#TGID - Thank GOD It's Diwali!

Festival of Lights, Diwali!

#TGID - Thank GOD It’s Diwali! Ever wondered how the most celebrated Festival of Lights (a.k.a. Diwali a festival of the eastern part of the world), can help you seamlessly deal with your daily life stressors, keep you aligned with your purpose & responsibilities, cultivate virtues, and bring a sense of quality & meaning to your life?

Intrigued? If yes, then keep reading about possibly one of the best evidence-based Self-regulation and Self-care resources available at our disposal in this modern age.

Most of us who are aware of Diwali are excited about the upcoming festivities maybe because of the festive moods & paraphernalia it offers, a much-anticipated break from work routine tied with possible travel, time with family & friends, or more. Maybe for some, taking on the repetitive task of sending those Diwali greetings (Happy Diwali!) to our work colleagues, customers/clients, friends & family. When technology has made it easier to share our excitement and good-spirited wishes with people we know, acquaintances, or those who are closely related, at the same time it can become one of the most mundane activities to send or receive hoards of messages because many primarily appear the clones of each other, lacking in creativity, effort, or thoughtfulness.

Result? Feelings of a fleeting sense of happiness of receiving such messages quickly turn into a mundane affair.

Spend this Diwali with a difference and give yourself a new mindful start to the upcoming year!

• How about we dive deeper into how Diwali can be an occasion to start a life-changing practice?

• How about taking this opportunity to come out of our daily life stressors?

• How about redefining things you do as a deeply joyful experience, not just once a year but daily? 

What does Diwali help us learn? A New Perspective!

1. The core of Diwali promotes being intentional and mindful about practicing daily activities that help us avoid Stress and Burnout! 

2. Diwali focuses on celebrating a year-long self-care routine & continuing with it wholeheartedly.

3. It sets the stage for sustainable daily living through the practice of moderation.

Call it a set of activities, routines, or rituals (each has some nuanced differences when compared with the other), the idea is Diwali (like many other eastern festivals) offer deliberate opportunities to train yourself so that one can incrementally focus on the spirit behind the rituals! That helps one regulate their nervous system through what I call Temple Therapy i.e. the all-inclusive, creative yet simple Self-care routine for attaining Total Health by engaging in a positive body, mind, and soul practice. 

Biggest Myth is that the Practices encapsulating Temple Therapy might predominantly be followed by a specific religious sect (Hinduism in this case) but they are originally devised for all humankind and are adoptable by everyone agnostic of their religious orientation! Everyone has an opportunity to practice these routines at the convenience of their homes. All one needs is a willing heart, a curious mind, actionable guidelines, and consistent practice!

What does Temple Therapy entail?

Temple Therapy entails following the process mentioned below to make it easier to grasp the essence of

• What do you do?

• How does it affect your daily life as you do it consistently?

• While being flexible on the details of How you do it? (flexibility should facilitate progress and not introduce stagnation or ignorance)!

1. Set In the Rhythm: Access the power of daily rituals (as mentioned in the following points).

   Why do it? Following daily rituals is the biggest contributor to a positive lifestyle as it offers routined self-regulation, discipline with a strong foundation for self-belief, and persisting regulative effects by repetition of rituals.

   
   

   

   
   

2. Observe & Engage in an Uplifting Experience: It's a known physiological fact that our bodies are made of 60-80% water, but if we dive deeper into the Eastern Vedic Health Science of Ayurveda it's proven that our bodies are made of Five Primary Elements named Earth, Water, Fire, Air, Ether. And further into subtle elements like Mind, Intelligence, and False Ego. Each of the elements can resonate with the cosmic material energies and help us regulate our corresponding bodily organ-based senses. This regulation offers harmonizing effects on maintaining optimum bodily energy and mindset to continue our daily responsibilities & goals. All this, amid modern-day fast-paced life stress caused to all senses collectively or individually. 

   Why do it? These practices can eventually increase one's focus on practicing Self-care through cultivating mindfulness, resilience, and wisdom to handle successes & setbacks in daily life. Also, when done rightly and persistently it can bring in many benefits, to name a few of body-mind wellness; it reduces stress and anxiety, improves concentration & organ functioning, reduces the effects of overwhelming emotions like anger, resentment, irritability, sadness, etc., and reduces negative thoughts, increases brain functionality, enhances mental strength & well-being, heightened awareness, infuses bodily energy, establishes virtues of giving, reciprocation, discernment, sensitivity, humility, et al.

   
   

   To give you a perspective, engaging in the process of worship (Vedic Puja) means engaging each bodily sense with corresponding self-regulative practices as explained below:

   

   

   • Eyes: Trataka meditation to concentrate gaze on the Diya (Lamp), Singular focus on the thoughtful & decorated form of a Deity.

   • Ears: Sounds of collectively sung prayers, various bells or conch shells, and musical instruments.

   • Nose: Smell the subtle incent sticks, fragrant flowers & scents.

   • Taste: Honoring Prasadam, the remanent foodstuff offered to the Deity.

   • Throat: Singing Prayers, glorifying the Deity.

   • Hands: Folded Hands in Anjali Mudra or Clapping respecting the Deity. Sharing Prasadam with everyone.

   • Skin: Touch of the sustainable, breathable, comfortable colorful dressing & jewelry.

   • Body: Rising early before the Sunrise. The slow movement of the body during sung Prayers to synchronize & deeply connect with others and/or yourself brings a sense of community. Bowing down (Shashtang Pranam) to show respect towards the Deity.

   • Mind, Intelligence: Get internally focused by Chanting high-energy Mantras and practice being present here and now. Create or observe decorative arts like Rangoli and Toran. Offer gratitude for specific, good, positive things in your life.

   • False Ego: Accepting a higher controlling authority in life, in the form of a Deity. Resulting in helping to control the negative egotistical mindset and thoughts, infusing the energy of humility & goodness.

   
   

3. Get Perspective: Read historical events-based stories available in the form of Vedic Scriptures. Hearing & learning from the glories of exalted personalities, their life challenges, their virtues, decision-making processes, and actions to solve daily life problems with grace.

   Why do it? While we all lack motivation, patience, and persistence time & again throughout life courses, getting inspired by a higher perspective to continue working through adversities of life & keeping up with a learning mindset can prove to increase our willpower to go through life as it comes.

How can one develop an incremental practice for Temple Therapy?

1. Start by choosing to practice it.

2. Support it by learning to understand the deeper meaning behind it and raising your consciousness.

3. Connect with the values & virtues exhibited by the historical personalities who introduced the practices.

4. Continue the cycle of following our innate,

   Curiosity leading to --> Practice leading to --> Engagement.

5. Grow exponentially by Sharing it with others!

In crux, this Diwali onwards,

1. Make a resolve to engage yourself in one such Self-care routine.

2. Encourage & Invite friends & family to join you to spend this internally focused time together.

3. Engage your children in curious experiences, and give them a resource to cultivate resilience.

4. Be a role model for others by continuing the practice every single day.

5. And elevate your quality of life one step at a time to generate meaningful wealth & prosperity!

Because, building wealth is not an event but a journey!

Lastly, turn those mundane Diwali wishes into helping others gain a new perspective! Share this post while wishing well in this engaging, mindful, and fulfilling journey.

This Diwali, make a difference.

Happy Diwali!

About Author: Tejal Rathod is a 'Management Psychology & Workplace Well-being' Peter Drucker Management Excellence Award-winning expert Success Coach & Therapist, Author, Speaker, and Founder at eDC (www.elementsdcoach.com) having over two decades of diverse corporate work experience. She believes in leaving a legacy of positive work culture through personal growth and elevating one’s consciousness for meaningful success in life. Tejal engages with individuals, professionals, and organizations worldwide while specializing in work dynamics & culture, executive coaching leadership development, behavioral transformation & professional skills development, mental health and well-being, and holistic lifestyle coaching.

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