Valentine's Day <3 Feel free to send some hearts to your loved ones - it may be extra needed this year. But also make sure to take care of your own heart, this great organ that throughout your long life pumps around about 10,000 litres of blood - every day! According to Ayurveda, the heart is not just a physical organ but the centre of our emotions and the seat of our self. The heart is related to pitta and especially the sub dosha sadhaka pitta. In my consultations, it is not uncommon for me to see imbalances there. They are often caused by sorrows and disappointments earlier in life. To keep your heart healthy and strong, here are some tips:

• Exercise - it is the one measure that most effectively prevents cardiovascular disease. Do something you like and enjoy. But make sure to get your heart rate up so that the heart can sense its power.

• Avoid stress. I know - it's easier said than done in today's society. But stress is one of the biggest threats to our heart. And sometimes we probably stress about things that may not really be that important - at least not more important than our heart.

• Do yoga and meditate. In particular, Transcendental Meditation, TM, has been shown to be effective in preventing cardiovascular disease.

• Avoid eating too heavy and indigestible food. And always eat in peace and quiet to digest the food properly, otherwise slag products are formed that contribute to atherosclerosis.

• Pineapple, lemon, lime, cardamom and black pepper are good for the heart. Include them in your diet.

• Roses are also perfect for the heart. Enjoy their beauty, their scent (e.g. in the form of aroma oils when you do not have fresh roses) and eat rose petal paste (organic).

• Sunlight also lights up the heart, especially the early morning sun. Sunshine on bare skin on the chest fills the heart with light. Maybe not so easy right now - but there will be a summer eventually.

• Be kind to yourself. Allow yourself to enjoy life - you deserve it, and that's really why we're here.

• Also spread love around you. Loving unselfishly is the best thing we can do for our emotional heart.

Happy Valentine <3