Letting go. Just the phrase itself evokes a spontaneous exhale and a sense of peace. Because the nature of life is constant change, we are asked to surrender and let go over and over again. And yet, we fight change with all our might and want to be in control.

This denial and non-acceptance of "what is" serves only to bring us suffering. Embodying change in an vinyasa flow practice serves as a powerful, delightful way to learn to relax and trust the process of letting go. A body moving freely understands release on a primal, cellular level and can therefore embrace the creativity and gift of change.

Whether practicing at home or with a group, following these easy tips will help you relax deeper into letting go.

1) Surrender your head. Let the weight of your head fall off of your shoulders. Allow the momentum and weight to pull your body into spirals, towards the ground, shifting your weight from side to side. The head tends to stay rigid because people are so visual and want to see what's going on. Let go of needing to see and go inside. Surrendering the head is both a physical and metaphysical act. In releasing the neck and head, you are sending yourself the message that you are putting aside the thinking mind. The meditation aspect of flow yoga  is fostered by this simple act of freeing your head.

2) Tune into your body's innate wisdom. Trust your instinctual urges. For example, you might feel a longing to lay on the ground despite the wild beats of the music. Too often people censor themselves and will push away that little voice inside so as not to bring attention to being "weird" or different." Old patterns of conditioning come up around concepts such as: "being seen and not heard," "behaving yourself," "being proper," to mention just a few. Flow yoga invites us to let go of those internalized rules that no longer serve. Practice trusting your gut impulse. Let go of past conditioning and judgment.

3) Consciously focus on your exhale. With every breath, feel yourself relax deeper. Let the body fold in as the air is expelled and open with the intake of breath. Exaggerate the exhalation, perhaps giving it sound. Especially if you find your mind getting caught up in thoughts, bring your attention to the breath and you will naturally shift back into the present moment. The breath is an ever-present tool in any meditation. Simply bring your awareness back to it.

4) Be total in your practice. If you are not fully involved body and soul in the practice, that points to some part of you that is standing outside yourself judging. Let go of your judgments and how others may perceive you. Get into it!

5) Relax. Let your body be moved by the dance of your breath. Drop pushing yourself and making "something " happen. Save your cardio goals for the gym. You may get an amazing workout in yoga, but the essential difference is that it happens organically in yoga and is not part of the ego's fitness agenda. It's about being not doing.

6) Stay open to change. Surrender your ideas of what you expect to get out of it. Bring awareness to how you shift inside as the music and movement changes. Enjoy the ride of the variety of moods and emotions you experience. Also notice how fleeting they are! Appreciate that. Even the darkest mood may suddenly transform to smiles or even laughter. Notice if you are clinging to any particular state, your bad mood, your elation. Notice the clinging, exhale and let go.

These simple techniques will serve as a foundation practice to deepen your journey into flow yoga. Of course, you are bound to get caught up in judgments, thoughts, control and clinging along the path. Above all, resist judging yourself for that! Gently remind yourself to exhale, surrender your head, trust your impulse and relax. And keep moving!