Letting Go: The Pathway of Surrender
The latest instalment in Dr. Hawkins’s nine-book series, Power vs. Force, Letting Go describes using the technique of surrender to remove negative blocks from life. Drawing experience from his clinical psychiatric practice, his work takes a different approach from his earlier works focused on attaining awareness, spirituality, and enlightenment, and invites us to confront the inner turmoil that so often holds us captive—fear, anger, guilt, and all those heavy emotions that weigh down our spirit. But this isn’t your typical self-help book with surface-level pep talks. Instead, it delves deep, offering a methodical yet compassionate approach to emotional release that feels profound and accessible.
From the first chapter, you sense Hawkins’ calm authority, a voice that doesn’t preach or demand but offers a pathway. The core idea is beautifully simple yet remarkably powerful: surrender your resistance to negative feelings rather than fighting them. Hawkins argues that letting go is not about suppressing emotions but about fully experiencing and releasing them, allowing the natural flow of life to restore peace within. This process, he suggests, can dissolve the internal barriers that keep us stuck in suffering, opening doors to joy, freedom, and ultimately, enlightenment.
Note that the book doesn’t discuss the mechanics of letting go (you may want to re-read Chapter 3 after completing the entire book), but instead revolves around a “Map of Consciousness,” a chart of emotions ranked by energy fields. We can free up our energy by letting go of lower, energetically harmful emotions (guilt, shame), allowing us to move into more powerful emotions higher on the scale (love, joy, peace).
A considerable amount of insight is shed on each emotion by explaining the feelings and triggering points, which has helped me become more attuned to how I deal with my feelings. There’s no need to beat yourself up over less noble sentiments because they result from past experiences and, most importantly, are all part of being humane. Instead of shutting down negative emotions, you learn to allow them to bubble up and run their course; eventually, they will run dry, drained of negative energy, and you can put them behind you.
“Feelings come and go, and eventually you realise that you are not your feelings, but that the real ‘you’ is merely witnessing them.”
What makes Letting Go so compelling is Hawkins’s ability to blend spirituality with psychology seamlessly. He grounds abstract concepts in practical guidance, making the method something you can start applying immediately. The book is peppered with insightful anecdotes and exercises, but never feels clinical or dry. Instead, there’s an undercurrent of warmth and sincerity, as if Hawkins gently holds your hand through the often messy terrain of emotional healing.
Reading this book feels like peeling back layers you didn’t even realise were there. Hawkins’ teachings encourage a radical honesty with ourselves, inviting us to face the uncomfortable feelings we’d usually shove aside. It’s challenging at times, sure, but ultimately freeing. You come away with a toolkit not just for managing stress or anxiety but for transforming your relationship with all your emotions. The promise here is temporary relief and a lasting shift in consciousness.
Letting Go isn’t a quick fix or a flashy new trend. It requires patience and dedication; some chapters demand a slow, thoughtful read. Hawkins’ spiritual framework, which touches on energy levels and consciousness calibration, might feel abstract or esoteric for sceptics. Applied kinesiology can demonstrate the energy changes accompanying emotions, which yield yes/no responses to an intent held in mind. Muscle testing struck a chord with me because while it sounds crazily impossible, it’s something I experienced first-hand years ago that has left me dumbstruck since. However, I was not on board with the belief that thoughts alone can heal your body of sicknesses and prevent future ailments (there’s no harm in trying, just that I don’t trust it over medical help).
That being said, don’t undermine the value of being emotionally healthy. Sometimes, people refer to letting go of harboured bad feelings as if it’s a bad thing when, in fact, you’re only letting go of things that no longer serve you so you can find serenity and be at peace with yourself. To be conscious of your emotions is not to be in complete control or void of them, but to be aware of their effects, release them when appropriate, and make decisions despite them, which is a powerful technique to harness.
This post may contain affiliate links, meaning we receive a commission when you click the links and make a purchase.
Related Posts
