How to TRUST the Universe & Let Go

One of my favorite things to do is break down nebulous spiritual concepts and provide simple ways to put them in them into practice.

I think the phrases trusting the Universe and letting go fall under this category. It’s one thing to recite and hear these phrases, but another to act according to them consistently – it can be difficult to know where to even begin.

In this post I want to explore how you can deeply trust the Universe and let go.

What does ‘trusting the Universe’ actually mean?

First of all I want to share my perspective on what trusting the Universe means. This is my definition, which might vary from others, but I hope I can set some good groundwork.

With time I have realized that trusting the Universe is really just…trusting yourself. This is because there isn’t some inherent barrier between ourselves and the Universe, rather we become disconnected from the Universe through the fears and doubts that we learn or maintain.

This is why children often have a strong spiritual connection right off that bat. There aren’t any preconceptions to let go of or fears in the way. So trusting the Universe is really about dissolving those layers or doubt or fear that disconnect us from it.

How to start trusting the Universe

Now you might be wondering how you go about doing that, where do you start?

If you have a really difficult time trusting the Universe – believing that you are supported – then you want to start with the small stuff.

Practice gratitude

The first and most obvious step is to start practicing gratitude. We’ve all heard the platitudes…a grateful heart is a magnet for miracles.

Despite the cliches, gratitude really is one of the simply ways to begin opening up to more good. What we focus on grows (to an extent). We can’t always control circumstances, but we do have some power in how we focus our perspective.

Begin by writing a gratitude list. Just a few simple items to begin, which could be as simple as ‘I’m grateful for oxygen to breathe’. You’ll find that the more you write, the more comes up to be grateful about. This is a small but effective way to build some initial momentum.

Cultivate self-trust

What a lot of people don’t realize is that the relationship they have with the Universe is a reflection of the relationship they have with themselves.

One of the core reasons people feel unsupported by the Universe, is because they don’t feel empowered in themselves. Once we feel that way internally, it’s difficult not to look around us and feel unsupported.

Think of one habit you can commit to over the next week or month. This could be as small as drinking a glass of water when you wake up, or writing one page in your journal. Keep the goal small so that you are more likely to take action, and don’t become too tangled up in self-criticism.

Practice mindfulness

Another way to start building trust is through mindfulness.

If your faith level is low, bee more mindful of how you are perceiving and approaching obstacles. When something doesn’t go your way how do you usually think and feel about it?

Do you view obstacles as punishment? As confirmation you are doing something wrong?

Be more conscious of the narratives you are creating in your mind, when you are facing negativity.

Notice how fear or doubt shows up in the body. When are you are feeling unsupported, where do you feel the most tension or heaviness? Describe this sensation – name it!

Gently shift the script going on in your mind.

Journal

If you have some trust in the Universe but feel like something is missing, you want to get really clear on what you are allowing into your life.

Often on the spiritual path we’ll go through phases of feeling incredibly supported and connected, and then the opposite. We’ll receive clear messages from the Universe one day but then radio silence another.

This again represents some fear we haven’t let go of but also where we haven’t set clear enough intentions. We send the Universe mixed messages about what we want, and so what we receive flucuates.

When we start connecting with the Universe consistently we will start to notice some changes in our physical lives. We might be compelled to change our lifestyle, our relationships and so on. We also might start to receive more in all aspects of our life. This can be scary if we are not accustomed to receiving, and there can be a fear that we are not going to be able to maintain it.

I recommend writing a list with the title ‘What am I allowing?’

Are you allowing yourself to be supported by those around you? Or are you closing yourself off? Are you allowing yourself to receive more? Or are you holding on tightly to what you have out of fear?

You will notice that these answers contradict each other, at different times you are allowing different things. Here you want to get really clear on what you need for yourself, and then set firmer boundaries when these needs are not being met.

Another great way to build more trust in the Universe is to record the synchronicities you experience in your journal.

Spend one week paying extra close attention to the signs you receive and writing them down. Looking back on this list, it will become abundantly clear just how much the Universe has your back.

Prayer

Prayer is another way to start connecting with the Universe more deeply, as an extension of that, building more trust.

Prayer has a lot of religious connotations, which made me avoid it at the beginning of my spiritual journey. However prayer is simply a conversation with something bigger.

How can we expect the Universe to support us, rather how can we feel supported by the Universe…if we aren’t communing with it?

You don’t have to make prayer complication to see a good result. Simply speaking to the Universe as if to a friend, about the things you are grateful for or need guidance on is more than enough.

Nighttime or bedtime prayer was a game changer for me, because I used this time to focus on developing my spirit/intuition rather than going in aimless negative thoughts spirals.

The energy we build before we go to sleep is super important, because it carries through our sleep/dream time and the morning after. A good morning and night routine, where we are diligently connecting with our intuition and the Universe is a must.

Set an intention to be more open to new paths opening up in your life, and start anticipating a breakthrough.

Affirmations for self-trust:

• I am open to new experiences.
• I am open to being supported in new ways.
• I manage abundance well.

Get into nature

The more grounded we are on the spiritual path, the more present we are in our body, the easier it is to feel supported by the Universe.

When working with our energy we can get stuck in the mind and feel restless. Grounding is a way to bring our awareness back to earth.

Getting into nature is one way to do this. Nature brings us into a slower pace, and presents us with endless examples of the Universe’s abundance.

Spend a few minutes walking on the Earth barefoot, breathing deeply and vsiualizing energy flowing up your body through the soles of your feet.

What happens when you trust the Universe?

Trusting the Universe is not a magic bullet (but perhaps the closest thing to one). Trust in ourselves as an extension the Universe fluctuates over time, this is only natural.

Even when we have a consistent practice there are still going to be days, weeks and months where we feel disconnected and back to square one.

Trusting the Universe isn’t about getting what we want or having an impenetrable belief in the Universe at all times, but trusting the Universe to support us in the good and bad.

• Deeper connection with your yourself & others
• Less fear and doubt
• More synchronicity
• Increased intuition
• Positive physical shifts in your life

Don’t beat yourself if your faith in the Universe falters from time to time, especially when you are in a bad place. We’re not always going to feel divinely guided, sometimes that faith is built in action rather than further self-analysis.

When we trust the Universe we start to experience more magic in our lives. This comes in the form of synchronicities and uplifting experiences.

Our ability to manifest also increases, we align with our soul purpose, our general wellbeing improves.

People who trust the Universe (trust themselves) exude peace and calming energy; it’s something you can’t fake. When you’re around those whose energy is aligned, you naturally feel more energized and in tune with yourself.

Surrendering to the Universe

One of the common misconceptions about surrendering to the Universe is that it’s a passive activity.

Surrender is an understanding that we can’t control everything, with that in mind, just because we are in an intuitive flow doesn’t mean we don’t take action.

We want to be taking action whenever we cultivate energy, so that we do not become restless or overwhelmed. The energy we build pushes us in the right direction.

There is taking action more generally speak, and then there is aligned action. In this culture, taking a lot of action is often linked to hustle culture or perfectionism.

The idea that if we aren’t filling each moment with movement and excitement we are doing something wrong. However, aligned action is when we move from our intuition. We take action that feels good and that is deeply fulfilling.

When we start to trust the Universe it becomes easier to balance our masculine and feminine energies, and we’ll feel more confident in the actions we take. It’s common to find that as you do these exercises, you become inspired to take action in some way; to complete a creative project or find a better job or relationship.

You’ll also find it’s easier to sit back and release control over circumstances, because you know things are in your favor even if they don’t appear positive on the surface. When you have to just be, relax or go into hermit mode, it doesn’t feel like you’re missing out on anything.

Practical ways to let go

Now that we have the groundwork set, I want to explore some practices you can use will help you trust the Universe deeply.

It’s one thing to know you are holding onto fear or doubt, to intellectualize those barriers, and another to commit to a consistent practice.

So often we just aren’t giving ourselves the time to build trust, we expect an instant result. It takes coming back to your fears and doubts each day, to properly process and release them.

1. Mediate

The first practice I recommend for letting go is of course meditation. We are constantly taking on new beliefs through environment, which influence how open and trusting we feel about the world around us.

Meditation allows us to get beyond that noise, and tune into a more free-flowing level of awareness where we are constantly seeing anew.

Meditation also allows us to hear our intuition more clearly; that calm uplifting voice that will give us all of the guidance we need to get more into alignment.

2. Allow your emotions to flow

Another reason we might struggle to trust the Universe and let go is because we aren’t in tune with our emotions.

Repressed emotions represent the shadow of our consciousness; aspects of ourselves that we want to avoid and pretend do not exist.

Emotions are information, they aren’t necessarily good or bad. Sitting with our emotions allows us to see what we are afraid of confronting, what we are trying to avoid in holding on tightly to old patterns.

I remember one time I was feeling anxious and heavy with emotion, and desperately tried to shift to something positive in my mind.

The more I tried to get rid of these negative emotions the more anxious and frustrated I became. Once I allowed myself to simply be with my emotions, be completely present in my environment, I felt the weight of these emotions lift immediately.

3. Shadow work

The two practices above are a form of shadow work because they illuminate unconscious patterns.

However a more direct form of shadow work is the use of specific journal prompts that directly target the unconscious mind.

Two shadow work prompts:

What do I need today?

What do I want to express today?

These two prompts can take you a long way with shadow work if you reflect upon them consistently (as our needs change often).

Think of some actions you can take in the next few days or weeks to test/build the faith you have in the Universe, and keep an open mind about the result.

Mindset is super important but so is taking action and doing so consistently. Once you have some ‘proof’ or experience in holding faith in the Universe and seeing positive results, the easier it is to build momentum and more faith.

Trusting the Universe also means letting go of the past. Holding faith that the Universe will guide you in a new direction, even if you’ve had negative experiences in the past.