A few weeks ago, I had an idea. I was contemplating possible events for the Awakening Heart Collective and wondering what might bring some light and joy as the winter months begin to drag. St Valentine’s Day potentially adds a little bit of sparkle in the grey days of February, I thought, but, like most national days of celebration, it feels horribly commercial, and also exclusive; if you’re not romantically entwined, the day is not for you. Why can’t there be a national day of celebrating love in its wider context, I thought. Hmmm, now there’s an idea; maybe the Awakening Heart Collective could offer such an opportunity, at least on a mini scale. Given the associations between love and the heart, it couldn’t be more relevant.
But then I started to wonder, what exactly would we be celebrating? Because actually, what is love in its wider context? Or just, what is love? That’s a big question, one even the cleverest scientists haven’t come close to answering. I had a flashback at that point, to the Love is…. cartoons that were a bit of a craze in the 1980s when school girls like myself at the time used to spend our play times swapping the stickers with their cute images and one-line sentiments as to what true love is. I don’t think we discovered anything profound in those cartoons but at that age we didn’t care, we were drawn to the romantic idea of love and only later when we were grown would we likely have contemplated the more lasting unconditional forms of love.

But I wonder how many adults have gone deep with their contemplations, delving into the mysteries of love and asking the questions philosophers have been grappling with for millennia. How many have considered the very essence of love – a simple emotion or fundamental universal force? Or where love arises in our body and its impact on our physiology? How many have thought about the power of love to change ourselves and others, and what happens to the love we have shared during our lifetime when we die? Maybe it feels a little too overwhelming to consider these questions, you might prefer to leave love as a beautiful mystery, but I do believe reflection on the big questions is important, even if ultimately, we end up circling back to the ‘love is a mystery, life is a mystery’ position. Such reflection is particularly vital now as we navigate times of transformation on our planet. Because without truly understanding what is most important to us as human beings, we can’t hope to create the future world we wish to see. Love will surely feature heavily in that review of what is important and so a deep dive into what love is and how it serves us will further our personal and collective evolution.
With those thoughts running through my head, I settled on an idea for an uplifting end-of-winter event for the Awakening Heart Collective. Let’s celebrate love in its widest context with an alternative St Valentine’s Day gathering, I thought, and let’s use this opportunity to reflect on and consider what love truly is and what it means to us. Let’s come together and create a spark of brightness in the dark days as we connect as one heart and let’s sink into the nurturing comfort of being together with a combined powerful intention that we will each receive exactly what we need for our wellbeing. And so, this is the plan and I now present to you the invitation.

We would be delighted if you would join us online for our Celebration of Love on the evening of 13th February from 7-8.30pm. We invite you to come along with open minds and open hearts for an evening of celebration, cogitation and connection, when together we will explore the deeper meaning of love as well as experience the loving connection of hearts united as we take part in a deep meditation led by Rev Padma Devi from the Heart of Living Yoga charity organisation. The event is free of charge but we would ask that you consider offering a donation to the Heart of Living Yoga charity who do amazing work to support children and families in the UK and across the world.
Of course, I have reflected myself on what love is over the last few weeks as I plan this event and it is actually a question I have thought about many times before. Several ‘Love is…’ lines come to mind now as I ponder again, but this one by the poet E. E. Cummings is definitely one that resonates deeply.
Love is the whole and more than all. E. E. Cummings
I hope this short article has made you reflect on your own personal sense of love, and if you’re free on the 13th February, please do come along with your thoughts, share in the heart-warming atmosphere and help us celebrate, we would LOVE to welcome you!
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