5 ways to celebrate the most important Valentine of all, YOU!

By Rippan Sandhu

We’ve talked about celebrating those you love this Valentine’s Day, often thought to be a day for lovers.  We don’t want you to forget the most important Valentine of all, you!  A healthy relationship begins with the love you give yourself, Ayurveda returns us to pure love through simple, yet highly effective, lifestyle practices that nourish the body, mind and soul. Give yourself the gift of vibrancy, joy and health by embracing the following self-care practices.   

1. Pamper yourself with roses 

Elevate the traditional Valentine’s Day gift by washing your face with a homemade rose cleanser. Combine half a tablespoon of rose water and whole milk. Gently apply to your face, rinse with lukewarm water and pat dry.   

2. Make time to be by yourself 

It is important to spend uninterrupted quality time alone. Simply sit comfortably with eyes closed, and relax your body and mind for five minutes. You don’t need to engage in a lengthy, formal meditative practice in order to gain connection with the self.  

 3. Give yourself a massage. 

Abhyanga is a relaxing, healing and nourishing self-massage with oils. Apply about a cup of warm oil (try our Oliana Oil) to the skin for about 10 minutes. Use gentle, but firm strokes starting from the feet to move up your body. Close your eyes and feel the love. Take a warm shower afterwards for total bliss!   

4. Enjoy fine dining at home 

Turn an ordinary meal into an extraordinary one with beautiful and eye-catching table settings and choice utensils. Even if eating alone, music in the background, a lit candle, and centrepiece of fresh flowers and fruits add pleasure and enjoyment to the heart and senses, which together play an important role in digestion, too.   

5. Take a healing bath 

Soak your muscles in a healing bath for at least 20 minutes, once a week. You can infuse your bath water with botanicals such as fresh or dried flower petals, leaves, roots, or fruits. Ayurveda’s top recommendations include roses of any color, marigolds, jasmine flower, and amalaki, the Indian gooseberry.   

While these Ayurveda practices are simple, they go a long way towards supporting a vibrant, healthy and happy you. Over time, you’ll discover that loving yourself does not need to be a rare luxury, but instead, a beautiful daily lifestyle dotted with self-loving rituals that lead you to richer, more meaningful and enjoyable relationships with both yourself, and your significant others.