Lucy Corkhill

By Lucy Corkhill

02nd February 2015

If you can side-step all the red fluffy hearts and Clintons cards outlets, Valentines Day is a perfect opportunity to celebrate your love and the forthcoming spring. In preparing for a lover's night in, start by making yourself feel sparkly and fantastic.

Lucy Corkhill

By Lucy Corkhill

02nd February 2015

Lucy Corkhill

By Lucy Corkhill

02nd February 2015

If you are in parent mode, you need to mentally prepare yourself for lover mode. Put toys in the kid’s room, wash up all the porridge pans and remove bubble-blowing dolphins from the bathtub. Clearing the house of extraneous clutter means you have it all to yourself to enjoy. Start with a long languorous bath, add any of the essential oil blends (see below) to a small cup of milk (soya milk can be used), stir and add to the bath along with some rose petals.

Glowing candle light
Light candles around the bath, submerge yourself in the translucent, scented water and spend a while appreciating how lovely you look in the candlelight. Burning some oils in an oil burner can add to the evocative atmosphere. Taking time to relax in your own company and focusing on some positive affirmations will make you feel gorgeous and more willing and able to share your love and sexiness with your partner. Assert how good you feel, how great you look and how sexy you are. Too often, we fill our mental time with put-downs about our appearance from our first meeting with the mirror in the morning. It might feel a little weird at first to keep reiterating how fantastically luscious you are but the brain is a malleable creature and will soon adapt to a new way of thinking if you persist.

Treat your skin
After your bath, smooth a blend of base oil and essential oils on your skin (see below for ideas) for extra soft and edible skin. Don’t worry, you won’t be a travelling oil slick, the oil will be absorbed quickly but really leave your skin feeling wonderful. Having relied on moisturisers for my very dry skin for years I recently started using base oils mixed with my own blends of essential oils and the difference is amazing – suddenly I have glowing skin rather than scratchy red winter blotchiness which has to be hidden under layers of clothes.

“Whilst treating your partner, imagine them bathed in a golden light that extends from your hands and flows freely through them.”

Get in the mood
As you get dressed in something that makes you feel sumptuous, listen to some music that gets you in the mood. It’s totally up to you what you do when you are in your glad rags, perhaps you are planning a night out or having a meal together. If you’re staying at home, reflexology can be a very intimate form of foreplay, making you feel sexy and connected without expectations. It offers you the chance to connect on a spiritual and physical level and allows you both to openly give love and energy to each other. Take it in turns to do a treatment on each other.

Set the scene
The room should be warm and calm – try lighting candles, burning some essential oils and playing relaxing music. You can sit however you feel comfortable, with your partner’s feet in your lap. After cleaning the feet, put a towel in your lap and gently warm up the feet, using a pre-blended oil or moisturiser. Even people who claim not to like having their feet touched (I should know – I was once one of them!) tend to relax at this point as they give themselves into the sensation. The feet are highly-sensitive and oft-neglected and it is great to witness that look of pure pleasure when someone lets go of their inhibitions. Just massaging each other’s feet, staying focussed on giving pleasure and enjoyment to your lover and remaining connected to their energy will make your treatment wonderful. Although reflexology cannot magically arouse your partner, it can open up your energy channels and make you both more receptive.

Colour therapy
Whilst treating your partner, imagine them bathed in a golden light that extends from your hands and flows freely through them. Visualisations can be very powerful so get them to take themselves to a beautiful place, looking fabulous and wearing robes of red, purple and gold during the treatment. Here’s wishing you a very sensual Valentines Day and sexy springtime!

Romantic Essential Oil Blends
Response to smell is personal and thus varies hugely from person to person. For this reason, it is best to first test a selection of oils, blending them together too as they take on different smells when blended (don’t put undiluted essential oils directly on the skin). These are some blends I like and some of the oils included are renowned for their aphrodisiac properties so this is a good place to start in creating your own love-nest signature scent!

For sensual relaxation – feminine notes
Rose absolute – 4 drops, Ylang ylang – 2 drops, Jasmine – 3 drops, Lemon – 1 drop

An uplifting sexy blend – masculine notes
Black pepper – 3 drops, Sandalwood – 5 drops, Mandarin – 2 drops

For delicious-smelling skin
Geranium – 4 drops, Chamomile – 1 drop, Neroli – 5 drops

All blends should be mixed in 10ml carrier oil e.g. sweet almond oil, grapeseed oil or for dry, thirsty skin try adding a little of avocado or jojoba oils.

Please note: If your partner is pregnant, use half the essential oil dilutions and avoid stimulating the reproductive areas on the feet (check a good reflexology book for guidance).


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