Are You Ready to Relinquish?

I've been thinking about the word relinquish ever since I went to yoga class where my yoga teacher, P, talked her fellow yogis (of which I am one) through a practice to help us let go of our stress.

"Relinquish any of the tightness that is in your body," said P. (I felt my body relaxing from head to toe.)

"Relinquish any of the thoughts that are in your mind and any judgments you may have at this moment," said P. (I let my mind go blank and stopped thinking about all the food I had eaten the night before.)

P said that as we relinquish, it opens our body and mind to greater transformation.

Just hearing the word—relinquish—makes me relax. It is truly a wonderful word, and I want to make sure I keep it high up in my vocabulary every day, especially each night before I go to bed.

Try saying the word several times and I think you will see what I mean. Try it. Go ahead. I'll say it with you: "Relinquish, relinquish, relinquish."

Do you feel more relaxed? If not, say it three more times and even repeat its meaning. This word is so special that the dictionary has given it three equally relaxing meanings:

Relinquish—"put aside or desist from something practiced, professed or intended"

Relinquish—"surrender and let go"

Relinquish—"cease holding physically, release"

Ohm, ohm, ohm, what a feeling to relinquish. Maybe I should tattoo this word on my body so I remember it during my life after 50. I do forget words, names and phrases so easily nowadays.

This post originally appeared on aboomerslifeafter50.com.