Feeling Stuck in Life? Tapas, Surrender & Your Next Step

By Rachel Cline · September 17, 2026

Episode 41 · Radiantly Rooted with Rachel

Feeling stuck in life when you already know what you need to do is such a frustrating place to be, and I’ve been there more than once. In this episode I get into tapas, surrender, and a fork in the road practice to help you find your next aligned step.

Welcome back to Radiantly Rooted with Rachel. Something that I have learned the hard way more than once is that knowledge is power, but information is not the same as transformation. They say what we resist persists, right? That until we have learned whatever it was that we were supposed to learn from it, it repeats, and that’s certainly been true in my case, I’ll tell you that.

So today we’re gonna be talking about why knowing what to do isn’t the same thing as actually changing, how the yogic practices of tapas, discipline, and surrender can help us to move forward, and then I’m gonna guide you through a short embodied practice to help you figure out what your next aligned step actually is.

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Information Isn’t Transformation

Now, before we dive in, if you are enjoying Radiantly Rooted with Rachel, make sure you follow or subscribe to the podcast so that new episodes automatically show up for you every time they come out. And if you would like to go a little bit deeper with me between episodes, I would love for you to join my email list.

That is where I share practices, reflections, and resources to help you navigate midlife with more clarity, self-trust, and intention. Now, here’s what I have learned in my own life. You can take all the courses, read all the books, know in your mind and in your heart what you need to do, but unless you actually implement it, unless you really do it, integrate and embody it, nothing changes, right?

The Problem With Knowing

We end up in this state of analysis paralysis, right? Information overload. We have this ingrained fear of the unknown because we can’t see the full staircase. We hesitate to even take that first step. I don’t know about you, but I like knowing where things are going. I like some sense of certainty, and in life, it’s just not there, right?

Confidence Comes From Taking Action

And the reality is that it’s often taking that first step that helps us to build the clarity, the confidence, and the trust. We want the confidence first before we take that first step, but confidence and clarity come through taking action. And if you think about it, we are in an information era. Anything you wanna know, you can just ask AI.

You can search Google, and you’ll get an answer. But what are you doing with all of that information? It’s easy to just absorb it like a sponge or skim through it, taking out what matters to you. We retain a fraction, if anything, of what we’ve learned. But if we don’t take action on that information, nothing changes, right?

And what I found in my own story and in the journeys of the women that I work with, it’s human nature. We want the end result without having to go through the hassle, the stress, the challenge, the transformation of taking all of the steps that it takes for us to get there. And so what does yoga have to say about this?

Two Yoga Principles for Getting Unstuck

Well, there are two yoga principles that come to mind. One is tapas, and I like to think about this one as the discipline of devotion, and Ishvara pranidhana, surrender to something greater. We get frustrated because of the time that it takes to make real progress, right? I’m raising my hand. Raise your hand in the comments if you’ve been there.

We give up. But here’s the thing. The time’s going to pass anyway, and none of us knows how much time we have. You, my friend, are your greatest priority. And so just breathe into that. Just take a moment. Just sit with that. I can tell you more than one time I have stopped or given up on something, set it to the side, even though it was something that I really wanted, something that would have made a big difference in my life because it was taking too long.

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The time’s going to pass anyway, and none of us knows how much time we have. You, my friend, are your greatest priority.

It was too hard. And the reality is, you know, we said what we resist persists. Maybe I wasn’t ready yet. Maybe I wasn’t ready. And when I was ready, it flowed much more smoothly. So there is that intuition there as well. And so let’s come back to these yogic principles that I talked about.

Tapas: The Discipline of Devotion

Tapas is the third niyama, and niyamas are some of yoga’s ethical guidelines. And so tapas is all about discipline and commitment. It’s that fire that fuels transformation. You can think of it this way if you want to. Without heat, there’s no transformation. So just like fire refines metal, tapas refines us, makes us stronger, makes us more resilient.

And in the process, it allows us to shine, not just for ourselves, but for others too.

When Self-Improvement Comes From Insecurity

Sometimes I found that our desire for self-improvement comes from insecurity instead of a genuine need for self-improvement. Have you ever experienced that yourself? Like imposter syndrome or feeling that we’re not worthy or not good enough.

We study more, we train more, we learn more, but are we fixing things that aren’t really broken? I’ve done that before. Are the actions we’re either taking or not taking on a daily basis guiding us closer to our dreams or further away? And then, my friend, that’s where tapas comes in.

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We study more, we train more, we learn more, but are we fixing things that aren’t really broken?

So it’s all about considering what is one aligned action that you can commit to, or commit to not doing. Something you can commit to doing or not doing. Some kind of action that is going to guide you closer to your dreams. That’s Tapas. That’s that discipline of devotion, the fire of transformation.

Is This Something You Truly Want?

And so we can ask ourselves why this goal, this step, this change is something that we want. Is it something that we truly desire, or is it something that we think we should do or want or be? Because if there’s not a strong why behind it, it’s tough to stay committed, and your actions just won’t feel aligned. You can ask yourself, “Is this something that I want to let go of or release?” Because let’s be real, all of those unfinished or incomplete things that you think you need to do, they take up a lot of mental space, and that mental clutter is exhausting.

I call it mental overload, and often that mental overload comes with a deep sense of guilt, sometimes even shame, right? It’s heavy. It weighs us down, and it makes it even harder to take aligned action.

Surrender: Ishvara Pranidhana

Every choice comes from a place of either fear or love. What if instead of it’s too late, it’s my time?

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Every choice comes from a place of either fear or love.

And so this is where that second practice comes in, surrender. Ishvara Pranidhana is the Sanskrit for it. Surrender the outcome. And I know that surrender is a word that can bring up a lot of different emotions. For some, it feels like freedom. For others, it can feel like a loss of control. But in the context of yoga, Ishvara Pranidhana is about acknowledging that we are part of something greater than ourselves, whether that’s a higher power, the universe, nature, even the sacredness of life itself.

So when we think about these two together in this context, Tapas is about doing your part, taking some kind of aligned action. And Ishvara Pranidhana is about releasing your grip on the outcome. So you take the step, and you let go of control. Easier said than done, right? A lot of these practices we talk about, they are simple, but that doesn’t mean that they are easy.

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So you take the step, and you let go of control.

A Guided Fork in the Road Practice

So let’s get into the body for the moment. Let’s get out of the head. We’ll do some grounding breaths, connect to the earth beneath us. And instead of trying to think your way to the answer, I wanna give you a chance to notice what happens when you actually feel both choices in your body. And so I would like to invite you, if you are in a space where it is safe to do so, to find your way into a comfortable position, either seated, lying down.

If you are driving, please don’t do this right now. Save it for later. It might be very relaxing, and I don’t want you to fall asleep at the wheel. Same if you’re operating any kind of machinery. So make sure that you are taking mindful sovereignty over your own actions. And as you’re ready, you can join me.

Settling Into Support

So take your time to just settle into a comfortable position, taking any time you might need to support beneath the body, and really allowing yourself to receive that support. That can be challenging for us, to receive that support. So let go of as much efforting as you can. Allow yourself to settle into the space of being.

And you can ground down into whatever is connected to the support beneath you. Maybe it’s your feet, your legs, your seat, maybe even resting your back against the support of a chair if you have one. Feeling that connection to the ground of the earth beneath you. And if you would like to, you are welcome to allow your eyes to soften down or even close.

And just start to connect to the rhythm of your breath. You can offer yourself a deep breath or a shallow breath, whichever one feels the most comforting right now.

If you’re breathing shallowly, don’t breathe too quickly. I don’t want you to get lightheaded. But breathe mindfully. Breathe in a way that feels good in your body, and notice how your breath feels as it comes and goes. Maybe your inhale can bring in a little deeper sense of peace, presence, ease. Maybe the exhale can invite you to soften, to release, to surrender.

Bringing Your Thing to Mind

Practice that surrendering. And as you continue to breathe mindfully, I’ll invite you to just bring to mind something that’s weighing on your mind. It might be something you either wanna do, something you think you should do, or something you think you need to do, but it’s something that you’ve likely been either resisting or procrastinating on.

No judgment, no judgment. Take your time. And again, making sure that you’re in a space where you’re comfortable and supported.

Anchoring here into the present moment with that thing, your thing for now in your mind, something you wanna do, something you think you should do, something you think you need to do, that you’ve been resisting or procrastinating about. And so as you continue to breathe mindfully, I’ll invite you to start to visualize that there is a path ahead.

Visualizing the Path Ahead

And as we come into this visualization practice, just recognize that if your mind’s eye doesn’t bring anything to mind for this visualization, that is totally okay. Some of us think in pictures, some of us think in words, some of us process things differently. So for many, many years, I thought I was visualizing wrong because I didn’t necessarily picture anything in my mind.

You can still envision the experience. You can still put yourself in this place. So however your experience arises, there’s no right and there’s no wrong. We’ve got our thing in mind. We’re not judging ourselves about it. We’ve just got it there as awareness. Awareness is the first step in my A.L.I.G.N. framework of transformation. And so breathe, breathe. Visualize that path ahead of you.

What does it look like? What’s the texture? Is it gravel or dirt or sand? Is it a road?

And see if you can notice three things that you can see or feel into or sense. So it could be trees, signs, flowers, buildings, butterflies, dogs, people walking. What’s the environment like around this path laid out in front of you?

Are there any sounds? Do you hear anything? Do you experience those sounds as pleasant or unpleasant or neutral? Do they bring back any memories?

What’s the temperature like, the weather? Is it warm or cool? Sunny or cloudy?

The Fork in the Road

Now, I’ll invite you to imagine that there is a bend just ahead, a turn in the path. And as you come around the bend, you see a fork in the road. The one path splits into two, and you, my friend, have to pick just one. One path takes you toward your thing one step at a time. One path takes you away from your thing, leaving it behind.

And so you pause at the fork in the road, and you look down each way. Do you notice anything different about them? Can you sense that one feels better than the other?

And so I’ll invite you to just imagine taking that first step down the path towards your thing. You’re saying, “Yes, I want this.” How does it feel in your body? Do you feel it in any certain place? Does it feel light or heavy?

And again, no judgment, just notice. Breathe into whatever comes up.

Okay, now imagine that you’re back at that crossroads. You’re looking down both paths, and you’re choosing to take the path of no, not doing or being your thing, making the choice to let it go, even if it’s just for now. Take a step down that path, and then another, and another.

How does that feel in your body? Do you feel a sense of relief, a lightness, or does it feel wrong or off somehow? Just notice. Just breathe.

Which Path Will You Choose?

And so now coming back to the crossroads, both paths laid out clear before you, do you have a felt sense of which path you will choose? Did your body send you a clear message about either one?

Can you take one next aligned step in trust, in faith, in clarity?

And if not, that’s okay. Maybe you need more time to process, and that’s why this work is so powerful. I invite you to offer yourself a few more breaths here.

And if your eyes are closed, you can gently flutter them open. Come back into your space. Notice the earth beneath you, the sights and sounds around you. We spend so much time in our heads, above the neck, disconnected. Physically, your body is in one spot, but mentally you’re checked out. You’re somewhere totally different, worrying about the future that’s not here yet or ruminating about a past that you just can’t change.

Information Does Not Create Transformation

You can’t change it, but you can learn from it. You can let it inspire what you choose to do now. When we are able to get out of the mind and stop trying to think, overthink, or rationalize our way forward, things often become more clear. And so if you take nothing else from today’s episode, I invite you to remember this: information does not create transformation.

At some point, we have to take the next step. Easier said than done, I know, fully aware. Tapas, that discipline of devotion, it asks us to commit to the action that is ours to take.

Ishvara pranidhana asks us to surrender what happens next. And sometimes clarity doesn’t come from thinking harder. I’ve tried, trust me. It comes from slowing down enough to listen. And if you did that practice with me, and if you realized you are standing at a crossroads of your own, this is exactly the kind of work that I support women with.

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Sometimes clarity doesn’t come from thinking harder. I’ve tried, trust me. It comes from slowing down enough to listen.

Working With Me

I would love to invite you to book a reset with me. This is perfect for the woman who is tired of trying to logic her way out of an identity shift. She might know exactly what’s changing on paper, the career shift, the empty nest, the relationship status. But inside, your body’s still holding on to the ghost of who you used to be.

You’re caught in that messy in-between, right? Terrified of the unknown, exhausted by the old, and completely unsure of who you are right now. And sometimes that unknown is equal parts scary and exciting, right? But we’re struggling to know what to let go of, what to release. And so this is perfect for you if you are not ready for a longer term coaching commitment yet, but you know you need help choosing the path of love instead of fear.

If you need to regulate your nervous system, reclaim your internal compass, and get steady on your feet sooner rather than later. And so my reset is a 90-minute Zoom session where we’re gonna slow everything down and look at where you’re feeling stuck, what you might be holding on to, and what’s actually asking to change.

What the Reset Includes

We’ll use somatic practices to help you get out of your head and reconnect with what you’re feeling in your body, and then we’ll create a simple three-step plan for what comes next. And because clarity in a session is one thing, and actually carrying it back into your life and taking aligned action is another, you’ll also have seven days of voice and text support with me afterwards.

So you can send me voice notes or messages as things come up, and especially as you notice yourself slipping back into uncertainty or second-guessing, and I’ll be right there to help you slow down, reconnect with yourself, and keep taking the next aligned step. I’m gonna put the link down below in the show notes, and I just wanna thank you so much for spending this time with me today.

I would love to hear what came up for you down in the comments. And if something in this episode resonated with you, send it to someone in your life who might need to hear it, too. Sometimes we don’t need someone to give us the answer. We just need a reminder that we’re not the only one standing at that crossroads. Until next time, take care of yourself, trust what you know, and keep taking the next aligned step.

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Sometimes we don’t need someone to give us the answer. We just need a reminder that we’re not the only one standing at that crossroads.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does tapas mean in yoga?

Tapas is the third niyama, one of yoga’s ethical guidelines, and it’s often translated as fire, heat, or discipline. I like to think of it as the discipline of devotion, the commitment to the actions that make your life better. In practice, it can mean choosing one aligned action to commit to, or one thing to commit to not doing.

What is Ishvara Pranidhana?

Ishvara Pranidhana is the niyama of surrender, sometimes described as surrender to something greater, whether that’s a higher power, the universe, nature, or the sacredness of life itself. Paired with tapas, it means you do your part and then loosen your grip on how things turn out.

How do I get unstuck when I already know what I need to do?

Most of us wait to feel clear and confident before we move, and those usually show up after the first step. Try choosing one small, aligned action, asking yourself whether you truly want this or just think you should, and then using a practice like the fork in the road visualization to feel your answer in your body.

What if I can’t picture anything when I try to visualize?

That’s completely okay, and for many years I thought I was visualizing wrong for the same reason. Some of us think in pictures, some in words, and some sense things in other ways. You can still put yourself on the path and notice what you feel, and that noticing is what the practice is for.

What if I did the practice and I’m still not sure which path to take?

Sometimes you need more time to process, and that’s okay. If you’d like support sorting through it, the Reset is a 90-minute session where we slow everything down together, followed by seven days of voice and text support while you take your next aligned step.