Releasing And Letting Go - What does it mean? What am I supposed to be releasing?

When we have chosen the path of personal growth we often hear “it’s time to release what no longer serves you” or “we need to let go in order to move forward”. It’s important to understand that when we get rid of the old we create space for the new and positive, this isn’t just about decluttering your space or donating old clothes, but it also includes mentally, emotionally and spiritually letting go.

Ok great, we need to release in order to bring in the new and positive, but WHAT are we releasing and WHAT does this really mean?

In all honesty we can release pretty much anything. When you hear the term ‘release what no longer serves you’ it is time to reflect on your life and find emotions, thoughts, actions, people, and situations that you have been holding on to, but actually have no purpose in your life. Maybe these thoughts, emotions etc. are holding you back from experiencing more, maybe you thought you grew from the situation, but you are still holding onto a grudge or some resentment. It can take a lot longer for us to fully release something than we may realize, and so continuing to practice this release will help in the long run, even if you think you have nothing to let go of.

Let’s get into some examples so we can actually see WHAT we are releasing.

#1 If you have been hurt in the past by someone and you hold bitterness towards the person, even though you thought you were fully healed, you need to let that go to fully move on.

#2 If you had a work project that you finished and you feel guilt and anger towards yourself because you believe it wasn't your best work and so you are not worthy, it’s time to release those limiting beliefs.

#3 If you fear public speaking or something else you can release that fear.

#4 Whenever you experience a negative emotion or thought, whether it's directed to another person or a situation, it's time to reflect. Where is this negative emotion coming from, why am I experiencing this, do I want to continue to have this emotion, how can I move forward without experiencing this again? Then you have a better idea of what it is you need to release.

#5 If you have been in an accident (maybe a vehicle accident) and you hold trauma from this, whether it’s physical, mental or spiritual, you can release the trauma in order to move forward.

#6 Sometimes our ego comes forward and brings judgement, jealousy, or even self doubt, we can release these ego-driven emotions in order to connect back to our authentic selves.

#7 If a friend has treated us wrong and we become hurt by their actions we can release the emotions we feel and we can ask the universe to help us release this friendship if it no longer serves us. Learning to decide to walk away when a relationship does more harm than good is a big step. Not every friendship and relationship will last our entire lives, so we need to be willing to learn when to walk away with peace, and when to put the work in without resentment and judgement.

#8 If a belief system that has been passed down through generations of your family that has a negative connotation it can be released. For example, if your family has always had a poor relationship with money, maybe there was never enough or there were always issues with spending too much, you can release these ideas around financial abundance, or lack there of, in order to step into a new way of thinking. The fear of not having enough can impede the universe from bringing more into your life.

As we can see there are many different things we can release in life and it doesn’t stop with just this list. I urge you to take a look at your life and try to think of 5 things you could release or have released in the past.

The reason we need to release and let go is because when we hold on we are actually making life more difficult for ourselves. The fear holds us back from truly shifting forward; the resentment stops us from learning from that specific relationship; the negative emotions breed more negative emotions within. This all starts to weigh down on us by piling on the stress, chaos and frustrations of life. When we don’t take the time to release and let go old patterns continue to repeat themselves and we get stuck in this cycle.

So, next time someone says it’s time to release and let go you know what they are talking about.

There are many different practices that can help you release and it’s important to discover what works for you, because it could be different then the next person. Here is a list of ways we can release and let go:

#1 Meditation

#2 Energy healing with Mentor/Coach/Healer

#3 Journalling

#4 Connecting to nature

#5 Cleansing & clearing with plant medicine

I find the best way to release is to continue to practice letting go. It takes work and practice to fully release and you need to commit the time and energy to yourself in order to move forward and step into your authenticity.

The practice of releasing can be hard because it brings forward difficult emotions that you have experienced previously, but it is necessary in order to heal and grow through life.

Are you ready to try releasing & letting go of something that no longer serves you? Here are 2 free meditations for you to practice with to release and connect to your authentic self.

After 4 years of actively learning to release and let go of my fears, worries, doubts, past pains, and all the energetic blocks and resistance I’ve been carrying, I decided to put all of my knowledge together in the form of a book. This is a spiritual tool to guide and support you in learning what you are carrying that needs to be released, while also giving you many different strategies and practices to actively release the energy that no longer supports you. Check out the Releasing Guidebook.