{"id":1740,"date":"2021-09-25T02:28:08","date_gmt":"2021-09-25T02:28:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.couples-experience.com\/?p=1740"},"modified":"2023-10-23T16:50:34","modified_gmt":"2023-10-23T16:50:34","slug":"what-is-intimacy-and-how-to-maintain-intimacy-in-a-relationship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/couples-experience.com\/what-is-intimacy-and-how-to-maintain-intimacy-in-a-relationship\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is Intimacy and How To Maintain Intimacy In A Relationship"},"content":{"rendered":"
It remains unclear which is more important in a relationship. Is it Love or Intimacy? Before starting this article, I connected with a couple of friends about this very subject. About 70 percent were in favor of love being the requirement for a long-lasting relationship, 20 percent made it clear that intimacy would do a better job in keeping couples together (whether or not an emotional bond exists between them), while the remaining 10 percent remained on the fence.<\/span><\/p>\n Can love exist independently of intimacy in a relationship? Or can love be said to be the basis of intimacy?<\/strong><\/p>\n Yes, love can exist independent of intimacy. Many couples who go their separate ways do not do so based on lack of love, but because of the absence of intimacy which may pose a threat to the survival of a relationship.<\/span><\/p>\n Although there are several kinds of relationships, the context to speak on is the romantic relationship between two partners.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Do you know the 5 love languages and how to incorporate them into your relationship?<\/p>\n Let’s look at love as the foundation on which a relationship exists. In many ways, it ensures stability in the relationship, just as the foundation of a building distributes the structure’s weight over a large area to avoid overloading the underlying soil. But would you choose to live on a foundation when you could make it into a mansion<\/span><\/p>\n “Love is <\/span><\/i>not<\/i><\/b> enough.”<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n It took me a while, some books, and my personal experience to understand that love is not enough. So many times, we are under the delusion of having to fall in love, remain in love, and everything will work out fine, automatically. But, as much as love is crucial to any relationship, it does not stop there. It is only a step-in relationship.<\/span><\/p>\n Among other factors that make a successful relationship, intimacy plays a crucial role.<\/span><\/p>\n “Sex and intimacy are <\/span><\/i>not<\/i><\/b> synonymous.”<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n Intimacy goes beyond just sex. Individuals and couples often associate intimacy with some form of sexual activity. While sex with a partner can build intimacy, not all sex is intimate. It is possible to have sex without intimacy, as well as intimacy without sex.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Intimacy may be physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual. All four types of intimacy foster closeness in a relationship.<\/span><\/p>\n Intimacy is an act of sharing the innermost part of your being. Intimacy is possible when you are in a relationship that supports mutual acceptance, communication, commitment, tenderness, and trust.<\/span><\/p>\n You may seek intimacy in your relationships yet struggle in finding, sharing, and feeling real intimacy with others. Do you find yourself asking, “Why do I still feel alone even when I’m with someone?”<\/span><\/p>\n The answer may have to do with risk. One of the fundamental components of intimacy is the willingness to allow yourself to be vulnerable. If you fear vulnerability, then you fear intimacy even though you may long for it.<\/span><\/p>\n Partners have a lot to learn about each other at the beginning of a relationship. They are quick to share the lighthearted stuff. It births the bonding of both individuals and adds a contrast of fun to the new relationship between partners. But, when it comes to the scary, emotional stuff, being honest isn’t so simple.<\/span><\/p>\n What makes it hard to open up and be honest with someone you claim to love? Why do you still hold back a part of yourself from your partner, even if you feel like you trust them?<\/span><\/p>\n