Are you a Valentine’s Day scrooge? Do you hate the commercialism and all the advertising pushed down your throat about romance?

Even though I don’t dislike receiving a Valentine’s card, maybe a more healthy approach to V-Day would be to use it as an excuse to love yourself.

Not all of us have partners, but all of us have a self. And that is the most important thing to love. If we love ourselves, all else will flow, including any romance in your life. So I’ve put together some ideas of how to spend this Valentine’s Day loving YOU!

1. Take a Yoga class

Yoga is the bomb! It is a hour or so of totalling tuning out from the stressful world around us. If you have an experienced teacher, they will guide you down through settling each level of your mind, body and energy. They will offer you poses to help with physical issues like digestion, back pain and even depression. And they give you the time and space to feel the affects of each pose in your body, so you can really learn and use your new-found knowledge in life.

2. Have a candlelit bubble bath

Water is so healing. It’s a very relaxing and supportive medium to take a step back, out of all the noise and busy-ness. A bubbly bath by candlelight and a bit of aromatherapy can help you unwind, releasing tensions and stresses that might otherwise set up camp in your precious physical body, manifesting as an illness later on.

3. Give yourself a hand or foot massage

Have you ever tried this? It’s so darn yummy. Get some moisturiser (the natural sort is better as your skin is trés absorbent), and go round massaging your hand or foot, one at a time, covering each part and spending longer on those bits that feel good – let your feelings be your guide. Your hands and feet will feel all tingly and fresh afterwards.

4. Write in your journal

Expressing your thoughts is another way to prevent illness. When we bottle things up, we’re literally not letting them out. We’re keeping them in our mind / energy, and we all know that whatever’s in our energy or mind, will eventually manifest down into our bodies.

I always feel so much better when I’ve had a rant in my journal. By the end I’ve already worked out what to do to move through whatever challenge I’m faced with. It’s like free therapy!

If you don’t have any particular challenges to write about, try these questions:

What would I prefer? What do I love? What does my ideal life look and feel like?

5. Spend time in nature

Whether this is gardening, walking, playing, or sitting, nature will rejuvenate your energy. With fresh energy, your mind and body will feel relieved. Nature is so, so beautiful… if you have forgotten this recently, go outside and see! 🙂

6. Plan and make healthy meals

If I plan to have healthy meals for the week, and write down meal & snack ideas on my shopping list, everything runs to plan, and I eat very healthy and don’t think much about chocolately goodness (badness!). If I fail to give myself that 5 min brain-storming sesh, I end up eating crap and piling up the naughty snacks.

So, take 5 mins to plan your meals for the weekend, throw in some fave foods, but keep it healthy to prevent disease in your body and feel fit and healthier for longer.

7. Watch a movie

Pick a movie that is your guilty pleasure. No pressure from other opinions, feed your mind and desire with something that makes you fizz 🙂

8. Do a relaxation meditation

Ahhhh defo squeeze some of this soul-soothing goodness into your weekend of love. If you’re new to meditation, try one of my mini meditations, which will  help your mind expand, and get used to the feeling of tuning inward.

You can also try Yoga Nidra (see vid below), where you’re guided to relax each part of your body (so nice), or try some breathing exercises. I find that alternate nostril breathing, and the humming bee breath creates a peaceful buzz in my head. I feel so fresh and calm afterwards.

9. Have a professional massage

Relaxing, relieving, pampering, you deserve all this and more. I love to go to a masseuse who combines a massage with some aromatherapy, crystal healing and reiki. These more esoteric practices enhance the session, and take you into much deeper states of relaxation.

Do you have a fave way to show some self-love, that’s not on the list? Add your ideas below in the comments!