Diwali is the Hindu festival of lights, celebrated over five days each autumn. In 2026, the main day falls on Sunday, November 8. The spiritual meaning of Diwali centers on light overcoming darkness. On the night of Diwali, families clean their homes, light rows of small oil lamps, and welcome Lakshmi, the goddess of abundance and good fortune, inside.

Diwali is a living, sacred holiday for hundreds of millions of people, and Hindus, Sikhs, and Jains each celebrate it with their own stories. What I’m sharing here comes from years of teaching about Lakshmi on the mat. It’s what this festival has taught me about clearing space, setting an intention, and actually letting good things in, especially in the darker seasons of life.

In this post

• What is Diwali?
• What is the spiritual meaning of Diwali?
• Why is Lakshmi welcomed on Diwali?
• What can Diwali teach us about receiving?
• Why is Diwali celebrated on a new moon?
• How do you set an intention for Diwali?
• A simple Diwali practice you can do at home
• How to honor Diwali respectfully
• Diwali FAQ

What is Diwali?

Diwali is a five-day festival of lights celebrated across India and around the world, usually in October or November. The name comes from the Sanskrit deepavali, meaning “row of lamps.”

The main day falls on the new moon of the Hindu month of Kartik. Homes are cleaned top to bottom. Small clay oil lamps called diyas line windows, doorways, and rooftops. Families draw rangoli, colorful patterns made from powder or flowers, at the entrance to their homes, and they share sweets, gifts, and meals.

There are many stories behind Diwali, depending on where and how it’s celebrated. One of the best known comes from the Ramayana. When Rama returned home to Ayodhya after fourteen years in exile, the people lit lamps to light his way. Sikhs celebrate Bandi Chhor Divas at the same time, and Jains mark the liberation of Mahavira.

What is the spiritual meaning of Diwali?

The spiritual meaning of Diwali is the victory of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, and good over harm. The lamps are the outward sign. The inner meaning is remembering the light that’s already in you.

This is the part that speaks to me as a yoga teacher. In yoga, light is often used as a word for awareness, the part of you that can see clearly. Most of us don’t lose that light. We just get busy enough, tired enough, and needed enough that we stop noticing it.

Why is Lakshmi welcomed on Diwali?

Lakshmi is worshipped on the main night of Diwali because she’s the goddess of abundance, prosperity, and good fortune, and tradition holds that she visits homes that are clean, bright, and open to her. Families light lamps, leave doors and windows open, and sometimes draw small footprints at the entrance leading inside, so she can find her way in.

For many families and business communities, this is also a time to close out the old year’s accounts and begin fresh. For some communities, especially in Gujarat, the new year begins the day after Diwali.

I’ve written about Lakshmi before. She’s a goddess of abundance, yes, but in yoga she’s also the one we call on to move from a mindset of fear and lack toward one of generosity and gratitude. You can read more about her story, her mantra, and her mudra in The Goddess Lakshmi and the Art of Giving and Receiving.

What can Diwali teach us about receiving?

Diwali is a reminder that receiving takes preparation. Before Lakshmi is welcomed, the house is cleaned, the lamps are lit, and the door is left open.

Most of the women I teach are very good at giving. They give their time, attention, energy, and care, often long past empty. Receiving is harder. Accepting help. Resting before everything is done. Letting a compliment land. Saying yes when someone offers.

I wrote in my Lakshmi post that I will run myself into the ground before asking for help. I know I’m not alone in that.

Opening the door isn’t about deserving more once you’ve finally done enough. You don’t need to earn rest, and you don’t need to earn good things coming your way. The practice is making room, both in your home and in your days, and then letting yourself have what arrives.

Why is Diwali celebrated on a new moon?

Diwali falls on amavasya, the new moon, which is the darkest night of the lunar month. The lamps are lit at the darkest point, not after things brighten up on their own.

I find that useful. Most of us wait until we feel better, have more time, or have things figured out before we do the thing that would actually help.

The new moon is also traditionally a time to pause, rest, and begin again. If this season has felt heavy, that’s a good reason to mark it, not a reason to skip it.

How do you set an intention for Diwali?

To set an intention for Diwali, name one specific thing you’re ready to make room for in the year ahead, and one action you’ll take to make room for it. In yoga, this kind of heartfelt intention is called a sankalpa.

Setting an intention isn’t wishing. It’s giving your brain a clear target. When you get specific about what matters to you, your brain’s reticular activating system (the part that filters what you notice) starts picking up the opportunities, people, and information that match it. Your job is to act on what shows up.

A vague intention like “more abundance” is hard for your brain to work with. Something like “I want to ask for help before I’m exhausted” or “I want two unscheduled hours every weekend” gives it something real to notice, and gives you something real to do.

A simple Diwali practice you can do at home

This takes about twenty minutes. You don’t need any special supplies, just a candle or lamp, a journal, and a quiet corner.

1. Clear one small space. Not the whole house. Just a windowsill, a nightstand, or a corner of your desk. Take everything off, wipe it down, and only put back what you actually want there. Notice how it feels to make room on purpose.
2. Light a lamp. A diya, a candle, or even a single tea light. Set it in the space you just cleared. Never leave a flame unattended.
3. Take Padma Mudra. Bring your palms together in front of your heart. Keep your thumbs, pinkies, and wrists touching, and spread the other fingers apart like a lotus opening. Breathe here for ten slow breaths.
4. Chant the Lakshmi mantra. Om Shrim Maha Lakshmyai Namaha (ohm shreem muh-hah luhk-shmyai nuh-muh-huh). It means “Om, I offer salutations to the great goddess of good fortune.” Chant it out loud or silently, a few rounds or 108 times if you have a mala.
5. Journal three questions.
   • What am I ready to clear out, let go of, or stop carrying?
   • What am I ready to receive this year? Be specific.
   • What’s one action I’ll take this week to make room for it?
6. Open the door. If it’s safe and comfortable, open a door or window for a minute before you blow out the lamp. It’s a small, physical way to say yes.

How to honor Diwali respectfully

You can honor Diwali respectfully by learning about it from the people who celebrate it, accepting invitations when they come, and treating it as a sacred holiday rather than a theme. Many Hindu temples and community centers host public Diwali events that welcome visitors. Wishing a friend or neighbor “Happy Diwali” goes a long way, too.

The at-home practice above isn’t a Diwali puja. It’s a yoga practice inspired by the season, and that’s how I’d share it with others.

Diwali FAQ

Make room for yourself

Most of us rarely give ourselves this kind of space anymore. A cleared windowsill, a lit candle, and twenty quiet minutes is a good place to start.

And if you’re craving more space than an evening can hold, that’s exactly what our retreats are for. See upcoming retreats →

Happy Diwali.

Love,
Autumn

The post The Spiritual Meaning of Diwali: Light, Lakshmi, and Letting Yourself Receive appeared first on Ambuja Yoga.

Recently I’ve been drawn to the great goddesses of the Hindu pantheon. Their stories are magical and moving, exciting and inspiring, and sometimes even terrifying. My original intention was to write a blog post introducing the goddess Lakshmi, the goddess of abundance, well-being, harmony, good luck and prosperity in all forms, but she also personifies so many other characteristics worthy of discussion and embodiment. We call on Lakshmi to access the ocean of abundance that lies within, to find our radiant inner beauty, and to guide us on the path of our dharma.

As one of the Great Mother goddesses, Lakshmi guides us from the darkness to the light. She helps us move from a mindset rooted in fear and lack into a mindset of love, abundance, and generosity. The name Lakshmi comes from the Hindu word Laksya with means “aim” or “goal”. When manifesting abundance we can practice self-inquiry and take a moment to examine our intentions. Why do I want this? How would having this influence my life? How would it improve my life and how could my having it improve the lives of others? How can I use this to serve my community?

Abundance Flows to You and Through You

“Abundance flows to you and through you” has been my mantra for more or less the past year. And yes yogis, it is true, abundance flows both ways! I’ve experienced this flow (and lack of) again and again. When I found myself getting stuck in feelings of fear of not having enough or lack I could feel the Universe pulling back. But what’s even more amazing is when I drop back into the space of abundance, gratitude, and worthiness, I feel the support of the cosmos, Lakshmi, the Universe, God, whatever you want to call it. It’s as if I could do anything.

Our ability to give and receive freely depends deeply on our own personal beliefs that we are worthy of love, worthy of gifts, and that others too are worthy of these same gifts. Sally Kempton, author of Awakening Shakti, said it perfectly, “When you can allow yourself to receive with the feeling that you deserve the gifts of life, and then give with the feeling that others deserve them also, you find yourself in what one of my teachers called the auspicious state of mind, the state where shri is simply flowing through you. You feel Lakshmi’s presence as internal abundance and also as gratitude and as the desire to bless others. It’s then that you can begin to feel Lakshmi’s energy as your own.”

Lakshmi: A Tale of Generosity

One of my favorite stories of Lakshmi personifies an attitude of generosity, compassion, and empathy. As the story goes, Lakshmi and her husband Vishnu were the manifest deities at a wealthy temple for the high-caste in Varanasi, India. One year, during the festival of Diwali, Lakshmi decided to visit the town’s untouchables and bestow the untouchables with food and money. Her generosity extended to both those who worshipped her and those who did not. A beautiful reminder that we are all worthy, whether we (or others) deem us to be worthy.

Upon learning that Lakshmi has been spending time with the untouchables, Vishnu becomes angry with her. She immediately flees and goes to live with a group of sweepers. Upon Lakshmi’s arrival, the sweeper community begins to prosper, there is an abundance of food and there is enough money for the sweepers to fix-up their homes.

While the sweepers are being lifted up out of poverty Vishnu’s temple is falling into ruins, the community stops bringing offerings, and the surrounding trees begin to wither. Out of desperation, Vishnu finds Lakshmi and begs her to return. She obliges on one condition, that he may never restrict her ability to share her blessings again.

I think we all probably know a Lakshmi. We have a friend that we can count on… she lends us an ear when we need to chat, she nourishes with food and her gracious spirit, she uplifts us when we need a pep talk, she believes in the abundance of the Universe and is happy to share. She gives from a place of love and heart and soul. She gives without expectations. And yes, abundance seems to flow her way.

The Goddess of Abundance and Padma Mudra (Lotus Mudra)

The lotus is a common image in Hinduism and Buddhism and Lakshmi is often depicted either sitting or standing on a lotus flower and holding two lotus flowers in her hands. Bansi Pandit goes into even more detail about the symbolism of Lakshmi’s lotuses and explains that “since the right side of the body symbolizes activity, a lotus in the back right hand conveys the idea that one must perform all duties in the world in accordance with dharma. This leads to moksha (liberation), which is symbolized by a lotus in the back left hand of Lakshmi.”

A lotus flower begins down in the muck and mud and rises up through the water to blossom unscathed at the water’s surface. You can think of the path of the lotus as the journey to enlightenment. It is the journey from the darkness to the light.

To practice Padma Mudra, bring your hands into Anjali Mudra (prayer mudra) in front of your heart center and then separate your index fingers, middle fingers, and ring fingers. Allow the fingers to spread away from one another like a lotus flower blooming while keeping the pinkies, thumbs and wrists touching.

Did you also know that Ambuja means lotus? Learn more about the meaning of Ambuja here.

Four Lakshmi Inspired Practices to Cultivate the Art of Giving and Receiving

“Until we can receive with an open heart, we’re never really giving with an open heart. When we attach judgment to receiving help, we knowingly or unknowingly attach judgment to giving help.”

~Brene Brown

A practice in self-love.

Lie down onto your back and come into Supta Baddha Konasana (Reclined Bound Angle Pose/Reclined Butterfly Pose). To practice Supta Baddha Konasana, bend your knees and bring the soles of your feet to touch. Allow your knees to drop out to the side like the pages of a book. If you have any pain in your hips or knees support your thighs with blocks, cushions, etc.

Now bring your right hand to your belly and your left hand to your heart. Before continuing, take a moment to bring your awareness to your breath and your heartbeat and simply witness.

Your right hand is often considered the hand of action and your left hand is often considered the hand of reception. In this exercise, envision a free flow of self-love flowing through your left hand and into Anahata Chakra, your heart center. Your heart, mind, and body receive this love graciously and without judgment or expectation. Stay with this free-flowing self-love, allow it to flow into your body for ten to fifteen breaths. Then release this awareness and bring your awareness to your right hand, repeat a mantra of kind words and affirmations of self-love, gratitude, abundance, and/or worthiness. If you’re feeling stuck, perhaps try the same mantra that I have been using, “Abundance flows to me and through me” or try “I freely give and receive the gifts and blessings of Lakshmi.”

A practice in the art of giving and receiving inspired by Sally Kempton’s Awakening Shakti

Set aside thirty minutes or so to journal about your beliefs about giving and receiving.

• To begin, let’s focus on what you would like to receive. Free write a list of the blessings/gifts you would like to receive, whether they are material or spiritual. Be specific. Are other people involved? If yes, name them.
• From the above list, decide which three are the most important blessings. For each of the three blessing answer the following questions:

• How would this blessing influence your life? How would things change? How would this influence your relationships with others? How would you be able to serve others better?
• How do I intentionally or unintentionally limit my ability to receive these blessings? In what ways do I limit my potential or practice self-sabotage?
• How could I help someone else receive the same blessings that I want for myself? Write down a few actionable steps to help someone else achieve the same blessing that you want for yourself.
• Now put it into action, for yourself and for this other person.

Say yes when help is offered. Ask for help when needed.

When we accept help from someone, we gift them the opportunity to be of assistance. If we deny their offer to help, we are shutting down the energy and flow of abundance. I know I struggle with this one! I like to be in control and allowing someone else to help with a task, means that it is out of my hands, but what a gift it is!

I was reminded of this recently when I was leading a yoga teacher training weekend in Bend and we had to be out of the studio quickly, so the next group could come in. One of my gracious students offered to help sweep the floors and my first instinct was to shut it down and say “no” and “that I’ve got it” simply because I’m a people pleaser and I want to make sure that I’m not inconveniencing anyone. I quickly checked myself and my ego and accepted her offer to help. The next time someone offers to help you I encourage you to check in and say yes.

And yogis, we have got to ask for help when we need it! I’m still working on this one. I will run myself into the ground before asking for help, so maybe I’m writing this more for myself than for you. But we cannot do it all ourselves.

And plus, when we ask for help, we are gifting someone with the opportunity to lend a hand. They will feel good about helping someone in need (YOU) and you may end up with a bit of free time to take care of yourself or help someone else in need.

And finally, get your chant on. Chant to Mata Lakshmi.

Okay, I’m definitely the crazy lady chanting in the car, walking the dogs, etc. But I don’t really care.

Invoke Lakshmi with this beautiful simple chant.

Om shrim maha Lakshmyai namaha

Ohm shreem muh-hah luhk-shmyai nuh-muh-huh

Om, I offer salutations to the great goddess of good fortune.

Jai Lakshmi!

Until next time beautiful yogis!

Love and Light,

Autumn

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If you’ve attended a yoga class or visited a Hindu or Buddhist temple you have likely heard the mantra OM or AUM being chanted. The Om mantra is the most sacred mantra in both Hinduism and Buddhism. In addition, Om is also said to be the primordial sound of the Universe. The Om mantra is the most elemental of vibrations and is considered the sound of the void.

According to Patanjali, Om, the original sound, is a direct expression of isvara or God. Therefore, when we chant Om it provides a direct link to the Divine and divine knowledge. Om connects us to the Divine in vibrational form and makes our prayers and mantras more effective by increasing pranic energy.

Where did the Om mantra originate?

Om, an ancient Sanskrit letter, first appeared in the Vedas between 1500 and 1200 BCE. The main teaching on Om from the Vedas, Upanishads and Yoga Sutras is to experience non-dual awareness.

How do you pronounce Om?

The common pronunciation of Om is to pronounce the mantra with the same “o” sound as in “home”. But there are actually three sounds that make up the mantra: A-U-M or “aaah”, “oooh”, “mmm”. The sound of OM/AUM begins at the back of the throat with the “aaah” sound and ends at the lips with the “mmm” sound. When chanting the mantra OM, it fills the entire mouth from back to front, which represents the entire Universe. Similarly, when chanting Om, one can feel its vibration deep within the body. At the end of chanting AUM there is a pause or a moment of silence. This pause represents the state known as Turiya, or Infinite Consciousness.

What does the Om symbol mean?

If you look at the symbol for OM you will see three curves, one semicircle, and a dot at the top. In addition, each portion of the symbol contains not only the sounds of the mantra but deeper symbolism and meaning.

• The large bottom curve symbolizes the waking state, A.
• The middle curve signifies the dream state, U.
• The upper curve denotes the state of deep sleep, M.
• The dot signifies the fourth state of consciousness, Turiya.
• The semi-circle at the top represents Maya or illusion. Therefore, it is the illusion of Maya that is an obstacle to accessing our highest self.

The three sounds of the om mantra represent the various trinities:

• Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva (creator, preserver, destroyer)
• The past, present, and future
• The waking, dreaming, and dreamless states
• Heaven, earth, and underworld

In David Frawley’s book, Mantra Yoga and Primal Sound, he says:

“Om is the prime mantra of the Higher Self, or Atman. It attunes us with our true nature. It is the sound of the creator, preserver and destroyer of the universe, who is also the inner guru and prime teacher. It reflects both the manifest and un-manifest Brahman, sustaining the vibration of being, life, and consciousness in all worlds and all creatures.”

The mantra Om is directly linked to the sixth and seventh chakras, Ajna and Sahasrara respectively.

Sound and vibration are powerful tools for healing and transformation. Exploring the mantra OM, and the power of sound can remind us to treat our words and thoughts as sacred, creative, and divine. What we think and say, we manifest.

Nikola Tesla said, “If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration.”

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