Valentine’s Day is a time of year when people celebrate love. It can be a time of year when people question what it means to be loved, what love is, why love seems absent, or how to bring love into their lives? Through our yoga and meditation practice we can broaden our understanding of love and in doing so become aware of the many forms of love that we have in our lives. Our practice can also help love to enter our hearts.
There are many excellent yoga poses that can open the heart and bring in love. Opening the heart in your yoga practice can lead to nurturing self-love, loving compassion, ease with vulnerability, and ease with openness around your heart. An excellent pose for the heart is supported savasana. This restorative pose helps open the heart while keeping you feeling grounded and supported. It can help you emotionally overcome fears of vulnerability, fears of letting go, and fears of opening your heart. Try using a bolster along your spine in savasna for a supported heart opening at the end of your practice.
Transforming pain into love is one of the fundamental ways to bring love into your heart. Lama Surya Das recommends a meditation for transforming pain into love, where you inhale and imagine your conflicting and negative emotions entering your body and as you exhale slowly imagine all of this negativity leaving your body as happiness, joy, and unconditional love.
To reinforce the affirmations of your practice you may choose to place a gemstone for love in your meditation space or shrine, or you might want to wear a mala that promotes love. Rose quartz promotes love, gentleness and emotional healing. It is the stone of love. This stone is believed to support the heart in healing from trauma or disease, and aids in releasing past wounds. It teaches trust and hope, and removes anger and resentment.
The picture below depicts the True Love Mala Necklace. This mala was inspired by the heart opening that follows after a practice with dove pose or king pigeon pose. It is made from rose quartz the stone of love.
