At the time, I had been working in Hollywood as the “Wellness Director” on Rob Schneider’s “Deuce Bigalow, Male Gigolo,” a very different kind of love story to say the least!  But, it did give me an idea of what the movie industry was all about… and sparked an idea for a movie!

I thought, “What if I made a movie about the life of Saint Valentine?”

I talked to a few people about my idea and they loved it.  Adam Sandler said that he thought it was a combination of “Pretty Woman” and “Gladiator.”  Who wouldn’t want to see that!

I decided to write a screenplay on his life story and fill in the missing historical information.  I had never written a screenplay, so I took a class, studied up and gave it a shot. Well, after two years of writing, with lots of help and feedback, it got some recognition.  It’s never been made into a movie, but the head of Sony and Quentin Tarantino both gave it a “thumbs up.” The screenplay was optioned from me by some screenplay writers and they continue to work on it even to this day.

Here’s some interesting information on the history of the Saint and how it has connection and relevance to Qi Gong and Taoist practice. Hopefully, you will get to see the movie I wrote and see all the twists and turns I added to the story!

A History of Love

Saint Valentine lived in Rome during the third century, A.D. It was a time at which the emperor’s word was absolute, and many lived in constant fear. Conquest and power were the values that drove the nation, and the leaders were merciless in punishing anyone who went against their authority.

Saint Valentine had different values about what was important. He believed that love was a greater value than conquest and power. However, Rome was constantly at war and its leaders put heavy demands on the people to carry out their will. The emperor even outlawed marriage so that all the young men could focus on fighting Germanic tribes to expand Rome’s borders.

This didn’t sit well with Saint Valentine. Instead of staying quiet, he decided to marry couples who were in love with one another and wanted to spend their lives together. Not only did he violate the emperor’s decree by marrying couples, but he did so within the Christian tradition which was a serious offense in Rome as the religion was outlawed.

Saint Valentine’s belief in love was stronger than his fear of punishment, and his good deeds didn’t go unnoticed. The emperor quickly found out and put Saint Valentine in jail. However, this couldn’t stop him from helping others whenever he could.

The head jailor had a blind daughter. Miraculously, Saint Valentine was able to heal her blindness and restore her sight. One theory is that Saint Valentine learned how to become a healer from Taoist sages before he was arrested.

After healing the jailer’s daughter, Saint Valentine started writing her love letters. At the end of each, he would sign: From your Valentine.

Saint Valentine’s dedication to love and affection led to the emperor beheading him on February 14th, 269 A.D. However, his legacy and values have lived on, and his life has become a hallmark of love.

Celebrating Love

Valentine’s Day invites us to celebrate the love in our hearts. This includes our romantic love as well as our love for friends and family. By taking the time to appreciate and cherish those we care about, all parts of ourselves are nourished and enriched.

In Chinese Medicine and Qi Gong, love is connected to our heart center. Together, love and the heart reflects the relationship between fire and water, or yin and yang. Qi Gong offers many great practices that help us to elevate our hearts and cultivate love and joy. This can allow us to show up more fully and compassionately in all of our relationships as well as our work. There’s really no limits to how far your love can extend when your heart is in a healthy place.

In the context of romantic relationships, love and sexual energy have a special relationship. Love and sexual energy are two of the most powerful forces that humans have to work with. Each of them provides motivation and inspiration for many of our actions and behaviors. When working together, love with sexual energy has the potential to elevate our health, happiness, and fulfillment.

Sexual energy is also referred to as “Jing,” and resides in our lower abdomen, also known as the “Lower Tan Tien.” This is our primal life force energy and holds our essence as humans. It lies at the core of our physical nature and is important for all aspects of our well-being.

In romantic relationships, sexual energy can be a powerful way to elevate all parts of the whole. By cultivating Jing energy and channeling it up through the heart center, the gifts of your body can move up into your heart and cultivate love.

Taoist Sexual Secrets

Taoist sages developed powerful practices for working with sexual energy, emotional energy, and spiritual consciousness. Because of their importance, these three parts of ourselves are referred to as “The Tree Treasures.” In the context of romantic relationships, it’s important to bring mindful awareness to how we relate and cultivate our sexual energy, and the Taoists know that this requires sexual energy and emotional energy to work together. Through skillful learning, Taoist practices can help individuals and couples to work with sexuality to elevate all parts of their beings.

Although these practices can certainly be used within sex itself, they don’t have to be. Jing and sexual energy exist within us at all times, and Qi Gong and meditation is a great way to work with it outside of sex.

Many of these Taoist teachings can be practiced at any time or any place. Many of them look very similar to other Qi Gong practices and can be used to cultivate and integrate our energy whenever we feel that it would be helpful. By learning how to cultivate and circulate sexual vitality, our entire beings can flourish.

Nothing in life is more important than love, and Valentine’s Day is a wonderful opportunity to welcome that wisdom. Whether that means tapping into your gratitude for friends and family or exploring how Taoist practices can elevate your romantic partnership, take some time this Valentine’s Day to really appreciate the presence of love in your life.

The above is an original article by Lee Holden, Holden QiGong, February 2019 reprinted with permission by Lee Holden.