HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!
Valentine's Day can be a loaded day for many of us for many different reasons. Whether we're feeling lonely, have never had a special someone bring you flowers and chocolates, or if you don't feel like blasting your relationship (or lack there of) all over social media.
Well I think that's all a load of bull shit. VD is such a commercialized day. The entire point of this holiday is to show someone else you love them and then people do it buy showing the world (aka social media) how much they love another person. It's like a big competition for who loves who the most.
We then start to ostracize those who don't have whatever it is that makes them part of the group. Don't have red lingerie? You're not sexy enough to have a VD date. Don't have a man (or woman) doting over you? You're not loved enough to have a special VD. Don't have enough money to spoil your special someone? You'd spend more money on them if you loved them more.
Even if we do have someone special in our lives - it's so easy to start playing the comparison game with everyone who we see online.
...can you start to see how ridiculous this is?
And no - someone may not be saying all that negativity to your face. But when the rest of the world is blowing up about VD, it's easy to let those negative voices creep into your head and make you start doubting yourself. The build up around commercialized holidays almost make it impossible to actually ENJOY what we have right in front of us!
I know these feelings because this used to be me. Personally, VD seems like the biggest push to get people to look and search for outside affirmation. It's like we NEED someone else to tell us how special we are. Which, like I mentioned before, is TOTALLY BULL SHIT. Outside affirmation can totally squash our dreams, our ambitions and our spirit if we aren't careful. It may feel good in the moment, but what happens when it's not there? We spend our lives searching around for more.
We are already f*cking amazing just the way we are. We are beautiful. We are powerful. We are loved. And anyone who tells you or makes you feel otherwise is not coming from a place of love. They are coming from a place of fear and doubt because they are hurting too.
If nobody has told you yet; Happy Valentine's Day. I love you and you are all you will ever need. <3
And to all of you who do have someone special in your life, just remember that the relationship with yourself will define the relationship you have with your partner. Love yourself more and you will be able to give to your partner more than you ever expected.
Advice to make this VD the best day yet (whether you're flying solo or in a happy relationship):
1. Short Meditation: Set your phone to silent and then a timer o n for 3 minutes, close your eyes and think about everything you are grateful for. Your warm bed, your comfy sweatshirt, your delicious breakfast, your favorite pair of socks, your dog, etc. When the timer goes off, set another one for 3 minutes. Close your eyes and focus on everything you want to accomplish today. Set intentions for all the amazing things you want to do in your life - and don't try to make these sound good for anyone besides yourself. Want to triple your income? Focus on that. What to attract a partner? Focus on how that love would make you shine. When your timer goes off, set one for 4 minutes (so we round it off for 10 min), close your eyes and send out some love. Send love to your family, to your friends, to your favorite sports team, your favorite author, the crossing guard you drive by on your way to work, your yoga teacher, etc. After your timer goes off, take 5 SLOW deep breathes in and out through your nose.
2. Yoga: If you can get your booty into a studio then go take a hot yoga class. The sweat will feel AMAZING! If you can't in the morning then do it at night. The teacher will most likely be offering an amazing grounding heart opening practice. If you can't get into a studio, then try this one. Adriene is amazing and I used to watch her videos all the time when I was first finding my own yoga practice.
3. Exercise: Go for a walk or run outside. Being in nature feels amazing and is good for you soul. Then come back and work up a sweat. (Yoga + Exercise can be switched around in order depending on how intense you want to go) If you are a member of a gym, either go and take a class to be apart of the community, or put your head phones in, crank up the tunes and kick your own ass. If you're not sure what to do and want to do something from home, fill out this link to get a free 30 day trial to my favorite workouts. Send me an email (through the connect tab of my website) and I'll help you get started! https://www.teambeachbody.com/signup/-/signup/free?referringRepId=841871
4. Feast: EAT SOMETHING HEALTHY TO FUEL YOUR BODY!!! You will wake up feeling amazing! I love a good veggie stir fry with garlic, Pad Thai or curry. Here are some great ideas. I know they say for two - so either invite a friend over OR save the rest of the food for tomorrow! So nice you get to eat it twice! https://www.teambeachbody.com/teambeachbodyblog/nutrition/14-romantic-recipes-for-two?ICID=CT_BLOG_RECIPES_FOR_TWO
5. Hydrate: Drink 100oz of water! This will hydrate your skin, help you sleep better and flush out any of the chocolaty things you may have already indulged in.
6. Treats: Head to your local co-op. Ask someone in the baking section to recommend a vegan or raw dessert for you. I'm really into raw desserts right now. They taste amazing and they are GOOD FOR YOU! How cool is that! Then pick up some of your favorite fruits :) strawberries are delicious and raspberries are really good for you. Also pick up a nice bottle of cabernet. I'm not drinking right now (getting ready for my wedding) but BroadSide Cabernet Sauvignon is my favorite.
7. Get your mind right: I'm a HUGE believer of personal development. Working on your brain and your emotions is just as important as your muscles and physical body. I recently found this TEDx Talk and I love it. Check it out for yourself.
I hope you have an AMAZING VD! <3 YOU DESERVE IT! And you deserve to feel this way EVERYDAY! <3