Valentine's Day means love. Many of us think of Valentine's Day as romantic love. But there are so many different types of love that we forget about on Valentine's Day. There is the love between family members, the love between you and your community. It all begins with self love. One way to express the love of self is via self-care such as a massages, maybe a mindful shower, or through exercise. Yet expression self-love is not always easy. In our daily lives, we generally seek to focus outwardly.

A metta meditation is a meditation of loving kindness that comes from your own heart space. It may be practiced as a love first toward ourselves, love toward others, and love toward our community.

To practice loving kindness meditation, sit in a comfortable position, take a deep inhalation and slowly let it out. Then begin to focus the mind, sending love to yourself. We first focus on the self, because it is like putting on the oxygen mask before you help the other person. Do your self-care love first, so you can contribute to the well-being of others and your community. Develop the love in your heart space.

Now focusing on this phrase (mantra) or another phrase that resonates with you: May I be happy. May I be safe. May I be at peace and at ease.

Continuing your natural breath.

Then begin to focus the mind on another person you care about with the phrase similar to: May you be happy. May you be safe. May you be at peace and at ease.

Continuing your natural breath in your calm comfortable seated position. Paramahansa Yogananda has said, "Have only love in your heart for others. The more you see the good in them, the more you will establish good in yourself."

Then begin to focus the mind on a person that you do not have very positive feelings for and recite in your mind: May you be happy. May you be safe. May you be at peace and at ease.

Continuing your natural breath.

Send the love to your community, tribe, or clan : May all of you be happy. May all of you be safe. May you all of you be at peace and at ease.

Find the loving kindness in your heart and do a metta meditation today.