This week in our yoga classes, we’re exploring Ishvara Pranidhana—the fifth Niyama, the art of surrender. Not the easy Instagrammable kind of surrender, but the gritty, real-life version: letting go when every cell in your body wants to grip tighter, control harder, fix everything.
Over the past week, my family has been living this practice, not on the mat, but in the unpredictable theatre of daily life. My daughter Sash began spiralling into psychosis on June 7th. As her mind spun stories of contamination and cosmic treaties, her dad, Donald, stepped in on June 9th to be by her side. Each day, the delusions grew more intense, and as parents, we found ourselves in a dance between support and surrender—loving her fiercely but also knowing we couldn’t control the outcome.
One of the most surreal moments was reading the draft armistice Donald and Sash created together, using the Israel-Gaza ceasefire as a template. It was a creative, loving attempt by Donald to distract her from following her determination to travel to Ireland and broker peace between the Faerie realm and the human realm. He also had to hide her passport—just in case this distraction strategy stopped working.
Throughout this intense time, we have been deeply touched and buoyed by the incredible support of friends and family. Messages, meals, phone calls, quiet check-ins, and offers to help have been lifelines—reminders that surrender doesn’t mean facing the storm alone. This web of love and presence has been a living example of Ishvara Pranidhana: surrendering not in isolation, but within community.
On Sunday, my wonderful friend Beatriz drove me to Brighton to spend the day with Sash. Together, we posted homemade flyers through letterboxes, warning locals about contaminated water. Later, we swam in the wild, powerful sea—a brief, grounding return to something simple and real. Throughout it all, I practiced surrender: not by trying to fix things, but by walking beside her, bearing witness, and releasing the need to control her journey.
It wasn’t until June 13th that Sash agreed to take her medication, and slowly, she started to return to herself. She woke up on Monday, curled up on the sofa with Donald and announced, “I think I’ve been a bit of a mentalist,” she followed it up with the line “I have been re-evaluating my beliefs.”. The real Sasha Campbell was back in room almost as quickly as she had vanished. For the first time in days, I felt hope and relief wash over me.
Ishvara Pranidhana teaches us to dedicate our actions, our love, and even our helplessness to something greater than ourselves. It’s about trusting that we are part of a larger story, even when we can’t see the ending. This week, surrender looked like armistice treaties on kitchen tables, hidden passports, sea swims, and laughter in the aftermath of chaos. It was messy, poignant, and unexpectedly beautiful.
With heartfelt thanks to everyone who has held us in love and light through this journey. Your support is a true gift.
Wishing you a week of wild, wholehearted surrender—whatever that looks like for you.
Yoga Pathways 
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