A Meditation on Letting Go: How to Use Your Breath to Release and Trust the Current

Do you ever feel like you’re holding on too tightly—to your reactions, to outcomes, or to what you think should happen? Many of us instinctively want to control situations, but deeper peace often comes from learning to trust life’s current and allowing it to guide us.

Every moment can be a learning opportunity. What if, instead of resisting, you let things unfold as they are and allowed the experience to teach you?

For example, maybe a driver cuts you off in traffic. It’s easy to get upset, curse, or react in frustration. But when you catch your breath and reflect, you might realize that your reaction stems from something deeper—maybe it’s a sign you need to focus on self-care or manage your energy better.

Taking a step back helps us pay finer attention to what’s really going on around us and what it’s inviting us to see.

Knowing this in theory is one thing, but putting it into practice is another.

It takes intention and a method to return to your center, allowing the moment to teach you instead of getting swept away by your reaction. This article will introduce you to a breathing technique to help you release, reconnect with yourself, and trust the mystery of the unknown.

What Does it Mean to Trust the Current?

You’ve likely heard the metaphor of trusting the current of life. But what does it really mean to release control and let life guide you?

 To put this concept into theory, I invite you to read an excerpt by Richard Bach:

“Once there lived a village of creatures along the bottom of a great crystal river. The current of the river swept silently over them all - young and old, rich and poor, good and evil, the current going its own way, knowing only its own crystal self.

Each creature in its own manner clung tightly to the twigs and rocks at the river bottom, for clinging was their way of life, and resisting the current what each had learned from birth.

But one creature said at last, 'I am tired of clinging. Though I cannot see it with my eyes, I trust that the current knows where it is going. I shall let go, and let it take me where it will. Clinging, I shall die of boredom.'

The other creatures laughed and said, 'Fool! Let go, and that current you worship will throw you tumbled and smashed across the rocks, and you shall die quicker than boredom!'

But the one heeded them not, and taking a breath did let go, and at once was tumbled and smashed by the current across the rocks.

Yet in time, as the creature refused to cling again, the current lifted him free from the bottom, and he was bruised and hurt no more.

And the creatures downstream, to whom he was a stranger, cried, 'See a miracle! A creature like ourselves, yet he flies! See the Messiah, come to save us all!'

And the one carried in the current said, 'I am no more Messiah than you. The river delights to lift us free, if only we dare let go."

The line that we can learn the most from is this: Though I cannot see it with my eyes, I trust that the current knows where it is going. I shall let go, and let it take me where it will.

This passage reminds us that even when we can’t see where life is taking us, trusting the current can benefit us in ways we can’t yet imagine.

Putting It Into Practice: Use Your Breath to Trust the River

This idea of trusting life’s ebbs and flows might already resonate with you. But it’s easier to feel connected to this in moments of meditation or reflection. What about when life gets hectic—when you’re out in the world, and things don’t go as planned? How do you come back to your center in those moments and live out the value of trusting the river?

This is where your breath becomes a powerful tool. Your breath can ground you, help you release what’s bothering you, and guide you to respond from a place of intention.

Here’s a simple process to use your breath to release control and access deeper parts of yourself:

• Release – Let Be. Bring to mind something that’s weighing on you—whether it’s a situation, a person, or an unresolved feeling. Ask yourself: where in your life are you clinging to control?
• Breathe With It – Rather than resisting or fighting the situation, picture yourself accepting it as it is. Take a deep breath. Place your hand on your diaphragm and feel your breath move through you. Let your body relax into the sensation of breathing with the situation, not against it.
• Release Again – Let Go. Allow your breath to help you release the need to control or fix anything. Trust that, just like the current, your breath knows how to carry you. With each exhale, let go a little more.
• Curate the Moment – As you breathe, notice if your perspective shifts. Maybe new emotions or insights arise. Maybe you can empathize with someone in your story whom you previously judged. What is this experience showing you?
• Trust the Mystery – Finally, surrender to the unknown. When we stop trying to control everything, we open ourselves to life’s mystery. Our breath deepens, and we can trust that the current will take us where we need to go, even if we don’t know the destination.

When we feel like we have to know the outcome, we tend to grip tightly and resist, wishing things were different. This tension often causes our breath to shorten, as our diaphragm tightens in response. But as you surrender to the mystery of the current, you begin to sense where it’s guiding you, helping you see things from a new perspective.

Now, take a moment to reflect on what you’ve been holding onto. 

As you breathe, ask yourself: What is this situation asking me to see? If I stopped resisting and let the current guide me, where would it take me?

This breathing practice is a simple yet powerful way to come back to your center, release control, and trust life’s flow.

Watch the Meditation

This year, our community is focusing on trust. Each month, in our Beyond Coaching Experiences, we explore themes like this one in depth. These conversations are free to join and offer a glimpse into our community’s approach to growth and reflection.

During this month’s session, I guided the community through the meditation above, to help you release and let go. Watch the replay here:

Watch the replay here: 

Join us for next month’s Beyond Coaching Experience as we continue our year-long journey into trust as a key part of human and professional maturation.

Register for October’s BCE here!

In gratitude,

David & The Moment Institute Team​