presence. And unbeknownst to a great number of us, it has become an incredibly valuable commodity, not only in intimate relationships but in the world at large. I would argue that in this distraction-driven and overwhelmed state of life, it is the most valuable commodity a human being can possess.

just as we have all heard that the greatest gains come from the last few reps at the gym, it is in the moments of stretching and leaning just beyond what is habitually comfortable that your body and nervous system will gain the strength needed to go even deeper

holding the pose through the discomfort in a relationship is the only way to train your body and mind to stay in the fire—giving you the opportunity to burn through the often long-held body-mind habits of closure or retreat that keep you both stuck.

Rather than complain about what you aren’t receiving,

So why don’t we use our capacity to evoke the best in the people we love most? Because we have trained ourselves to withhold love.

intentional speech that emanates from the lower diaphragm have been shown to relax the nervous systems of those in proximity.

Our willingness to give our bodies, hearts, and souls—especially when we don’t want to—is the key to practicing spiritual intimacy and long, deep, artful loving. In fact, I believe it is the key to changing the collective consciousness on the planet.

We will complain about what we don’t get while simultaneously justifying why we can’t give the love we know we are capable of giving to others, and little do we know that we could evoke something entirely different in our environments.

Do I create loving and conscious spaces for her to completely express the truth of her heart, or do I avoid her emotionality?