What do you think?
Rate this book
Living from a Place of Surrender: The Untethered Soul in Action
An eight-part program for letting go of stress and fear and aligning with the flow of life in the moment
In his decades of experience as a spiritual teacher, Michael A. Singer has realized an important truth: “In trying to achieve happiness by ‘getting what you want,’ you’re actually limiting your happiness. You end up struggling with life instead of experiencing it. True happiness comes only when your inner energy is free to flow.” Living from a Place of Surrender was created to help you welcome that unhampered flow in your own life.
In this eight-session program adapted from Singer’s online course of the same name, you’ll learn about your relationship both to the world unfolding around you and to the thoughts and emotions arising within you. You will come into touch with the real “you”—the indwelling consciousness that is witnessing it all. And you’ll see firsthand why the most effective personal growth technique is to use life to remove your inner blockages, not compensate for them.
In his decades of experience as a spiritual teacher, Michael A. Singer has realized an important truth: “In trying to achieve happiness by ‘getting what you want,’ you’re actually limiting your happiness. You end up struggling with life instead of experiencing it. True happiness comes only when your inner energy is free to flow.” Living from a Place of Surrender was created to help you welcome that unhampered flow in your own life.
In this eight-session program adapted from Singer’s online course of the same name, you’ll learn about your relationship both to the world unfolding around you and to the thoughts and emotions arising within you. You will come into touch with the real “you”—the indwelling consciousness that is witnessing it all. And you’ll see firsthand why the most effective personal growth technique is to use life to remove your inner blockages, not compensate for them.
Audio CD
First published October 1, 2019
61 people are currently reading
1408 people want to read
About the author
Michael A. Singer
51 books2,828 followersMichael A. Singer is the author of the highly successful The Untethered Soul, which has also been published in Turkey, Brazil (in Portuguese), Switzerland (in German), Spain, Japan, China, the Netherlands, Denmark, Finland, Poland, and Italy.
Singer received a master's degree in economics from the University of Florida in 1971. During his doctoral work, he had a deep inner awakening and went into seclusion to focus on yoga and meditation. In 1975, he founded Temple of the Universe, a now long-established yoga and meditation center where people of any religion or set of beliefs can come together to experience inner peace. Through the years, Singer has made major contributions in the areas of business, the arts, education, healthcare, and environmental protection. He previously authored two books on the integration of Eastern and Western philosophy: The Search for Truth and Three Essays on Universal Law: Karma, Will and Love.
Singer received a master's degree in economics from the University of Florida in 1971. During his doctoral work, he had a deep inner awakening and went into seclusion to focus on yoga and meditation. In 1975, he founded Temple of the Universe, a now long-established yoga and meditation center where people of any religion or set of beliefs can come together to experience inner peace. Through the years, Singer has made major contributions in the areas of business, the arts, education, healthcare, and environmental protection. He previously authored two books on the integration of Eastern and Western philosophy: The Search for Truth and Three Essays on Universal Law: Karma, Will and Love.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews
February 24, 2021
Life changing. I will never see anything the same way again.
November 12, 2021
This was a mixed bag for me. Some of the truths Michael SInger kept saying were either his truths or the opinions of other people he quoted in his dialogue. Truth is difficult to quantify because often everyone's truth can vary and look and feel different. He quotes Darwin and scientist, and the bible bringing in the big bang theory as truth, but there are scientist that would have a different theory, it's not concrete truth like he says, likely yes but not the one truth. Also the bible quotes he said could be interpreted in many different ways by many different people. There was a lot of repetition with some subtle contradictions in the content. He also rambled on a bit in different sections too and could come across a bit patronising in places. More Humility and a calm voice with a bit more editing might have given his beliefs and views more gravitas and warmed the listener to his ideas and theories more I felt. He said in one section about not suppressing or expressing your stuff (garbage as he puts it) like anger and saying in his dialogue this is deeper than psychology, but again he hasn't done his homework. These throw away comments made me feel a bit sad and frustrated. Anger is a natural emotion, like all our natural emotions it can be constructive if used properly, not destructive as he puts it. If you're sad you cry, again a natural emotion for release. If you express anger more naturally it can be a helpful emotion and won't build up to explode which indeed could be destructive. To save a life sometimes anger might be needed to help you respond to a difficult situation, giving you the natural energy and courage to do the task in hand. Or anger to help you have the courage to speak your truth, something that's needed to be said maybe, again a natural release. Also he quotes Christ saying he is a high spiritual teacher, like Buddha. In the bible Christ was angry with the money changers in the temple, where does he stand with that? A highly spiritual man using his natural emotions to make an important point. We are here in human form, not spirit form that's just a few examples, there are many others. All our emotions are part of the human experience, that's why we are human and here on earth. Yes I agree sitting in a place of surrender can be useful, but it's not the full story. In Psychosynthesis ( therapy ) they also talk about being the observer, just like Mr Singer his words are (noticing from your place of your higher consciousness ) the observer in Psychosynthesis is exactly the same. (Observing your thoughts and actions) But in Psychosynthesis they also acknowledge the importance of our natural emotions, finding the right balance to live a happy and fulfilling life including expressing yourself as a human /personality & higher consciousness. To relate to people in general expressing your natural emotions and personality, being open with others can help others to do the same and help them to relate from their personality and higher self, combined, their truth. Michael Singer is enthusiastic in his approach and comes across as a well meant good person, but unless you understand deeply the psychology as well as the spiritual there is a missing link (like Darwin) in my opinion. When you have worked in deep personal trauma and the worse kind of abuse with body / muscle memories in play and a deep trust needed to work through these type of traumas and issues through a meaningful therapist / client process, (with containment to feel safe through the whole process) you might have a different understanding and things may look a lot different from the world expressed by Michael Singer. I felt Sometimes when he was speaking in his natural easy flow, he said some interesting and useful things that could help people separate the different aspects of their psyche and his explanations about blockages and energies were useful and good information. Staying in the present moment is very useful, and from that place we can experience the joy of the 13.8 billion years (now) moment, expressing itself as he said, but when you are carrying big trauma's from your past it's not always easy to ignore and go straight into a spiritual now moment and live there all the time, even with practice. Balance is the key. Humility and love for people, being non judgemental with a willingness to grow from all our life experiences and to be able to express ourselves through our personality and higher self. This includes openness and connecting to our qualities and unique individuality while also making meaningful and authentic connections with others, feels important too.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 16, 2019
I absolutely adored The Surrender Experiment, so I sought this book to explore that way of living in surrender. Unfortunately, this audiobook is poorly written and presented. Michael Singer comes off, to me, as rambling, and somewhat patronizing. It was draining to listen to, as he often seemed to meander, lost in his own sense of awe, before he could really impart his point or imprint that sense of wonder.
This book could have used a well-polished manuscript. A good editor was sorely needed.
This book could have used a well-polished manuscript. A good editor was sorely needed.
October 6, 2021
Getting past some of the goofiness (and at times a bit of a patronizing tone that comes across), there are some serious gems in these teachings. Also? So. much. truth.
October 31, 2020
Having just listened on audible yesterday, I'm hoping this book will be a game changer. I wasn't sure about it at the beginning, as there is a LOT of back info that Singer gives us that felt a bit of a slog, and you might be wondering if it's worth of.
Singer's lecture-style delivery might be further off-putting to some (a bit irritating, but you'll likely find singer charming by the end).
However, the last 2 chapters--well, I have big hopes for them, both for myself and people I know who are trauma survivors. The content is refreshingly focused on our own personal responsibility, in stark contrast to our culture's tendency towards fatalism and blame (which has never gotten anyone anywhere. Moreover the content is something new (to me, anyway), seeing things like talk therapy and meditation as a possibly helpful adjunct, but not central to healing.
The content of the last 2 chapters was so compelling that when I had finished the book I went back and began listening to them again immediately. You could just skip to them, but since his many helpful analogies used are based on the preceding chapters, it might not make 100%sense if you did.
Also this book is great from both a religious/Christian or secular perspective, equally so.
Thank-you Michael Singer. I'll look for more of his material after this.
Singer's lecture-style delivery might be further off-putting to some (a bit irritating, but you'll likely find singer charming by the end).
However, the last 2 chapters--well, I have big hopes for them, both for myself and people I know who are trauma survivors. The content is refreshingly focused on our own personal responsibility, in stark contrast to our culture's tendency towards fatalism and blame (which has never gotten anyone anywhere. Moreover the content is something new (to me, anyway), seeing things like talk therapy and meditation as a possibly helpful adjunct, but not central to healing.
The content of the last 2 chapters was so compelling that when I had finished the book I went back and began listening to them again immediately. You could just skip to them, but since his many helpful analogies used are based on the preceding chapters, it might not make 100%sense if you did.
Also this book is great from both a religious/Christian or secular perspective, equally so.
Thank-you Michael Singer. I'll look for more of his material after this.
January 20, 2020
Another amazing book by Michael A Singer. As always, I love his “tough love-no BS” attitude when it comes to spirituality & letting go of egoic attachment and identities. In this book, he shares a lot of very practical information on how to let go of our emotional triggers, sub scars & how we can live from a place beyond ego/the mind. Really enjoyed it and will probably re-visit it 👍🏽
April 19, 2021
Great explanation of the process of surrender. Life-changing book. I really didn't expect it to be this good.
edit after the second read:
Enjoyed it even more this time.
edit after the second read:
Enjoyed it even more this time.
September 7, 2020
Such a powerful, beautiful book. "The mind is the place the soul goes to hide from the heart." ❤
February 7, 2022
I agree with so many of the other reviews - great content, poor delivery. I think where this falls down is the expectation of it being an audiobook. It's not! It's a series of lectures that seem only semi-prepared, and are given in a very conversational, colloquial style. How many times did he say "OH EM GEE"???
A lot.
In fact, the way he said it, paired with a few other things in his delivery made me scratch my head, thinking, "WHO DOES THIS GUY REMIND ME OF?" And finally, it came to me ... Trump!!!! But don't let you put that off the man. He clearly knows what he's talking about, and has some amazing nuggets of wisdom. I'd just recommend going for his book, not this series of scratch recordings.
A lot.
In fact, the way he said it, paired with a few other things in his delivery made me scratch my head, thinking, "WHO DOES THIS GUY REMIND ME OF?" And finally, it came to me ... Trump!!!! But don't let you put that off the man. He clearly knows what he's talking about, and has some amazing nuggets of wisdom. I'd just recommend going for his book, not this series of scratch recordings.
July 26, 2023
Michael Singer is my spiritual guru. I should probably read or re-read one of his books every quarter as reminders to let go. Don’t judge, don’t cling, don’t resist. Accept what is, recognize it’s not personal, let the emotions to flow through. Then act from a place of surrender. Good stuff. I liked Living Untethered better but this class-like lecture format was also nice. Recommended spiritual reading.
February 17, 2020
I can’t say enough about how this book simplified understanding consciousness. Having read The Untethered Soul quite a few years so and having some difficulty grasping some of the concepts and how they connected to my own believe, this book made addressing the same concepts in much simpler terms and truly left me with a peace toward understanding the human experience. Highly recommended.
December 14, 2021
I really enjoyed this course. I was expecting a book but it is actually an 8 part course. 100% worthwhile even as I went through it and thought certain parts were boring. They built on each other and are helpful. I want to listen to the last lesson a few more times and see if I can get a better grasp of it.
April 21, 2020
inspiring, captivating
November 14, 2020
This is another life changing book by this author.
March 8, 2021
loved it
October 10, 2022
I couldn’t finish this.. something really rubbed me the wrong way
November 20, 2025
Content was great, execution abhorrent. Stars based on content.
August 21, 2023
Session 1:
"It is really, really beautiful in there, except that something's making it not be...it can be a beautiful house. There just needs to be some work done."
"All life is suffering...if you're rich, poor, sick, healthy, young, old, no matter...there are moments of no suffering....At some point you will realize that's all you've done you're whole life, is you've tried to be okay."
Session 3:
"You said--I want to feel good, therefore, how does the world in front of me need to unfold so that I feel good. But the world in front of you has nothing to do with the moments unfolding in front of you, it's what's happening in your head. You've pitted yourself against the universe. You have said, there is a way that I need the world to be in order for me to be okay."
Session 4:
"I'm ruining my life by expecting the moments unfolding in front of me not be what they are. They have to be what I want them to be...that doesn't make for a good life. That makes for hell...because I have a way I want it to be and I don't want it to be that way."
"You're just making up how it's supposed to be based on this stupid thing you held inside yourself, and now you're superimposing that on reality and saying 'I'm right.' You literally say when it doesn't happen the way you want, it's wrong. It rains on your birthday--and you think God's against you."
"The cause of suffering is deciding how you want it to be. The cause of suffering is desire. The cause of suffering is not how things are. It's you deciding how you want it to be and then they are not that way...you have experiences, that's not suffering. that's experience. It's when reality does not match your expectations that you suffer."
"You were given free will and that's what you did with it. You were asked, 'where do you want to go today' and you said 'to hell.' and that's where you went."
Session 5:
"Many things happen to you throughout your life. Most of them you could handle. Some you couldn't. They were either too positive and you clung to them, couldn't let them go, or they were too negative and you couldn't handle it, so they are now the lowest part of your being, because they are the part you are not mature enough or evolved enough to appreciate in life...so now you have stored this thing inside and the past is getting stimulated by the present and you're following it."
Session 6:
"You're trying to solve your inner problem with outer things...the truth of the matter is, you're not happy inside. Plus you have this thing called hope. You make a change, you're the happiest person for a few weeks...you're still trying to use the outside to solve the problem you're having inside. Everyone thinks the new job, facelift, person will do it. I'm not okay, this thing will happen and I'll be okay. But it's an inner problem... You don't interact with the outside world as a solution to your inner problem. Why? Because you problem is inside. The outside cannot solve your inner thing."
Session 8:
"I'm conditionally okay, and I know it, and therefore I have to struggle to get it and keep it, and that's why life is a struggle. What is the alternative? To clean up the mess. You are drowning, but the water is 6 inches deep. You're causing yourself the entire problem."
"It is really, really beautiful in there, except that something's making it not be...it can be a beautiful house. There just needs to be some work done."
"All life is suffering...if you're rich, poor, sick, healthy, young, old, no matter...there are moments of no suffering....At some point you will realize that's all you've done you're whole life, is you've tried to be okay."
Session 3:
"You said--I want to feel good, therefore, how does the world in front of me need to unfold so that I feel good. But the world in front of you has nothing to do with the moments unfolding in front of you, it's what's happening in your head. You've pitted yourself against the universe. You have said, there is a way that I need the world to be in order for me to be okay."
Session 4:
"I'm ruining my life by expecting the moments unfolding in front of me not be what they are. They have to be what I want them to be...that doesn't make for a good life. That makes for hell...because I have a way I want it to be and I don't want it to be that way."
"You're just making up how it's supposed to be based on this stupid thing you held inside yourself, and now you're superimposing that on reality and saying 'I'm right.' You literally say when it doesn't happen the way you want, it's wrong. It rains on your birthday--and you think God's against you."
"The cause of suffering is deciding how you want it to be. The cause of suffering is desire. The cause of suffering is not how things are. It's you deciding how you want it to be and then they are not that way...you have experiences, that's not suffering. that's experience. It's when reality does not match your expectations that you suffer."
"You were given free will and that's what you did with it. You were asked, 'where do you want to go today' and you said 'to hell.' and that's where you went."
Session 5:
"Many things happen to you throughout your life. Most of them you could handle. Some you couldn't. They were either too positive and you clung to them, couldn't let them go, or they were too negative and you couldn't handle it, so they are now the lowest part of your being, because they are the part you are not mature enough or evolved enough to appreciate in life...so now you have stored this thing inside and the past is getting stimulated by the present and you're following it."
Session 6:
"You're trying to solve your inner problem with outer things...the truth of the matter is, you're not happy inside. Plus you have this thing called hope. You make a change, you're the happiest person for a few weeks...you're still trying to use the outside to solve the problem you're having inside. Everyone thinks the new job, facelift, person will do it. I'm not okay, this thing will happen and I'll be okay. But it's an inner problem... You don't interact with the outside world as a solution to your inner problem. Why? Because you problem is inside. The outside cannot solve your inner thing."
Session 8:
"I'm conditionally okay, and I know it, and therefore I have to struggle to get it and keep it, and that's why life is a struggle. What is the alternative? To clean up the mess. You are drowning, but the water is 6 inches deep. You're causing yourself the entire problem."
May 12, 2020
Mind blowing. Love it
September 3, 2020
Awesome book and very peaceful
February 24, 2021
Read this book during my journey to heal. It sent me in the right direction. I highly recommend the wisdom in this book to anyone who would like to to come from a place of authenticity.
May 18, 2021
Superb classes that Singer is giving. It makes his message come alive. Worth listening to again and again. Hoopla
June 1, 2022
I didn't read this book, but rather took the 8-session online course by the same name. The course is offered on his website through SoundsTrue. There are scholarships available if cost is a concern.
This course is absolutely wonderful. I had heard of Michael Singer and 'The Untethered Soul' but never really investigated further. One day, after throughly checking out his website, I decided to try the course. Normally, people read his books first, and then take the course. However, it takes me forever to read a book so I decided to go with the course first. And I'm glad I did. After the first session I decided to order a copy of 'The Untethered Soul' and 'The Surrender Experiment.'
Throughout this course Michael Singer remains consistently clear and enthusiastic in his teaching. He approaches spirituality from his own angles, vocabulary and experience - which is refreshing in today's New Age genre.
This course provides a less well-known framework of the human mind, heart, and psyche and the solution for getting out of this dilemma.
By the end of the course one will understand what Singer means by surrender. The choice is then left to the individual - whether to apply and live by it or not.
This course is absolutely wonderful. I had heard of Michael Singer and 'The Untethered Soul' but never really investigated further. One day, after throughly checking out his website, I decided to try the course. Normally, people read his books first, and then take the course. However, it takes me forever to read a book so I decided to go with the course first. And I'm glad I did. After the first session I decided to order a copy of 'The Untethered Soul' and 'The Surrender Experiment.'
Throughout this course Michael Singer remains consistently clear and enthusiastic in his teaching. He approaches spirituality from his own angles, vocabulary and experience - which is refreshing in today's New Age genre.
This course provides a less well-known framework of the human mind, heart, and psyche and the solution for getting out of this dilemma.
By the end of the course one will understand what Singer means by surrender. The choice is then left to the individual - whether to apply and live by it or not.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 7, 2022
I really liked his book “Untethered Soul” so maybe I went in with high expectations for this one, but it paled in comparison. I listened to it via audible, it was very poorly presented. I also found his tone to be somewhat patronizing. Perhaps, reading it from a book would’ve been a different experience!
April 29, 2024
Fantastic. I learned so much. Probably could have been a little shorter, but I really got a lot out of this
February 12, 2025
HIGHLIGHTS:
1. Surrender falsehood
2. I’m the soul looking at myself in the mirror.
3. You are the ultimate experiencer of your mind.
4. Stay seated in your Self while your mind experiences shifting emotions.
5. WORRY:
- Worry for two (2) Reasons: I won’t get what I want or I will get what I don’t want.
- Nobody worries that they will get what they want.
- You don’t want the thing. You want what you think it will give you.
6. LET GONOF THE BLOCKAGES:
- Experience the moment that is happening vs being distracted in your mind.
- Liberation from patterns inside of you that are hitting your “stuff”.
7. HANDLE RHE VIBRATION OF YOUR HEART:
- Grow with experiences that hurt heart.
- You can’t handle sadness = blockages of the discomfort.
8. ALWAYS BE YOU:
- Let your heart express itself.
- Be present in letting feelings express themselves.
9. YOU GAVE AWAY YOUR POWER:
- don’t try to manipulate the world outside to try to fix how you feel on the inside.
- WHY is the mind saying what it is saying? You stored garbage in your mind.
- You must die to be reborn: let go of who you THINK you are to be who you really are.
10. INTENTION TO WORK IN YOURSELF:
- positive thinking (replace negative thoughts).
- Purposeful
- Witness consciousness: relax and release
11. DON’T PUSH YOUR STUFF DOWN:
Start with small annoyances of experiencing every day life.
- If you resist, your garbage stays inside of you.
- We are consistently releasing our stored garbage to die to our old self.
- Anything that is still bothering you in the past. No benefit to you. You learned to grow.
- What is left when the garbage is gone is pure spirit.
12. Love wants to express itself.
1. Surrender falsehood
2. I’m the soul looking at myself in the mirror.
3. You are the ultimate experiencer of your mind.
4. Stay seated in your Self while your mind experiences shifting emotions.
5. WORRY:
- Worry for two (2) Reasons: I won’t get what I want or I will get what I don’t want.
- Nobody worries that they will get what they want.
- You don’t want the thing. You want what you think it will give you.
6. LET GONOF THE BLOCKAGES:
- Experience the moment that is happening vs being distracted in your mind.
- Liberation from patterns inside of you that are hitting your “stuff”.
7. HANDLE RHE VIBRATION OF YOUR HEART:
- Grow with experiences that hurt heart.
- You can’t handle sadness = blockages of the discomfort.
8. ALWAYS BE YOU:
- Let your heart express itself.
- Be present in letting feelings express themselves.
9. YOU GAVE AWAY YOUR POWER:
- don’t try to manipulate the world outside to try to fix how you feel on the inside.
- WHY is the mind saying what it is saying? You stored garbage in your mind.
- You must die to be reborn: let go of who you THINK you are to be who you really are.
10. INTENTION TO WORK IN YOURSELF:
- positive thinking (replace negative thoughts).
- Purposeful
- Witness consciousness: relax and release
11. DON’T PUSH YOUR STUFF DOWN:
Start with small annoyances of experiencing every day life.
- If you resist, your garbage stays inside of you.
- We are consistently releasing our stored garbage to die to our old self.
- Anything that is still bothering you in the past. No benefit to you. You learned to grow.
- What is left when the garbage is gone is pure spirit.
12. Love wants to express itself.
June 30, 2022
I listened via audio book. There was a lot of information and ways of looking at the world in which I never had before. His suggestions at the end of the book are definitely big tasks, but I have found it helpful to implement some of his teachings in my daily life.
December 14, 2021
I listened to the audio book! I like how it was from a presentation/conference, so it was more of a discussion/speech vs. a non-fiction style read.
January 1, 2020
This is a series of talks that is given as a course, so the style is extremely informal and colloquial. There is a sense of freshness, improvisation, and infectiousness that I enjoyed. There is, however, a powerful focus as we go from lecture to lecture.
Every teacher has his/her own style of talking, and it is worthwhile to experience it in each case.
I listened to this recently and hesitated between giving it as a Christmas present to several friends or Singer's excellent book 'The Untethered Soul'. I ended up opting for the lectures.
Every teacher has his/her own style of talking, and it is worthwhile to experience it in each case.
I listened to this recently and hesitated between giving it as a Christmas present to several friends or Singer's excellent book 'The Untethered Soul'. I ended up opting for the lectures.
May 16, 2020
I love this book on so many levels. Initially, I struggled to get into it, but once I did, I couldn't stop listening. Such sensible life advice, especially for those who would benefit from quietening the mind.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews