The Grace of Surrender

“There are different wells within us. Some fill with each good rain, others are far, far too deep for that." -Hafiz

Dear friends,

Greetings from beautiful Bali. I am back on the Island of the Gods after six years, and it is inspiring me in ways only Bali can.

It has been a long time since I sat down to write to you-what was always meant to be my monthly newsletter, a space where I share a little update on my teaching, retreats, and whatever is moving or inspiring reflection in that particular month. Always in the hope that something here might serve you in some small way.

This year, however, has not been my most productive when it comes to creativity. And that’s not an easy pill to swallow for someone who is, at their core, creative. After nearly nine months in a (creative) valley, I finally feel myself beginning to emerge. Inspiration, ideas, and a quiet drive to offer this work again are slowly showing their heads.

As some of you know, this lack of inspiration followed a difficult year physically. It began with a bad ski fall in March and a severe tear of my adductor tendon (groin), followed by a non- injury related surgery in June and a long recovery period. I am not fully back to normal, but I am doing so much better.

As I reflect on a year that is soon to leave us, I can’t help but notice how little I did professionally—at least by external measures. I hosted only one retreat. I taught very few classes, both public and private. I didn’t write my regular newsletters. I didn’t put together the online program I had envisioned.

The well felt dry. Very dry.Or so it seemed.

For a good six months, I couldn’t practice yoga—or even walk properly. I lost much of my flexibility, mobility, and strength, some of which may never return to where it once was. My practice no longer looks “pretty” in the way it perhaps once did. The exterior changed in big ways.

But so did my interior cave.

Something shifted in me, deeply. I surrendered to the flow of what is… or what was. I didn’t dwell much on the misfortune and managed to stay positive most days. I enjoyed taking my kids to school every morning—something I usually can’t do because of teaching. I helped with homework more than usual. We played a lot of Uno and board games.

In all of that new “free” time (or perhaps I should call it surrender time), I found myself at my harmonium daily. I would lose myself for an hour or two—playing, chanting, singing, learning new chords. The harmonium became my yoga mat in a way. My voice and melody replaced asana.

When I eventually returned to teaching in November, I began introducing more of this Bhakti offering into my classes. To my surprise—and joy—people resonated deeply with it. This has opened a new doorway for me, and I find myself exploring ways to carry this newly awakened love for Bhakti Yoga more fully into the community in 2026.

All of it—compliments of her grace, Surrender.

I love how author Caroline Myss describes surrender in her book "Intimate Conversations with the Divine":

“Surrender is one of the greatest graces of the Divine. We do not give up when we surrender. Not at all. Surrender is an act of recognition, an acknowledgment of the order of the Universe. We surrender our power to God as the act of ultimate trust, consciously merging the power of our soul with the order of the Universe. We consciously step into the flow of our lives and into the conscious stream of guidance that is already flowing through our soul. Surrender is an act of awakening.”

Every word in this paragraph deserves to be in bold. Re-read many times. Framed, even. A reminder-especially when life is not unfolding the way we wish- for us to get out of the way of divine work and divine flow. To truly surrender.

She also offers a prayer that I love (please feel free to exchange Lord with Divine, or any name that resonates with you):

“Lord, grant me the ability to understand the true meaning of the grace of surrender, so that I may one day utter the prayer, ‘I surrender unto You all that I am’—and truly mean it.”

Because, my friends, I don’t know about you, but I have said many times in my life that I surrendered… that I trusted. And yet, beneath those words, there was often so much struggle and doubt. With age—and through the practices of yoga—I have come to understand that surrender is a lifelong journey of leaning into its guiding grace, again and again.

We don’t need to know what’s ahead.And we can’t.

But we can learn to trust that the Divine has her own intelligence and loving intention in the process of creation - for us and through us. Even when it looks like the complete opposite.

As we step into a new year, I feel quietly called back into offering- slowly, intentionally, and from a place that feels deeply aligned. I’ll be sharing more soon about what’s unfolding for 2026, including confirmed and pending retreats and gatherings shaped by this year of surrender and devotion. Some of these offerings are already taking form, while others are still being listened into—and perhaps, if the thread continues to pull, Bali may hold us again in 2026. There will be space to land, to listen, and to reconnect- with practice, with community, and with what truly matters.

More to come, soon.

With love and surrender, Danica