Hot Tips for More Love this Valentine’s Day!

Valentines greetings from Egypt – while I’m on a spiritual pilgrimage to deepen my own personal journey of expansion, growth and self love you were on my mind.

Tomorrow, as you know, is the most exalted love day of the month.

How are you doing?

If you are already in a wonderful relationship I’m wishing you a beautiful celebration:)) But if you’re not and you find yourself longing to be in a deeply loving and connected partnership you are in great company. In my experience as a coach, I’ve learned that the majority of women share this common desire.

We are all on this planet to love and be loved.

And we’ve all been there on Valentine’s Day. The one day of the year that makes being alone feel even harder. Every shop window is full of hearts and red roses. Restaurants are advertising their special Valentine’s Day menus. If you were in a relationship last year and this year you’re not, the day can become a difficult reminder of what’s missing from your life.

But it doesn’t have to be this way!

What if, instead of spending Valentine’s Day focused on the love you don’t have, you make it a day to celebrate all the love that already surrounds you?

The best way to do that is with your soul sisters! Which is what I’m doing in Egypt right now.

As well, one of my most treasured memories is of a Valentine’s Day pamperfest with my dear friends Patti and Maureen. At the time, my heart was healing and their husbands were both out of town so we decided to spend this day of love together and enjoy it to the max.

This brought a beautiful realization to the surface for both Patti and Maureen. They learned that the love we celebrate on Valentine’s Day isn’t limited to the romantic rapture we share with our significant others. The love of friends is just as important as the love in an intimate relationship.

When’s the last time you laughed with your girlfriends until you had tears rolling down your cheeks? Or your ribs hurt so much and you couldn’t catch your breath? When was the last time you sat and caught up with the women in your life that ignite your soul’s passion?

This Valentine’s Day, how about you all put your heads together and plan a Girlfriend Getaway!

I love Girlfriend Getaways. A few days out of town, having fun with friends is incredibly rejuvenating. Even if it’s only for a day or two, that can be just enough to open you up to new ways of thinking, make you more creative and bring you joy.

Also, spending time with your girlfriends causes the brain to release the “feel good” hormone Oxytocin. You know that euphoria you felt after giving birth or the last time you fell in love? That was all thanks to Oxytocin.

The role of this hormone is to help us bond to others, and when we spend time with our girlfriends, its produced in abundance.

You might wonder, “If it feels so good to spend time with each other, why aren’t we doing it more often?” Here’s why: we feel guilty about getting away. We beat ourselves up for leaving our kids or our jobs behind to take care of ourselves.

But you absolutely should not feel guilty! When you take time for you and your favorite friends, you are filled up and able to be more loving, present and openhearted in your daily life.

Hear me, Honey Child: do not feel guilty for taking time for yourself!!

Here are some great ideas for a fun time with the girls!

• Gather your soul sisters together and plan a spa day. Pamper yourselves with massages, facials and mani/pedis; drink champagne, eat chocolate. Just make sure to spoil yourselves silly!
• Plan a weekend vino tasting adventure! If it’s not possible to hop on a plane to Napa, host a wine tasting at your place. Invite everyone to bring their favorite bottle (or two!) along with an appetizer to pair with it and enjoy the vineyard at home.
• Have a Girlfriend Staycation! Invite your girlfriends over, make sure there’s lots to munch on and have some choice beverages on hand. Watch movies with the latest heartthrob or binge the newest Netflix series.
• Meet for a walk at your favorite nature spot. Or make some other fun, active plan. Rent bikes for the afternoon, take a yoga or meditation workshop, sweat it out in a spin class and then refuel with brunch afterwards.

Having fun is incredibly important. When we add playtime to our daily life, we open our hearts to receiving in so many ways.

Whether you’re up for a get-together or a get-away, the options are endless. So what are you waiting for? Go call your girlfriends right now! You’ve been putting this off way too long and Valentine’s Day is right around the corner!