Letting Go Technique

Some days, I notice I’m carrying something before I even know what it is. It could be a heaviness in my chest, tension in my jaw, a low-grade frustration I can’t quite name. It just shows up. And I’ve learned that when that happens, I don’t need to analyze it to death. I just need to pause.

That’s where this letting go process came from. It’s not complicated. It’s not some big mystical ritual. It’s just a way to check in, breathe, and give your body and mind a chance to release whatever they’ve been holding onto.

Start by closing your eyes. Ask yourself honestly, “Is there something I’m feeling that I don’t want to feel right now?” You don’t need a full explanation. Just name it. Sadness, worry, irritation, dread. Whatever it is, say it to yourself. Then rate it. Give it a number from one to ten so you know where you're starting.

Next, imagine a place where you feel safe. Somewhere outdoors, somewhere quiet. It could be a mountaintop, a forest, a beach. Let the weather in that scene match how you feel. If you’re overwhelmed, maybe it’s stormy. If you’re just a little off, maybe it’s cloudy or breezy.

Then you ask, what number would feel better? What’s your goal? Maybe you want to move that seven down to a three. Good. That’s your intention.

Now breathe. Slowly, intentionally. And on each exhale, say quietly in your mind, “I choose to let this go.” Imagine the wind in that scene picking up, clearing the heaviness around you. You’re not forcing anything, you’re just giving it permission to move. At the end of the breath, gently grab your wrist and say, “Peace.” That part anchors it. It settles the shift.

Check in again. Has the number changed? Has the weather shifted? Repeat if you need to. Sometimes it takes a few rounds, and that’s okay.

This is something you can use anytime. It doesn’t require a perfect mindset or a quiet room. Just a willingness to pause and be honest about what you’re feeling. You’re not trying to escape it—you’re just letting the stuck energy move.

That’s all letting go really is. Making a little space where there wasn’t space before. And sometimes, that’s enough.

Process Breakdown:

Here’s a simple letting go process you can use anytime you’re feeling overwhelmed, stuck, or just carrying something heavy. It only takes a few minutes, and the more you practice it, the more natural it becomes. It’s about checking in, using your imagination, and giving your body and mind permission to release. You don’t need to force anything, just follow along and notice what shifts.

1. Pause and Reflect
Close your eyes and ask yourself:
“Is there any emotion I don’t like right now?”
Name that emotion.

2. Assess the Intensity
Rate the emotion on a scale from 1 to 10.

• 1–3: Mild

• 4–6: Moderate

• 7–10: Intense

3. Visualize Your Safe Space
Imagine yourself in a peaceful outdoor setting that feels right for you.
It might be a mountaintop, a beach, a desert, or a wide open field, wherever you feel safe and connected.

4. Observe the Emotional Weather
Let the weather in your scene mirror your emotional state.

• High (7–10): Stormy, dark, heavy winds

• Medium (4–6): Cloudy, misty, light rain

• Low (1–3): Calm, gentle breeze, partly sunny

5. Set Your Intention
Ask: “What number would I like to bring this down to?”
Set that number as your goal.

6. Breathe and Release
Take a deep breath in.
With each exhale, you can say to yourself,

“I choose to let this go.”

Imagine the wind moving through the space, clearing the heaviness as you breath, sweeping through the space and clearing the emotional heaviness.

At the end of the breath, gently grab your wrist and say: “Peace.”

7. Reassess and Visualize Clarity
Check your number again.
Visualize the weather shifting. See the storm clearing, the sun shining through, or the space opening up.

8. Repeat as Needed
You can go through the process more than once until you feel grounded or emotionally lighter.

Tips for Practice

If you do this once, you might feel a shift. But if you do it regularly, even just for a couple minutes a day, something deeper starts to happen. You begin to take ownership of your inner landscape. That unconscious terrain most people never stop to notice… it becomes familiar. And when it’s familiar, it’s not so overwhelming anymore.

The key is to treat the process as real. Even if your logical mind doubts it. Even if a part of you is thinking, “I’m just imagining this,” or “What’s the point?” That’s fine. Let that voice be there. But know this: the unconscious doesn’t care if something is physically real. It responds to what you imagine, what you feel, what you focus on. That safe space you picture? That wind clearing your emotions? It matters, because your nervous system believes it. And that belief is where real change starts.

So here are a few things that help:

So here are a few things that help:

Practice daily, even when you feel fine. Don’t wait for overwhelm. Build the habit of checking in. Make it as normal as brushing your teeth.

Use vivid imagery. The more detail you give your inner world—colors, sounds, textures—the more your unconscious engages with it.

Trust the process even when it feels subtle. Sometimes the shift is loud and obvious. Other times, it’s quiet, like something just let go in the background.

Make it your own. This isn’t a rigid script. Adapt the space. Change the weather. Say different words if they feel more natural. The point is to create a language your body and mind understand.

Come back to it. Especially when you're feeling off. But also when you're not. Let it be a regular way of grounding, clearing, and coming home to yourself.

Once you’ve let go, don’t stop there. Ask yourself—now that I’ve released this anxiety, fear, or frustration… what do I want to feel instead? Peace? Joy? Inner strength? Picture that feeling like a color or a light in the air around you, and with each breath in, invite it into your body. Let it fill the space you just cleared. This step matters. You’re not just releasing you’re choosing what to carry forward.

Over time, it stops feeling like a technique and starts feeling like something much simpler—your own way of meeting yourself, honestly, wherever you are.

Breathe out the tension, the fear,

the doubt, the anger.

Just let it go.

-Ram Dass