We hear a lot about “letting go” in social media and blog posts about contemporary spirituality. In yoga and meditation classes, “let go” is a common cue to release tension in this or that part of your body or mind. In yoga philosophy, it’s usually associated with the idea of letting go of our attachments, accepting when things are beyond our control or, on a deeper level, loosening our grip on ego-driven conceptions of identity.
In the culture of yoga wisdom, “letting go” is hard-wired into a roadmap for living our lives in four stages. The first stage, student life, takes us through our first 25 years. At this stage, our focus is on acquiring the knowledge and skills we need to understand who we are, what the world is, and how we should live.
The second stage, from that age of 25 to 50, is a time of responsibility: we develop a career, find a partner, raise children, take care of our elders, and actively contribute to the betterment of society. The third stage, from 50 to 75, is when we begin the process of letting go: we start to redirect our time and energy away from family responsibilities and income generation to service to our community. As our children leave the nest and our elders pass away, we gain freedom to travel and invest more time in our spiritual lives.
The fourth stage of life begins on our 75th birthday. That’s when it’s time to hand off whatever remaining responsibilities and obligations we have, offer a lifetime of acquired knowledge and wisdom to younger family members and society at large, and proactively prepare for our own inevitable departure from this world; the ultimate act of “letting go.”
Letting go isn’t easy, even when we reach an age when letting go is the right thing to do. It takes realism, humility, and freedom from egoism. It takes the ability to lead by example.
In the language of America’s founding fathers, an elderly leader who makes a personal sacrifice for the sake of the greater good by passing the baton to the next generation would be exemplifying wisdom and virtue. In the language of yoga, they would be exemplifying dharma; right action.
Does this resonate with you? Let me know in the comments.