Valentine’s Day Partner Yoga

Seeking Love and Acceptance from Within and Extending Trust towards Others

As Valentine’s Day is fast approaching, for many people it represents feelings of loneliness and unmet expectations. In her article for the Huffington Post, Sara Ivanhoe likens our search for love to  “hungry tigers, we go out on the hunt and we'll eat it up in any form; romantic love, parental love, sibling love, love for a pet, adoration from our peers, approval from our teachers -- we'll take anything.” When we seek love from outside of ourselves we are often left with the feeling that we are “filling up a bucket that has a hole in the bottom -- no matter how much comes in we are left empty.”

I believe giving love and receiving love is essential to a happy life. The only way to get love is to give it – and give it to ourselves first.

Our yoga practice is a bit like giving

ourselves the gift of our own self-care and love. It invites us to accept ourselves just as we are: warts, saggy bits, racing-mind and all. By practicing compassion for ourselves, we are more likely to maintain our emotional stability and objectivity in our empathetic interactions with others.

When we go deeper into our own practice we get to experience the truest and best parts of ourselves. At the heart of Tantric philosophy is the teaching that at the core of each of us is Love. Our yoga practice allows us to connect with our truest Self, building a wholeness that makes us strong enough to support ourselves on our journey toward our own goals. That same strength is what enables us to say an authentic “yes” to others who need or want our help and support as they travel on their own paths.

Partner yoga offers a whole new and fresh perspective to our practice. Working with another person helps us to change pre-conceptions about what we can and can’t do. There’s an invitation to open our heart and body when working with someone else. We have to trust that the person

working alongside us will help and support us and we are invited to be there to do the same for him or her.

Whether you are a practising yogi, yogini, tantrika, meditator, or none of the above: find a moment as this Valentine's Day approaches, to sit or stand and connect to your breath. Breathe in love, acceptance and compassion for your Self, and as the love within grows, extend it out into the Universe. Extend your trust towards others by letting them do something for you, or support you in some way. Together we are One! 

Millie Brereton is a certified yoga teacher, fitness and

nutritional advisor and general lover of life. She is the founder of The Kula Centre of Learning and Personal Development and co-founder of Project Huerta. She lives in rural Northern Spain and delights in nature, Tantric philosophy and seeing the good in everyone who crosses her path. She can often be found in her kitchen blending juices and cooking up tasty treats from her organic farm, or bounding through the mountains with her two dogs, Bonnie and Kin. You can connect with her by visiting her webpage,www.thekulacentre.com or connect with her on facebook.

The Kula Centre - Yoga in Pamplona
Kula Kids Academia de Inglés, Pamplona

Project Huerta - Txoto Hill Farm