5 Lessons Yoga Has Taught Me About Love

February is the month of love. This weekend brings the one day a year where you can bask in all things mushy and gushy from sun up to sun down….Valentine’s Day.

This day is by far the lamest day of the year. I mean, think about it; it’s named after the massacre of Saint Valentine and the cash cow it brings for all the card companies.

It’s also lame AF because as long as I can remember, I’ve always been let down (I blame being a girl). I believe if you love and care for someone, whether that’s a significant other, friend or family member, your love shouldn’t be confined and put on a pedestal for only one day of the year. If you love someone, you should show that shit loud and proud on any day you please.

But, since we live in America and companies have to make money, Valentine’s Day is what it is. It will come and go and we’ll have forgotten about it come Monday morning.

With the month of love in full swing, I should be feeling, well…loving. But lately, I’ve been feeling quite the opposite and a more off than usual. It’s nothing major as this feeling is normal for me during this time of year with the Winter Blues setting in and the goals of the New Year starting to slowly fade.

To help me ease back into life, I’ve turned to my favorite pastime; yoga. Pairing movement to my breath instantly brings me back down to planet Earth. I swear yoga is a cure-all.

In my most recent yoga class while lying in Savasana, I got to thinking about my next blog post, specifically for Valentine’s Day. I know, I know….I’m supposed to be tuning inward during this time, but it’s yoga. You do what feels right.

So I started to think about love. I thought about recipes, old boyfriends, great friendships, DIY cards, etc. etc. Nothing clicked. Then, I started to think about what love meant to me. Each reason that popped into my head had an odd correlation with yoga.

Wham, bam, thank you ma’am. That was it. Whether you’ve never practiced yoga in your life or if you’re a devoted yogi, I think this post will resonate with everyone. Yoga has quite a lot to teach if you just listen.

….And men, if you’ve got yourself a yoga chick, consider yourself lucky ;)

Here are 5 lessons yoga has taught me about love.

1. You have to love yourself before loving anyone else.

While doing yoga, you are guided to tune inward and listen to your body while quieting the mind. With a mirror right in front of you, you get to know every visible inch of your body pretty damn well. While tuning in, you start to realize what your body is capable of and what it is not, what it looks like and what it does not. You quiet the negative self-talk and begin to love and accept what is. You realize how important it is to honor your body and do what feels right. If you don’t love yourself, how are you expected to love someone else?

2. Change doesn’t happen overnight.

In yoga, everyone has those poses they can’t quite do. Sometimes you go into the next class thinking you will master that damn pose and you come out more disappointed than when you started. You have to realize that change doesn’t happen overnight. Change is hard. The same goes for love. I’ve realized that you can’t change someone. They have to change themselves so stop trying. That’s like reading the same book over and over, and expecting a different ending. Be patient.

3.  Don’t pay attention to other people.

Yoga is all about self-awareness. No one goes in there to judge other people. They go in there to take care of themselves, both physically and mentally. Love should be treated the same. Don’t pay attention to what other people are doing as love means completely different things to different people. Find what works for you and roll with it.

4.  Yoga breath helps with everything.

Seriously. Get in an argument with your SO? Yoga breath. Feeling all sorts of anxious on a first date? Yoga breath. Need some stamina for sexy time? Yoga breath. It’s like the every day version of coconut oil; it cures everything.

5. Open your heart and the mind will follow.

Since I started practicing yoga about 7 years ago, I’ve found myself being more outgoing and adventurous in my every day life. I’ve opened my mind to new ideas, trying new things, meeting new groups of friends, and dating different types of guys. Open your heart to new experiences and good energy will follow. Don’t get stuck with a one-track mind about love or what love should look like. Be open.

These are the lessons about love that yoga has taught me....with a lot left to learn. So whether you like this day or not, I hope you all have a beautiful Valentine’s Day filled with good energy, great chocolate and a little (or a lotta) love <3

XO