Valentine’s Day comes wrapped in flowers, romance, gifts, and candlelight dinners—a celebration symbolic of transactional love. The day is often characterized by commercial romanticism, where happiness is often dependent on others. For many, it also brings stress, anxiety, and even heartbreak.
However, beyond its glittery commercial and transactional surface, the day holds a deep spiritual significance.
“The first person you have to love is yourself. Then you can love others,” says well-known spiritual mentor and motivational speaker BK Sister Shivani, a representative of Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual Organization.
Perhaps this Valentine’s Day should be less about transactional love and more about unconditional self-love.
So what about a sacred pause?
Step away from the fast-paced life.
Apply a balm to the heart and allow it to heal.
When approached with mindfulness and spirituality, the day can be less about validation from others and more about inner love and mindful presence.
Beyond romance: returning to the heart
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar reiterates, “Love is not an emotion. It is your very existence. You’re not on this planet to find love, because you are Love. Your job is to remember.”
So true!
But in pursuit of a materialistic life, we deny that very existence. We chase transactional love. In doing so, we drift away from self-love and end up inviting anxiety, depression, frustration, etc.
To truly enjoy the beauty of life, caring for one’s heart is truly important. Not only in medical terms, but also spiritually and mindfully. The heart yearns not merely for stimulation but for comfort, care, and peace, which are crucial for overall well-being.
The Heart Chakra – Anahata Chakra and inner peace
Ancient yogic scriptures talk about seven energy chakras in our body. The heart chakra, or Anahata in Sanskrit, is recognized as the fourth, the bridge between spiritual and physical well-being.
Sitting at the center of our hearts, the Anahata Chakra signifies more than romance. It governs self-love, compassion, and the ability to form meaningful connections. It influences our spiritual, physical, and emotional well-being, explains Maa Smt. Hansaji Yogendra, director of the Yoga Institute.
Stepping away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and returning to the heart helps us think beyond physiological concerns.
While modern medicines help in restoring circulation and electrical rhythm to the heart, the spiritual practice focuses on reconnecting to the Hridayam—the Spiritual Heart—the center of awareness, self-love, and divine presence.
Awakening the heart-chakra mantra
Om Hreem Yam Namah Shivaya Swaha—the chanting of the mantra awakens the heart chakra and fills our lives with love, peace, and harmony. Spiritual gurus recommend regular chanting of this mantra to awaken the heart chakra
Those who find it difficult to chant the entire mantra can go for Yam, the beej mantra.
Heart and a mindful pause
Did you know that in the quiet space between breath and awareness, the heart listens?
New research echoes what traditional practices have long suggested—mindfulness can improve heart health.
A scientific statement published in the Journal of the American Heart Association says that the mind-calming practice of meditation may play a role in reducing your risk of heart disease.
Dr. John Denninger, director of research at the Harvard-affiliated Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, explains that meditation not only improves heart functions, but regular practice can also improve life and motivate many heart-healthy behaviors, like following a proper diet, getting adequate sleep, and keeping up regular exercise.
Many ways of meditating
Contrary to the general belief, meditation is not about sitting cross-legged quietly.
The Harvard Health website suggests that various mind-body practices, such as yoga and tai chi, are similar to meditation. With the help of slow movements, mindful breathing, and mental focus, one can experience a state of inner balance.
Everyday exercises that emphasize steady, repetitive movements, such as bike riding, swimming, or walking, can be a form of meditation because during the activities, the attention is on movement itself—on breath, muscle, and motion. Therefore, these activities transform into meditation in motion.
Benefits of Mindfulness
Happiness to inner radiance: Research suggests that a high level of mindfulness is related to a higher level of happiness and overall well-being. The joys of life cannot be chased, it is uncovered.
Turns anxiety into awareness: Such is the power of mindfulness that it reduces anxiety and offers peace and tranquility of mind and heart. This is because mindfulness focuses on the present, not on the fear of an unseen tomorrow.
Light through the mud of sadness: The research indicates that mindfulness has been associated with lower levels of depression. Like a lotus blooming through muddy waters, awareness helps us to witness our thoughts without being submerged by them.
Source:
https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/mindfulness-can-improve-heart-health
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7908241
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