Flowers of Love + Healing
Happy Valentine’s Day
The day of love and romance. Of candlelight, cards, dinners. However you celebrate – with your self, your lover, partner or friends – I want to share a bit of self love and self care with you.
Over on my Instagram account you have seen photos of roses, fresh and dried, in drinks, food and oils. Roses are all about love including Divine Love and is often used in worship or Puja. Perhaps you have been sipping rose water as part of devotional worship?
Rose is often associated with female sensuality and sexuality. Maybe there is an affinity of the petals and a woman’s flower, her yoni. Perhaps the fragrance and essential oils has a connection there too. Certainly both the essential oil and the petals are used to support and regulate the female reproductive system, it is nourishing, has a calming effect on the emotions. It is aphrodisiac for both men and women. In Ayurveda is it said to be Sukrala, increasing semen.
You can make a beautiful nourishing, Ojas increasing (and potentially romance inducing) drink with warm milk (almond would be great), dried rose petals and saffron.
As Rose is slightly cooling it is perfect for Pitta people. Anyone with too much heat, anger, irritability, inflammation and anger. And even with the cooling qualities it still ignites the digestive fire, agni.
Using Rose on the skin is fantastic for irritated or inflamed skin. It is calming on both skin and emotions. It has an affinity with the heart chakra. The energy of Love, Devotion and Compassion.
Either add a couple of pure rose essential oil (I like Neal’s Yard Remedies) in a base oil like almond, coconut or sesame. Or enjoy the luscious blended oils from Ren or this beautifully infused Rose Oil from Fushi. Massage all over the body – especially around the heart centre – filling yourself with love.
Create your own Rose ritual of Rose tea infusion, or the milky rose drinks, add some petals to your cake, have fresh flower around you to enjoy the peaceful yet euphoric scent. Massage your self or/and your partner or lover. Knowing that Rose, according to Ayurveda, will nourish you if you feel anxious or low, reduce irritation, anger or hot headaches, it may increase your desire and fertility.
Now, that is a great excuse to enjoy some Gulab Jamun on your next date:
(There is absolutely nothing Ayurvedic about this – it just taste deliciously sweet of syrup, rose, condensed milk and Saffron. + Saffron is another beautiful aphrodisiac spice)