Valentine’s Day is once a year, but we should all celebrate who and what we love every day. Don’t get caught up in the commercial side of this holiday. It can be a day to let those you love know how much you really cherish them, and to simplify and prioritize what really matters.
Here are a few ideas that allow you to honour and celebrate Valentine’s Day:
Love yourself first
If we asked you, “Do you love yourself?” and “Do you take care of yourself?”, most of you might answer, “Yes, of course, I love and take care of myself.”
If we then asked you, “In what ways do you love and take care of yourself?”, what would your answer be? This is where we find misunderstanding and confusion.
If you want to love and be loved, it must start with you. Make a commitment to self-care – or deeper self-care. Show up for yourself first on Valentine’s Day, and all good will follow.
What is self-care? Self-care is about healthy habits, practices, and rituals: enriching activities that you consciously choose to do for yourself, and that nourish your body, mind, and soul. Although this is a simple concept in theory, we have found it to be often overlooked.
Intelligent self-care is critical to improving your mood, reducing anxiety, feeling joy and gratitude, and creating a loving and lovely life.
What isn’t self-care? Understanding what self-care is not might be even more important. Self-care is not something that you force yourself to do, or something you engage in without connection and an understanding of its benefits. Self-care should fuel you, not deplete you.
Where do you start?
Keep it simple. Over time, you will find your own rhythm and balance. You will be able to implement other rituals and learn forms of self-care that are right for you. Have you tried dry brushing, or a warm and nourishing elixir, or an UnMeditation? These are three beautiful ways to begin a day of loving and honouring yourself. Remember, self-care is a choice and must be actively pursued. As Jim Rohn expressed, “Motivation is what gets you started. Commitment is what keeps you going.”
Love everything you buy and consume
Does what you buy really make a difference? Yes, it absolutely makes a difference. Everything you buy matters … for you and for every generation that follows. As with any occasion, a little creativity on Valentine’s Day can quickly take the place of purchased extravagance.
Your purchases should express love, empathy, wellness, kindness, delight, comfort, protest, celebration, change, joy, sharing, and caring. Your purchases should never enslave, undermine, exploit, erode, marginalize, or compromise anything or anyone. It’s all about embracing Empathy Economics.
Raise a glass; but first, fill it with something conscious. Look for organic labels, read the ingredients and care about what you are drinking…it matters, just like your food choices do. Toasting to good health and happiness without pesticides makes the sentiments much more wholesome.
Indulge. Studies have shown that dark chocolate helps prevent heart disease and cancer. It has also been shown to increase blood flow and improve mood by boosting the brain chemical serotonin, which is similar to Prozac and its many mood-enhancing clones. When it comes down to it, a little dark, organic, fair-trade chocolate tastes good, soothes the soul, and is fun to share.
Buy a rose bush instead of cut roses. This really does make sense. Why buy flowers that were grown with toxic chemicals, transported thousands of miles and wrapped in plastic, when you can give a real living thing that lasts. Although it might not be the perfect climate for roses year-round, think local, think organic, and think about buying the whole plant, tree, or herb that will keep on giving and can be enjoyed year-round. It will act as a constant reminder of love.
Light it up. 100% beeswax or coconut oil candles with natural wicks set the mood without the black soot and fumes from standard paraffin candles and their lead-core wicks. Keep your indoor air clean and your intimate moments pure!
Love nature
Nature worked out the secret to life long ago. There is nothing bigger than nature. Nature is the essence of all … a creative and controlling force that causes and regulates the phenomena of the world … including love!
Do you want to feel good on Valentine’s Day? Get out into nature on your own or with someone you love! Good news: it’s free, and guaranteed to help you feel the love! This is not a sales pitch and an empty promise. Everything you need can be found in nature.
Here’s how to make nature work for you:
- Get outside and be in nature.
- Pay attention: be present, expand your awareness.
- Listen, look, feel, breathe, touch, trust.
It’s that easy.
Be grateful. Stepping outdoors for a breath of fresh air and time in nature can help you stay balanced, healthy, and grounded. Nature offers such abundance that it naturally connects you to deeper feelings of gratitude … the endless supply of awe and wonder helps you slow down and tune your mind to the beauty of life. Gratitude is consistently associated with love and greater happiness.
Be generous. Although receiving feels good and is a gift unto itself, when you have the intention to give without condition, it feels amazing, and even more will come back to you. Nature gives and only asks that we be caring, loving, and protective … stewards of the earth.
Everything is Love
As we define “love” in The Akira Concept Lexicon, it is “a force of nature … the most spectacular, indescribable, deeply euphoric feeling. Put it out into the world and you will receive it back.”
Remember, “less” in no way needs to mean “less special” for Valentine’s Day. Celebrate Valentine’s Day with Wellness Intelligence by getting to the true heart of the matter and showing love and respect for yourself, others, and our planet. Repeat every day rather than annually!
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