Summary

The website content emphasizes the importance of self-intimacy for personal freedom and aliveness through practices like quiet listening, honoring oneself, trusting inner authority, allowance, vulnerability, gratitude, and curiosity.

Abstract

The article "Do You Know How To Be Intimate With Yourself?" on the undefined website discusses the concept of self-intimacy as a pathway to personal liberation from societal and self-imposed expectations. It suggests that by engaging in "Quiet Listening," a form of meditation, individuals can begin to understand and let go of past beliefs that no longer serve them. The process of cultivating self-intimacy is subtle and requires patience, as it involves listening to one's inner self without control or force. The article also outlines other practices to enhance self-intimacy, such as honoring one's needs by saying no, trusting one's inner desires, accepting oneself without judgment, being vulnerable and authentic, maintaining a gratitude journal, and staying curious about one's emotions and beliefs. By embracing these practices, individuals can clear away the "debris" of past experiences and lead a more joyful and authentic life.

Opinions

Self-intimacy is presented as essential for experiencing freedom from the pressures of 'must do’s', 'should do’s', 'have to’s', and 'supposed to’s'.
The article posits that the debris from past experiences can significantly influence daily life and that self-intimacy helps to identify and release these old beliefs.

Self Improvement | Relationships

Do You Know How To Be Intimate With Yourself?

Quiet Listening Can Help

Contemplation-Enrique Meseguer from Pixabay

Self intimacy is freedom.

It’s the freedom you can experience when you find ways to liberate yourself from all the must do’s, the should do’s, the have to’s, and supposed to’s.

Some of these are subtle. To free yourself from your ‘should’s’, first, you have to understand them. These ‘should’s’ come from your past beliefs and they’ve left behind some debris.

You may end up carrying the debris from these past experiences throughout your entire life. It can affect you each day because you tend to use it as a reference.

Being intimate with you is a way to figure out what’s going on inside these old beliefs.

Cultivating intimacy with yourself is a wonderful way you can increase your feelings of aliveness. When you listen to yourself and let go of old stories it frees you from the debris.

Intimacy takes subtlety.

It takes time and patience to cultivate a relationship with your inner self. In the end, it’s not something you can DO, it is something that DOES YOU.

You have to sneak up on it.

It’s not about controlling anything or forcing yourself to act a certain way. A good way to begin is “Quiet Listening”.

The idea of meditation is intimidating to many people, so I call it “Quiet Listening” instead. Taking time to sit quietly with no distractions is a gift that honors you.

We often take time to learn how to listen to others but rarely listen to ourselves.

“In meditation, we activate synchronistic support and connection to the Universe.”― Gabrielle Bernstein

Start with five or ten minutes and you may find you enjoy your quiet time so much you’ll increase it.

“I now see how owning our story and loving ourselves through that process is the bravest thing that we will ever do.” ― Brené Brown

Other ways to cultivate self intimacy:

Honor yourself.

We tend to put the needs of others first which leads to us doing things because someone else says we should. You don’t have to follow someone else’s desires.

Practice saying No. A huge part of honoring yourself is allowing yourself to say no to things that aren’t feeding your aliveness. If you find yourself resenting something because you don’t want to do it, then listen to the feeling. Saying no is a muscle that will become stronger when you start to exercise it.

Trust your inner authority.

Quiet listening will reveal your heart's desires. Trust that you know what is best for you. Choose to spend your time doing what brings you joy. Start by taking small steps toward things that interest you and listen to how they make you feel.

Have allowance

Accept yourself as you are. Allowance is the practice of letting go of judgment, letting go of right and wrong. When you accept yourself in all the ways you are, you’ll find it easier to hold allowance for others.

Be vulnerable

Show up and be yourself. Living in intimacy with yourself requires you to be honest with yourself. Don’t play games, don’t play victim, villain, or hero. Be the same self in any situation. If you worry about other people’s opinions, you’re back in the space of control and judgment.

Practice gratitude

Start a gratitude journal. Write in it every day. Add at least one thing to be grateful for, even if its a small thing. Read the journal in the morning, then write something new in it in the evening. Pause during the day and remind yourself what you are grateful for.

Get curious.

Catch yourself during the day. If you are feeling triggered or emotional, slow down and get curious. Ask yourself what is causing the strong emotion. Write your feelings in a notebook. Examine past beliefs. Past experiences can build beliefs about a situation or a person. When you look closely, it may no longer be true. These beliefs affect current experiences because you tend to use it as a reference.

Practice all of these suggestions, especially vulnerability, as you discover who you are.

If you cultivate each of these, you will begin to clear away the debris you've collected over the years.

Self intimacy can clear the debris from your past.

Ever since I began following these practices every day, it shifted the way I see my life and I am happier as a result.