How was your Valentine’s Day? Did you and your partner make it a special day? Why is it that we need a designated day to celebrate our love for one another? The tradition is not a new one although much of the meaning has changed. In early Roman times, the month of February was dedicated to purification. On the 15th of the month, a Roman Festival was held encouraging attendees to cleanse their sacred space, observe purification rituals, offer sacrifices and prayers, and engage in meditation.

Thus, February represents both historical and cultural significance to cleanse, improve and grow the heart. But why not practice this intention throughout the year? There are ways we can weave these historical and modern connotations into a beautiful blanket, embracing a loved one in our life, thus honoring them not only in February, but throughout the year.

All relationships are assignments in our life for maximum opportunity of soul growth. It is our job to find tangible ways to express our love through heartfelt gesture, and the most heartfelt gestures are not always in a perfectly wrapped box with a bow. Create an intention — based on positive speech, action and effort — by presenting your partner with a healthy offering or gesture, such as a cleansing spa experience at home or away. By doing this, we learn about ourselves and our loved one.

A wonderful way to honor your loved one is to draw a bath, drop aromatic oil into the water, light a candle, and pour a glass of wine. Bathing as a couple, or allowing your partner to soak in the benefits of a stress-relieving soak alone, gives permission to “check out” for a while. Warming a neck pillow, playing some soothing spa melody and giving a foot massage is another way to show honor and respect for a close partner in life. Providing this heartfelt, tactile, sensorial experience allows us to give love from the heart. It also allows the person experiencing the gift to openly express what they want more or less of, opening the gateway of connection. It is impossible to show love being in a negative space towards one’s partner. Such spa-influenced gestures will transport couples into a place of ultimate positive regard.

Perhaps massage and spa do not sound appealing. Togetherness and purification of the relationship may also be achieved from a wellness approach incorporating fitness. Set a mutual fitness goal and motivate each other. This type of shared effort reinforces a couple’s healthy connection and lifestyle for months and years to come.

One final togetherness recommendation that I encourage couples to consider is to have a “Watsu” with your partner. Find a spa that provides this amazing aquatic experience and make it a point to be moved, pulled, swayed, embraced, and connected in 98 degree water. It is sure to stir the soul and participants will never view the healing effects of water, or each other, in the same way again.