The Peaceful Surrender of River Floating

There are few things in life as pure as floating down a glacier fed river. It requires a hot summer day, a river, and a community that values their environment. Munich is one of those cities where the Isar river that runs through the city is almost always swimmable.

There is joy in knowing that it’s fun to let go.

Floating in the river is an exercise of the mind. The mind might say “it’s too cold”, “I’ll float too far and it will be difficult getting back”, “what if someone steals our bag!”, “do the fish bite?” , “I might hurt myself on a rock”. The list of things to worry about are endless. If we allow our fears to micromanage our lives then we will miss out on the adventure. This is why floating is a great practice in surrendering. Letting go of the fears and plunging into the river.

The river is in control, my life is in its hands. Much of life is like floating in a river; it’s an uncontrollable force. We can not control the people who live and work around us. We can not control the weather that nurtures and destroys us. We can not control the airplane that we ride as passengers to visit loved ones before they pass away. We can not control the news and the endless wars that idiots keep starting. We must not surrender to our fears, rather we must surrender our fears by conquering them with courage.

Float free of worry, then one can enjoy the sounds of the water rolling with rocks. The sight of the bright blue sky gleaming with a hot hazy summer day. The smells of the barbeques being cooked by groups of friends. The rejuvenating touch of the energetic water is divine. The value of my possessions is worthless compared to the bountiful feeling of joy-filled serenity. If I float too far, what an adventure it will be to find my way back home.

Surrender to the float.
By William Robson