The festival of Raksha Bandhan begins with an exchange of greetings. It entails applying of tilak, tying the ceremonial rakhi, offering sweets, and an exchange of gifts. But the true essence lies in internalising the significance of all that we do.
Let us start with greetings. Our every thought and word for ourselves and others needs to be a blessing, regardless of others’ behaviour. Let us delete all the past hurt, as it radiates toxic vibrations to us and them. Applying tilak on the forehead awakens us to the reality – ‘I am a divine soul and so is everyone else. This body, roles, and relationships are mine; they are not I.’ This awareness shifts us from ego consciousness to soul consciousness. Tying a rakhi is symbolic of our vow to lead a life of purity, peace, and power. Sweets are a reminder that our intentions and words must always be selfless and compassionate. Exchange of gifts teaches us to gift ourselves a new sanskar, by giving up any uncomfortable habit or addiction. This is ‘I’ protecting ‘myself’. We can even choose from the following set of habits that support us in sustaining our vow of purity.
Make a winning start to the day. Rise between 4 am and 5.30am, Brahma Muhurat, the highest vibration time. Practise meditation and study self-transformational content for at least 20 minutes.
Be a karma yogi. Your karma creates your destiny. Focus not just on the ‘doing’ but also on the ‘being’, while performing every activity. Being irritated, impatient, angry, or sad depletes our energy. Speak softly and kindly.
Cultivate seva bhav, selfless service. Shift from an attitude of ‘what is in it for me?’ to ‘what can I do for them?’ Serve humanity, nature, and the world with your money, skills, time, and pure vibrations.
Practise minimalist living. The planet has enough to fulfil our needs, not our desires. The next time you check a price tag, do not ask yourself, ‘Can I afford it?’ Ask, ‘Can the planet afford it?’
Make compassion natural. Forgive people who treated you badly, regardless of their role, position, or mistake. You forgive yourself by releasing the pain. Change your destiny with every meal. Eat home-cooked, vegetarian food. Have spiritual words playing in the background while cooking, to energise every meal with purity. Practise mindful eating, with no gadgets, gossip, or arguments.
Ease into a deep and restful sleep. Disconnect from work communication and negative content two hours before bedtime. Resolve any issue on your mind by writing down the right thoughts for those situations. Meditate and read positive messages for 10 minutes.
Let us embrace this spiritual bandhan of rakhi to experience true emotional, intellectual, and transformational freedom.