually rather pernicious.

Like it crawls inside of you,

Kind of like a tapeworm,

And it starves you from the actual good.

Because you are trying so damn hard to be Zen good.

And one of those insidious thoughts,

In my opinion,

Is this idea of letting it go.

And the funny thing is,

I say this all the time in my yoga classes,

And I know I've said it in these very meditations.

We hear it everywhere.

And I think it's what we all want.

To let the shit go.

We know it hurts,

And we want to let it go.

But we can't.

We just can't.

It reminds me of sleep.

Often,

The very thing you want,

To let it all go,

Or to fall asleep,

Is the very thing you can't do.

So,

Even if it is done with the best of intentions,

In the best NPR voice ever,

Intoning,

Let it go,

Can become like nails on a chalkboard.

I know we might want to bellow,

I can't.

And now,

I'd like you to take a deep breath in.

And can you guess what I'm gonna say next?

Let it go.

Okay.

So what in the hell do we do when let it go is everywhere,

And it isn't helping,

But it's actually making our ass chew gum,

But it's the very thing we need to do?

Okay.

I'm gonna suggest we switch it out.

What if we turn let it go into leave it here?

Whatever is present for you,

Grief,

Loneliness,

Anger,

Sadness,

Fear,

It is present in you.

And it can often be big,

And overwhelming,

Exhausting,

And so damn much to carry.

So leave it here.

In this space.

Let this practice be a container.

Bring your shit here.

Empty it into this present moment.

I mean it,

Dump it out,

Kind of like a junk drawer.

See the mess.

You can even say,

Oh my god,

That's a lot of shit.

What am I supposed to do with it all?

Breathe.

Breathe some more.

Breathe in.

And if something starts to come back,

Say,

I see you,

You pernicious little son of a biscuit.

And no,

I'm not gonna pick you up anymore.

I'm not gonna feed you anymore.

I am going to leave you.

Reviews

A great reminder to leave all that ish here. Thank you. ✌️🧘‍♂️🫶🪷

Oh Betsy, I’ve missed you so! Thank you for this meditation - I laughed so hard ahahah. Leaving all sh*t alone from now on. Love you!💖

I love the humor and the attitude of this meditation. 👍🙏

Thank you for sharing and creating a space to unload everything. It's interesting that you used the word “can’t”. My therapist advised me to remove the word “can’t” from my vocabulary because it signifies a lack of control. Well, that’s how this feels; I don’t have the control to “Let it Go!” but I can leave it behind and set it down right here, right now. 🫶🏻

⭐️🌟⭐️🌟⭐️....as others have said....one of your best.
Leave it here.....much easier to relate to.
Why is it the negative replays in our minds more than all the positive. Many comments have got to me lately, I know they bear no weight and were undeserved but they continue to echo.
Some situations are EXHAUSTING, they drain you of energy. Love "leave it here" cos dammit it's hard "to let it go" Thank you as always Betsy........Valentines Day here in NZ this Saturday. . . . Leaving some ❤️🥰😻....here too.

I completely loved this honestly moment you shared and the idea of leaving a feeling or thought just here. Thank you Betsy!

This was one of your best recordings among so many, Betsy! Your chuckle was there to show that dark, yucky moments don't have to be serious all the way through. You brought lightness to such a rancid phrase, thank you so much! 🌸🌻🪷

Another timely meditation from this teacher. Indeed I have been struggling with sleep the last few nights. And I love the visual of the junk drawer of emotions. Most importantly trying not to feed it. Many thanks for making me feel less alone. Sending us all light.

PERNICIOUS, lovely word Betsy, gotta look it up!
Great session and I will 'leave it here'..
❤️

your chuckle in the middle of this was delightful and made it all so real, so human. thank you for coming up with a more appropriate and efficient phrase.

Thank you very much once again Betsy. I’m so grateful for you and your relatable, honest and empowering meditations.

That was wonderful as always. Thank you for your honesty and humor, it's very refreshing.