Love abounds on Valentine’s Day. The challenge is to continue loving every day of the year. By bringing attention to and concentrating on expressions of love this one day a year, we have the model to go forward.

I’m referring to the kind of love in relationships that can survive all the ups and downs of life, and that is caring love. When we care we share lovingly; we share the best of ourselves for the best of others.

Caring love is an expression of unconditional love, that which accepts that another is doing the best they can at the moment given their background up to that point.

Unconditional love allows others to follow their path without imposing our point of view or making another feel guilty for not following our choices for them.

Meditation on Caring Love

Go to a quiet place where you will not be disturbed, indoors or outside. Prepare yourself by washing and putting on clean clothes. This ritual before meditation helps clear our mind as well as body, a time of rest from worldly concerns, a mental relaxation.

Sit on a cushion on the floor or on a chair with your back held straight. If sitting on the floor fold your legs in and rest your hands in your lap or place them palms up or palms down on your thighs. If sitting in a chair plant the soles of your feet firmly on the ground for balance.

Drape a cloth or shawl around your shoulders if you tend to cool down while meditating. The cloth or blanket is almost like being in a little pup tent, cozy and secure.

Close your eyes and begin breathing evenly such as one count to breathe in and one count to breathe out. Continue this rhythmic pattern throughout your meditation. Breath is the tie between body and mind. Even breathing can calm emotions and bring clarity to mind.

If you are using a mantra and mala move one bead forward per mantra repetition. See the photo of me with my mala for a demonstration.

Now that you are still and breathing evenly say an affirmation for personal and world peace such as: I am feeling my inner peace and carry it into my life.

Listen to the ingoing and outgoing breath and if you hear the inner Holy Spirit Vibration listen to it for a time.

Let your thoughts turn to the love generated on Valentine’s Day and make a promise to yourself to extend your love beyond today. See yourself stretching your caring love to your family, friends, and the whole universe, which is really our bigger family.

Conclude your meditation with a deep breath in and slowly release it. Open your eyes, stretch out, go forward into your day with the attitude of real caring, unconditional love.

I invite you to join me in a world-wide cyber meditation every day of the year. Click on this link to read about it.

For offline reading

Gentle Yoga and Meditation – for All Adults
Gentle yoga poses and meditations for adults of all ages, plus a dose of yoga philosophy and virtues. All poses illustrated. 107 pages . Table of contents at this link.

Meditation for all Kids
Sitting, walking, dance and group circle meditations, along with positive affirmations, verses and benefits of meditation for kids of all ages and abilities in a 100 page book with illustrations.

Article by Susan Helene Kramer; photo credit of author demonstrating how to hold a mala by Stan Schaap.

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