The Story Of Lakshmi - Inner and Outer Prosperity

Lakshmi is an ancient goddess traditionally worshipped for prosperity and abundance. In this session, we dig deeper to learn more about who Lakshmi is and what it means to live in her light and/or in her shadow.

'You and I have spoken all these words, yet for the way we have to go- there is no getting ready. Other than grace.' - Rumi. This is a deeply relaxing visualisation practice to help us connect with the image of Lakshmi . We ask the radiant one, to bestow grace so we can overcome the difficulties of our human experience.

As Raja Lakshmi, Lakshmi grants kings the gift of ruling lands that are peaceful and prosperous. The crops grow timely and the harvests are rich. The people are happy and live in harmony. But Indra, the king of gods, has forgotten in his arrogance that it is because of Lakshmi - that his kingdom Amravati is a paradise. He disrespects her and in this session, we learn the story of Lakshmi's disappearance from the kingdom of the gods, as well as the three worlds.

Without beauty, our days and life become unbearable. We might not notice it, but each day, we are all visited by beauty - beauty as kindness, as tenderness, as magnificence, as simple joys that make life worth living. When the going gets difficult, beauty eases the heart. It gives hope and strength. In this session, we look at our relationship with beauty, Lakshmi's gifts of beauty in our life and finish with a practice of gratitude.

Lakshmi's radiance comes from a sense of self sufficiency, a sense of being enough. In this session, we remember the gift of this body - which makes it possible for us to receive all other gifts of the world. We remember our inherent worth and beauty.

"Harmony and beauty of the mind and soul, harmony and beauty of the thoughts and feelings, harmony and beauty in every outward act and movement, harmony and beauty of the life and surroundings, this is the demand of Mahalakshmi." - Sri Aurobindo. Lakshmi doesn't stay where there is no harmony. And to invite harmony in our lives, we must align ourselves in our thought, speech and action. In short, we must live our values. In this session, we practice finding our values.

Material wealth is Lakshmi's most obvious gift. But being wealthy is not the same as feeling abundant. Where is the line between wealth and abundance? How much do we have before we can feel that it is enough? What does abundance feel like?

When Lakshmi left the three worlds and disappeared, where did she go? Who can find her? And how can we bring her back, if at all? In this session, we explore the myth of the churning of the ocean and its symbolism.

Our limited sense of identity causes us a lot of suffering. The churning of the ocean story provides an insight on overcoming this small self. In this session, we explore this insight and the practice of Seva in greater detail.

The mantra of Goddess Lakshmi is the sound form of the Goddess. In this session, we learn her mantra and meditate on it (Headphones recommended). Anytime we feel a need to balance Lakshmi's energy in our lives, we can invoke her through her mantra and find center.

Closing meditation for the course - a reminder that lasting change comes through integration of teachings in our lives as habits and rituals. We finish by learning the Lakshmi Gayatri mantra and reciting it 11 times.