# Letting Go / Softening

## Video

{% embed url="<https://youtu.be/PYcyo6KHHVU>" %}

## Guided Practice

{% embed url="<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEkuxG2fbn0>" %}

## Practice Visualization

<img src="https://1979698799-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FoVsGKE6CupfPHoBmSeNe%2Fuploads%2F4gsMsPVfnzNiwsspdAPY%2Ffile.excalidraw.svg?alt=media&#x26;token=099a1ae2-09a0-48eb-9fda-95da352eeef2" alt="" class="gitbook-drawing">

## Overview

<table><thead><tr><th width="177"></th><th align="center"></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>What</td><td align="center">Our return base which is based on releasing excessive effort</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Benefits</strong></td><td align="center"><ul><li>Independent happiness i.e., based on letting go</li><li>Cultivates Contentment on which virtues are facilitated</li><li>Decondition Vices</li></ul></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Instructions</strong></td><td align="center"><p><strong>Phase 1 - Bodily Softness</strong></p><ol><li>Recognize Effort</li><li>Release Effort</li><li>Enjoy &#x26; Enchant with the Release of Effort</li><li>Repeat</li></ol><p><strong>Phase 2 - Mental Softness</strong></p><ol><li>Recognize Effort</li><li>Release Effort</li><li>Enjoy &#x26; Enchant with Release of Effort</li><li>Repeat</li></ol></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Daily Life</strong></td><td align="center"><ul><li>Curious about any effort that arises within you and if desired release and enjoy</li></ul></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Consider</strong></td><td align="center"><ul><li>Offering > Forcing: Create the conditions that increase the likelihood of release, relaxation, calm rather than approaching of forcing the body and mind to become a certain way  </li><li>Opportunities > problem: Nowhere to get to: Every phase is an opportunity to improve, to learn</li><li>Take Advantage of the Pleasure and Joy: Emphasize the pleasure, independent of it's duration or intensity. This will cause your practice to be more enjoyable and accelerate habit change via rewarding your mind for letting go. </li></ul></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Progress</strong></td><td align="center"><ul><li>Increase in recognizing effort within body &#x26; mind</li><li>Increase in ability to release effort</li><li>Increase in ability to enjoy releasing of effort</li><li>Increase in automatic releasing </li><li>Decrease in frequency and intensity of arising of effort<br></li></ul></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Acknowledgement</strong></td><td align="center"><a href="https://www.midlmeditation.com">MIDL</a><br><a href="curiosity">Curiosity</a></td></tr></tbody></table>