Practicing Self Love

Holidays typically make me a bit sad, and Valentine’s Day, aka Single Awareness Day, is clearly the worst.  I’m the only teacher in my school who makes little pink heart valentines for each student…probably because I’m also the only teacher at my school who isn’t married with more important people to give valentines to.  A trip to Shaw’s earlier in the week also made me nauseous. Heart balloons that sing and enough roses to fill a swimming pool really are not a single person’s cup of tea.  However, the first thing I did that morning was read “Valentine’s Day – The Perfect Day For Self Love” from the “Me First, By Myself: A Guide To Dating Yourself” blog.

The idea of looking at this Hallmark day of candy and hearts as a day to just love yourself exactly as you are was a new concept for me.  Maybe Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be about couples and non-couples.  Maybe it can be about love.  Loving yourself.  Loving your friends.  Loving your life.  Not to be sappy (well, I’m usually sappy so what can we expect) it changed my entire outlook on the day.

I immediately put down the healthy flaxseed bread I was enjoying with my coffee and ate two rich caramel filled chocolates instead.  I changed my after school plan from the gym to a yoga class (one I sometimes avoid due to the high cost). I also just spent the day thinking about how loved I am by my very large family and many friends instead of focusing on all the happy couples around me.  It really shifted the focus of the entire day for me.

Valentine’s Day Flowers from Jacob

When the flowers Jacob sent to school arrived exactly four minutes after I had left the building, I was angry at first.  I mean, the first flowers I’d ever received outside of college on Valentine’s Day, were going to make it to me the day after Valentine’s Day?  That’s outrageous!  Luckily, I was able to get over it through 90 minutes of back bends, heart-opening yoga poses, sweat in a 110-degree room, and reflection.  Focusing on self-love instead of love from another was a seemingly small adjustment of perspective, but made a huge difference.