CHENNAI: A match might be made in heaven. But, the couple’s future isn’t. Taking this reality into her stride, 29-year-old Aishwarya Thapa Manavalan has come up with a millennial-friendly workshop — The Power Couple — to help newly-wed and engaged couples iron out their differences in a practical manner.The workshop, which will be conducted at Courtyard by Marriot in Teynampet on November 10, is a first-of-its-kind holistic facilitation programme, claims Aishwarya. “Unlike a premarital counselling offered by various religious and private bodies, this workshop is aimed at equipping the couples with necessary life skills,” says Aishwarya, who is two years into her married life.
Need of the hour
“Learning life skills is essential for every human being. Like sex education, marriage as a topic should be discussed in schools and colleges. Young adults spend a lot of time planning their wedding event but spare little time to plan marital life. This workshop, therefore, has been curated to bridge a relative gap in understanding what goes into setting up a family in a fast-paced lifestyle,” she explains, adding that seven experts from various fields will be handling six sessions.
Life tools
Being yourself is the key for a successful marriage, believes life coach Madhulika Appasani, also the youngest expert on board. “This programme is not a platform to address the issues of couples but provide them with preparedness tools to take their lives forward. We will identify the aspects that impact a couple’s marital life through various exercises and help them achieve their common goal without compromising on their individual goals,” adds the 29-year-old.
Managing finances
Chennai-based SEBI-registered investment advisor Renu Maheshwari, who will be coaching the couples to manage their finance, finds such workshops necessary as a man’s role of being a ‘provider’ (while a woman’s is a ‘nurturer’) has been taken over either by his female partner or technology. “There is nothing called a perfect finance management system. It becomes essential for a couple to individually define their relationship with money before having clarity on the bond they share with each other. As part of the session, the couples will get to understand their money personality and devise plans to manage and multiply their wealth,” says 53-year-old Renu.
Keeping romance intact
For 32-year-old obstetrician/gynaecologist Tarun Joseph, this initiative is an ideal platform to bust myths about sex and physical intimacy. “The minimum age for marriage has increased to the late 20s. This is a positive sign, especially when nuclear families are on the rise, as people want to be aware and ready for it. Planning for babies is one of the important subjects that will be discussed in detail during my session on family planning,” the doctor says.Ask what the couples’ biggest takeaway will be, Aishwarya says it is the tips from experts handling
various sessions.
“There is a hyper-obsessiveness about planning the new-age weddings. It makes the prospective couples lose sight. So, this workshop provides a chance to make marriage awesome by helping the couple rediscover each other,” she says.
To register, visit: thepowercoupleworkshop.com