Is Awareness the Missing Piece in Your Long-Term Relationship?

"Love is just the damndest thing-and so is the relationship advice that comes when things go sideways. At the start, you catch each other's eyes. You get to talking and laughing together, and pretty soon you're falling into that altered state where everything feels both perfect and dangerously out of control. The past dissolves, and you're swimming together in a world made new again."

"Still, things seem to be going along OK-until your partner does something strange and completely out of character. What's going on here? It's time to have some serious conversations, and before long you're making it clear that your needs aren't getting met. Unpremeditated harmony gives way to tense negotiations. You need more time by yourself or with friends outside "the relationship." Strangers start to look good again."

"But you're the conscientious type, so you get yourself and your partner to seek out relationship advice, perhaps even couples therapy. That turns out to be the mistake of a lifetime, because the counselor is obviously bent on destroying the very wonderful balance of your relationship. Where do these professional meddlers get their ideas, anyway? Compared to other couples, things between the two of you don't look so bad after all."

Romantic attraction often begins with intense connection and a sense of everything feeling perfect and destabilizing. Partners commonly restructure life to maximize togetherness and may set up a household as passion continues. Over time normalcy and small flat notes emerge, and unexpected behaviors can trigger serious conversations about unmet needs. Initial harmony can dissolve into tense negotiations as individuals seek more personal time and outside friendships. Seeking professional relationship advice or couples therapy can feel disruptive and may seem to threaten an established balance. Affairs or solitary retreats can appear as manageable complications in that shifting landscape.

Read at Yoga Journal