Valentine's Day

In celebration of Valentine’s Day on 14 February, this month’s article is dedicated to love and romance. Hopefully, most of us will be spending Valentine's Day with that special someone. But for those who are single, rest assured love is never too far away. In the meantime, there are plenty of things you can do to help shift old energy patterns and help bring more love and romance into your life.

Crystal Therapy
A great way to align yourself with loving energy is by using crystals (see my earlier article on Crystals). Once they are charged with intent, carry them around with you or put them where you will see them. You can place them by your bed or wear them over the heart chakra. The crystals I would recommend for any matters to do with the heart are Rose Quartz, Rhodochrosite and Jade.

Rose Quartz is the stone of unconditional love and peace. It is the most important crystal for the heart and the heart chakra. It purifies and opens the heart at all levels and brings deep inner healing and self love. It is calming and has a very gentle soothing energy. It releases repressed hurts, promotes forgiveness and offers inner peace. If you want to attract love, Rose Quartz is the crystal for you. In existing relationships, it will restore trust and harmony and encourage unconditional love.

Rhodochrosite is a wonderful stone that promotes selfless love and compassion. It is an excellent stone for the heart and relationships, especially for people who feel unloved. This stone helps bring repressed and painful feelings to the surface, allowing them to be acknowledged and then released. Emotionally, it encourages expression of feelings and helps lift a depressed mood bringing lightness into life.

Jade is a symbol of purity and serenity. It is associated with the heart chakra and increases love and nurturing. It is a protective stone, which keeps the wearer from harm and brings harmony. Emotionally, jade is a “dream stone”. Placed on the forehead it brings insightful dreams. It aids emotional release, especially of irritability. It calms the nervous system and channels passion in constructive ways. It can also be used to harmonise dysfunctional relationships.

Essential Oils

There are plenty of essential oils that can be used to support the heart and emotions. These include rose, geranium, lavender, juniper, bergamot, jasmine, sandalwood and ylang-ylang. Here are some suggestions on how to immerse yourself in these healing aromas:

• Burn a few drops of your favourite oil in an oil burner. If you’re after something sensual, ylang-ylang is a well known aphrodisiac aroma. For emotional healing, choose Rose.
• Use a few drops of essential oil in a spray bottle with water and spray throughout your home.
• Sprinkle a few drops of essential oil into your bath.
• Dilute 20 drops of oil in a carrier oil such as jojoba and give yourself (or that special someone) a romantic massage.

Colour Therapy
 This is another complementary therapy dating back thousands of years. Colour has a profound affect on our moods and emotions which is why we find some colours depressing and others uplifting. Colour is simply light of varying wavelengths, thus each colour has its own particular vibration.

For matters to do with the heart, surround yourself with warm pinks and green. These are the two colours that resonate with the heart chakra. Pink is the colour of universal love and green represents life, nature and fertility. Try burning some pink coloured candles around the home to help open the heart and stimulate love and beauty.


Ways to Love Yourself
Valentine’s Day isn’t just about lovers, it’s also about loving yourself. As the old cliché goes, you need to love yourself first before someone else can love you. Here are some ways to give yourself the gift of love on Valentine’s Day:

Self Acceptance
Accept yourself for who you truly are. We all have negative feelings regarding ourselves but when we recognize that none of us are perfect, we can accept our flaws more easily. To have self love means to be non-judgmental about yourself, accepting all parts unconditionally. When you accept yourself fully, others will too.

Forgiveness
We all have guilt from our past. Mistakes are unavoidable and a necessary part of life. How else would we learn if we never made mistakes? Feeling shameful and guilty about the past doesn’t serve anyone, least of all yourself. Spend some time meditating on your past mistakes and offer yourself and others total forgiveness.

Let Go of the Past
Being bound by regrets and disappointments from the past can keep many of us in chains. Recognise that the only time that exists is this present moment. Release old energy and thought patterns by offering forgiveness to the divine. Treat yourself to a spiritual healing to help your body reach an inner state of harmony - physically, mentally and spiritually.

Spoil Yourself
Many of us spend too much time worrying about life instead of living it. Do something out of the ordinary to spoil yourself on Valentine’s Day. Have a relaxing full body massage or spend a weekend away. Treat yourself to a special gift to boost your self esteem and make you feel good about yourself.

Do Something Different
Many of us define ourselves by who we think we are. Challenge your self perception by trying a new activity – join a new club or book in for that course you have always wanted to do. Every path leads somewhere and you may find yourself on a whole new journey of self discovery.