Meditation

We each have our challenges and our strengths in this lifetime, and we all deserve happiness and love.

As we increase awareness of our needs through embodying our emotional and physical experiences, we can learn to soften the power of critical, anxious, and rigid thoughts.

We may have threads of false messages to untangle as we search for our own truths about sexuality due to the negative and conflicting messages we all internalize from our cultures and families. For those of us in relationships with same-sex partners or otherwise not fitting into the heteronormative expectations of mainstream society, part of our process may be to let go of the messages about who we are supposed to be and allow ourselves to create relationships that bring us joy.

In moving toward more fully accepting ourselves, we become more comfortable with letting others truly know us. This is a pathway to deeply intimate relationships.

If the structure of our lives revolves around staying busy, whether by being productive or seeking distractions, sexual intimacy often slips below everything else that receives our attention. Our sexual experiences with partners may highlight the challenges that come with being goal-oriented, fearful of "failure," and avoidant of what seems unclear or potentially awkward.

Moving from judgment into curiosity brings an expansive way of living rather than being constricted by fear.

This freedom to experience life as it is will naturally bring new perspectives to the daily routines and excitement to long-term relationships.

Building emotional intimacy involves healthy communication, repairs from hurts, and trusting yourself and your partner to create safety to be vulnerable with each other. Self-acceptance and self-compassion are at the core of this process, as vulnerability is necessary to deepen intimacy in a relationship.