When It’s Time to Let Go: The Mindful Art of Parting Ways
Parting ways is never easy, but with mindfulness it can be peaceful.
“Everything I’ve ever let go of has claw marks on it.”
— David Foster Wallace
Recently, I parted ways with a long-time client.
It wasn’t dramatic. There was no rupture, no big story to unravel. Our time together had simply come to an end. And, yet, I found it really difficult.
That’s because I, like many of my fellow humans, absolutely hate change. Even when I’m gifted a peaceful ending like this one, it still stirs a mix of emotions in me. Relief. Excitement. Grief. Fear. Panic. Uncertainty.
Even when we know something is complete, the act of letting go can feel strangely heavy.
But mindfulness has taught me this: Annica, or impermanence, is a sacred and inevitable flow of a life. And fighting this flow, this change of season, just creates more suffering.
Why Endings Feel So Hard
Letting go challenges us because it asks us to face impermanence—what Buddhism calls anicca, the truth that everything is always changing: breath, sensations, relationships, seasons, identities. Life is always moving.
And yet, in our minds and bodies, change often doesn’t feel natural.
This is where the struggle begins.
Externally, circumstances evolve. Internally, we feel the tug of habit, identity, fear, and longing.
Our nervous systems are wired to prefer what’s familiar, even when the familiar is painful or incomplete. Our hearts or our intuition may know something is over, but the body still braces. The mind may understand the necessity of an ending, but old patterns cling to what once felt safe.
It’s this conflict between life’s constant change and our internal desire for stability is what makes endings feel so hard. Life is moving on, while part of us is still catching up.
Many times we try to alleviate that pain by holding on, but gripping tightly doesn’t protect us. And trying to freeze moments in time doesn’t preserve them. It only stifles the spaces where new life is trying to take root.
Embracing Change as a Practice
Our mindfulness practice can help bridge that gap. It invites us experience the truth of impermanence through compassionate witnessing. It teaches us to stay present with the truth of moment as it unfolds around us. Instead of resisting, we learn to soften. Instead of gripping, we learn to feel. Instead of suffering, we begin to feel peace.
Over time, we discover that embracing change is not a single moment. It is a life-long practice.
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Three Gentle Practices for Letting Go
These practices honor both the mind and the body—because change touches both.
Journal: Ask yourself, “What am I making space for?” Let whatever arises come without judgment. Notice how your body responds as you write.
Breath: With each exhale, imagine releasing what no longer serves.
Feel where your body tightens around holding on, and notice how it shifts—slowly, subtly—as the breath supports you.
Ritual: Write down what you're ready to let go of. Tear or burn the paper as a symbolic release.
Let your body sense the moment of letting go—any warmth, softening, or steadiness that follows.A Closing
Closing Reflection
Parting ways doesn’t mean something was broken.
It means something served its time.
And when we release what’s complete, we create room for new beginnings.
No hard sell — just a short conversation to clarify your priorities.
