The 4 Qualities Of A Conscious Relationship

A few years back, I wrote a piece for Providence Life Coach Dating Success Series – Conscious Coupling . When I saw the article, which is copied below, The 4 Qualities Of A Conscious Relationship, I thought it was time to add some new content to this conversation on creating positive, lasting relationships. I really appreciate what Shelly Bullard has written, especially the first quality; “The conscious couple is not attached to the outcome of the relationship – growth comes first.”  This is so important and often overlooked. We are so desperate to make relationships last that we forget that our personal and collective growth as people is an even greater goal. If we grow, our relationship grows; it is inevitable. Many people grow to “save” the relationship. This is courageous, but it is also an end to a means. We need to grow whether the relationship continues or not.

The 4 Qualities Of A Conscious Relationship - Providence Holistic Counseling Services

Conscious Relationship – Grow!

I want to be clear. I will support any relationship where there is an opportunity for both parties to grow and prosper. Safety is first for me as a counselor. I remember back in 1989, I was in an unhealthy relationship for both of us.  At the time, I wanted to grow and become a better person so she would not leave me.  The problem was that I did not want to be a better person because I needed to be a better person. My sole motivation was to prove that she would be making a mistake by ending the relationship.  This was an external motivation for an internal process. What I have learned from my personal and professional experiences over the last twenty-five years is that an external motivation for an internal process typically lasts only long enough to get what we want. To truly grow and develop, we need to have a deep desire to make the world a better place and show compassion and empathy for others, especially our partners.

Conscious Relationship – Grow-Up, Let Teens Be Teens

An example would be a teenager who wants a parent to let them go somewhere on Friday night even though they are grounded. They might “all of a sudden” start doing extra chores around the house, help with a younger sibling, and be really nice and respectful to all members of the family. After they manipulate the parent(s) to let them go since they have “changed”, it is only a few days later when all the behaviors that initially got them grounded start creep back in slowly. The motivation was external, not internal, therefore, too hard to sustain. For more on the phenomenon of misplaced goals, please read The Invisible White Rabbit – A Parable in Determination .

The 4 Qualities Of A Conscious Relationship - Providence Holistic Counseling Services

The 4 Qualities Of A Conscious Relationship

We are approaching a period of time when relationships are ready to go through a major redesign. The current paradigm isn’t working. People are unsatisfied in love; people don’t know how to make relationships work.

And, believe it or not, this isn’t a bad thing. Because when systems break-down, that’s when they change. I believe that’s what’s happening in the area of intimate partnership. The break-down is forcing us to move towards conscious love.

So what exactly is a conscious relationship?

It’s a romantic relationship in which both partners feel committed to a sense of purpose, and that purpose is growth. Individual growth. Collective growth as a couple. Growth that makes the world a better place.

As of now, most people get into relationships to satisfy their own personal needs. This might work for a few years, but eventually the relationship fails us, and we end up unsatisfied as a result.

But when two people come together with the intentionof growth, the relationship strives towards something much greater than gratification. The partnership becomes a journey of evolution, and the two individuals have an opportunity to expand more than they could alone. Deep satisfaction and long-term fulfillment arise as a result.

So if you’re someone who feels called to take your experience of romantic love to the next level, below are four qualities that characterize what being a conscious couple is all about. Welcome to the path of the conscious relationship. This is next-level love …

1. The conscious couple is not attached to the outcome of the relationship – growth comes first.

Not being attached to the outcome of the relationship does not mean you don’t care what happens! It also doesn’t mean that you don’t have fantasies about how the relationship will turn out.

What it means is: you’re more committed to the experience of growth than you are to making the relationship “work.”

The reality is, we’re here to grow. Physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. When growth stops, we automatically feel like something’s gone wrong. Because it has. Without growth, we aren’t fulfilling our soul’s purpose.

Unfortunately, relationships today tend to stifle growth more than enhance it. This is one of the main reasons we’re failing at romantic love.

We want our partners to act in a certain way, we repress ourselves to please to others, and soon enough, we feel small, oppressed and puzzled about who we’ve become. This, inevitably, makes the relationship feel like a cage that we want to break out of. But the unfortunate truth is: we’ve caged ourselves.

The conscious couple values growth more than anything else because they know this is the secret to keeping the relationship alive. Even though growth is scary (because it takes us into the unknown), the couple is willing to strive towards expansion, even at the risk of out-growing the relationship. Because of this, the relationship maintains a natural feeling of aliveness, and love between the couple does, too.

The 4 Qualities Of A Conscious Relationship - Providence Holistic Counseling Services

2. Each person in the relationship is committed to owning their s#*t.

Conscious couples know that we all have wounds from the past, and they understand that these wounds will inevitably be triggered, especially in a relationship. In other words, they expect to feel abandoned, trapped, rejected, overlookedand any other shitty feeling that arises when we bond closely with another person.

Most of us still believe that relationships should only feel good, and when bad feelings surface, something has gone terribly wrong. What we fail to see in this situation is that these shitty feelings stem from our own faulty patterning! These issues are not caused by our partners; they’re caused by our beliefs.

The conscious couple is willing to look at their past and current issues in relationships because they know that by facing these beliefs systems, they can evolve into a new relationship-reality. Dysfunctional patterns will dissolve, but only when we take responsibility for them, first.

The 4 Qualities Of A Conscious Relationship - Providence Holistic Counseling Services

3. All feelings are welcome and no internal process is condemned.

In a conscious relationship, there’s room to feel anything. Not only that, there’s room to express those feelings and fantasies to your partner. This is edgy territory… it’s not easy to do. But it’s also one of the most healing things we can experience in a partnership

It’s rare to be completely honest about who you are, and to stretch yourself to let your partner do the same. You may not like what you hear; in fact, it may trigger the hell out of you. But you’re willing to be triggered if it means your partner can be authentic.

Like I already said, we’re used to molding and changing ourselves to please people we love because we don’t want them to stop loving us! This stifles the love out of our connections.

The only option is radical honesty: revealing parts of ourselves that are hard to share, and letting our partners do the same. This leads to feeling known, seen and truly understood — a combination that will automatically enhance your love.

The 4 Qualities Of A Conscious Relationship - Providence Holistic Counseling Services

4. The relationship is a place to practice love.

Love, ultimately, is a practice. A practice of acceptance, being present, forgiveness, and stretching your heart into vulnerable territories.

Sometimes we treat love like it’s a destination. We want that peak feeling all the time, and when it’s not there, we’re not satisfied with what the relationship has become. In my mind, this is missing the whole point of love.

Love is a journey and an exploration. It’s showing up for all varied nuances of your relationship and asking yourself, What would love do here?” The answer will be different every time, and because of this, you’ll get to grow in ways you never have before!

The conscious couple is fiercely committed to being the embodiment of love. And through their devotion and practice, love shows up in their lives and relationship in ways they would’ve never imagined before.

Please leave a comment below telling us how you want to bring more conscious love into your relationships.

The 4 Qualities Of A Conscious Relationship - Providence Holistic Counseling ServicesConscious Relationship – Love!

This last piece, “The relationship is a place to practice love.” is so beautiful! I can’t imagine what the world would be like if all relationships were a place to practice love, always, not just when it is comfortable or we are getting what we want. For one, I would need to find other work:) This would be fantastic since I have other talents and gifts. Hospitals would also be out of business,  as would insurance companies, law enforcement, the justice system, and more.

This quote on conscious relationships is extraordinary: “The conscious couple is fiercely committed to being the embodiment of love. And through their devotion and practice, love shows up in their lives and relationships in ways they would’ve never imagined before.” Just think what that could be like in your life and your relationships with family, friends, and partners.

If you have never read this before, I invite you to read Before We Fall In Love. It is written by Kristin Monk, who ended up marrying the guy she was writing about when they first met! It is very in line with conscious relationship practice.


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