“Should I buy her a precious ring or just settle in for flowers this time?” “Oh, I hope he likes this perfume or shall I buy him a music CD or perhaps plan a surprise for him?”
Too many plans, too many thoughts in the head. But what to do? it’s Valentine’s Day after all! And it only comes once a year. And we all eagerly await this day since the New Year.
Of course it’s the Valentine’s Day and you definitely want it to be the most special – one that your partner would remember for a long time to come, isn’t it? But how to do that? If it’s your first date or you have recently started dating someone, there’s lots of excitement and things that you want to do for him/her but you are also slightly nervous at the same time.
And if you have been with someone for a long time now, it’s just another date and the same old things that you do every year. Novelty seems to have worn off.
Whatever the case, what if you could make this Valentine’s as special as any of the rest? Just 20 minutes of your time and you are all set to rock the big day!
Of course, those 20 minutes would only have that extra-special-effect if you have been regularly spending 20 minutes meditating. Which means you are a regular meditator and have, at some point or the other, experienced the benefits of the practice so you understand its value. You may have been doing it every day but this Valentine’s Day, make sure you definitely meditate for 15-20 minutes to add that special zing to your favorite day.
If you have just started dating your ‘someone special’:
#1 Overexcitement can be hazardous to your love health.
If it’s your first-ever Valentine’s Day, it’s only natural to be excited. But make sure that you don’t get overexcited and mess up things. First date is always a little tricky because you both may not know each other’s likes/dislikes too well. Now because it’s your first Valentine’s, you surely want to make it special, agreed. But overdoing some things, you should not end up making your partner feel uncomfortable.
Take time to know each other and what each of you appreciates and do that together. Meditating in the morning for a few minutes before you start your special day can be a great help. It will help you stay centered so that you neither get overexcited nor feel like it’s just another day – a perfect balance to enjoy your day the way both of you like.
#2 Naturalness is also the best policy.
Now don’t say you wouldn’t want to impress your date! Whether you are dating them the first time on Valentine’s Day or just started out, there’s always a natural tendency to put your best foot forward. But sometimes, in an attempt to please or impress the opposite sex, we may end up losing our natural self – who we really are. That’s perhaps because we may not have enough faith that our partner would like us the way we just are.
Meditation can help restore that confidence in us. It helps you get back to your natural self – your innocence and your true nature – so that you become comfortable with your being and there’s no need for any pretentions after that. A few minutes of meditation everyday helps you stay natural. Make sure you sit for a few minutes on the ‘big day’ too to get in touch with your nature and let your partner like the ‘real’ you.
#3 Expect less, enjoy more.
The key to enjoying your day more and better! If you plan too much, you may end up expecting a lot in terms of how the day goes. Sometimes the expectation may be from the partner on how they plan the day for you, the kind of gifts they get, etc. Well, the best way is neither to plan too much, nor to expect. Just keep it natural and let the day flow in its own way.
When you meditate, it becomes easier to accept things as they are. So even if the day is not going as you expected it to, you would be less disappointed.
If you are dating someone whom you’ve been with for some time now:
#4 Let your creative juices flow.
Now planning a date with someone whom you have been with for a while can be a bit challenging at times. After all, there would have already been so many Valentine’s celebrated together and you may have exhausted all your ideas on previous occasions.
But don’t be disappointed. When you meditate regularly, the creative side of you gets enhanced so that when you are planning what special to do for your valentine this year, you might have a whole bunch of creative ideas. A chance to keep surprising your partner every year with something new from your Pandora’s Box!
#5 Keep the novelty going.
Your partner and you have been together for quite some time now and so it’s only natural to feel extremely comfortable with each other. Both of you may have already outgrown that feeling of excitement in those early days of dating each other. But you still wouldn’t want dullness or monotony to set into the relationship, right?
Don’t worry. When you meditate regularly, everything around you seems fresh and new. So it’s only a matter of time that you would start feeling novelty in the relationship as time goes by. If both the partners meditate, it’s only better. And of course, if you meditate for a while before you both set out to celebrate your Valentine’s Day, you could experience a different flavor of freshness all through the day with your loved one.
So the mantra to make your Valentine’s all the more special: just meditate for 20 minutes and see the magic spread. Try it out for yourself. Happy Valentine’s Day!
Inspired by Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's wisdom talks
Written by Pritika Nair
Based on inputs by Chinky Sen, Sahaj Samadhi Meditation Teacher
