Love is that ethereal experience that makes us feel completely alive. Where every sense is heightened, every emotion is magnified, our everyday reality is transcended, and life seems worthwhile. Love is the ultimate nourishment of the soul.

It is said that the entire array of human needs is rooted in our need for love. Our yearning for fame, fortune and material things all boil down to our need to be acknowledged, respected, admired - and above all, loved.

No truer words have been said than those that George Sand wrote: "There is only one happiness in life, to love and be loved."

The good news is, you can develop the skill to live a full and joyful life, enhanced by love -- and experience all the profound manifestations that love brings. Employing positive, loving affirmations will help you develop that skill.

Following are some loving affirmations you can use to attract, embody, give, receive and reap the rewards of love. Choose the affirmations that feel appropriate to you -- those that resonate with you, or strike an emotional chord. It is important that the words feel comfortable to you and are in line with who you are. Feel free to create one for your specific need by substituting other words that have special meaning to you:

The last affirmation in the above list, "I love and approve of myself," is one that Louise Hay (healer, minister, and author of "Heal Your Body" and many other life-transforming books) recommends.

TIP: There is a little-known technique for taking the power of affirmations to the highest level -- so that manifesting your desires becomes *automatic* and easy. It is by combining affirmations with 7 of the most powerful manifestation technologies - visualization, alpha sound technology, subliminal technology, sentence completion, assignment writing/goal setting and whole brain wave synchronization. by Jeff Staniforth