Eye-Opening Guide: Creating Conscious Relationships
A conscious relationship is a relationship that has radical honesty, accountability, a sense of purpose, a deep connection to self, and awareness with the intention of mutual growth.
This ideal type of interdependent relationship can apply to platonic, familial, or romantic.
Your interpersonal or self-relationship is the prism through which all of these other relationships are colored.
However, in this article, we will focus on a sacred union in intimate relationships.
To have healthy, well-defined conscious relationships and be part of a conscious partnership you have to start from within, as this is the very foundation of the qualities of a conscious relationship.
While the entire process of forming conscious relationships requires inner work and starts with you, if your partner is willing to cooperate, all of that work will reward you with uplifting, healthy bond that may last for life.
With conscious relationships, you’ll find your own personal needs are met, but also so are those of the love of your life. It happens through personal responsibility, authentic communication, and conscious relating.
You will learn how to create a conscious connection that increases your individual growth within your romantic love.
What is a Conscious Relationship?
A conscious relationship is exactly like what it sounds like. These relationships are formed with an awareness of the intentions, boundaries, and purposes that will define them.
If the relationship didn’t start out formed this way, you can re-create your relationship into a conscious one. You’ll learn how in this article.
The process of a conscious relationship requires a lot of communication—internally and externally.
Conscious relationships cannot exist without a strong commitment to constant growth and improvement from those involved.
While an unconscious relationship focuses on the faults of the other person, a conscious relationship focuses on the personal growth and inner work.
As mentioned above, your first conscious relationship has to be with yourself.
It is difficult, if not impossible, to be honest with others, or dedicated to any improvements as a duo, if you cannot be honest to yourself or be willing to improve on your own. A conscious couple values growth.
Why Do We Need Conscious Relationships?
Our culture has evolved tremendously in the last two centuries alone.
Modern relationships no longer depend so heavily on fulfilling biological requirements, like finding food or passing on our genes. We want more from our relationships.
Communication has only become more accessible, yet not always utilized wisely. We are more connected than ever, yet for many our relationship needs have become more complex as a result.
Nowadays, we focus more on fulfilling social and emotional needs, such as having a purpose, feeling loved, having someone to share life’s adventures with (whether it’s travel or raising babies), and improving ourselves.
While you already seek these things, being in a conscious relationships make those requirements a central focus. And it’s done with a purpose and awareness.
What is Conscious Dating?
To enter conscious relationships, it’s a good idea to date consciously.
Conscious dating is an approach to relationships where the focus is on being mindful and intentional in your dating life.
This method involves acknowledging that bad thing happen, but rather than dwelling on them, you use these experiences to reach a better place.
Conscious dating means recognizing each date or relationship as an act of love and learning.
It’s not just about finding the right partner; it’s about being the right partner.
This approach to dating requires one to be fully present in the moment, to listen deeply, and to engage with a genuine desire to understand and connect with another person.
In conscious dating creates a space where both individuals can express their true selves, where the predominant feeling is one of comfort and authenticity.
What Does a Conscious Relationship Look Like?
As you may have figured out by now, several elements are involved in a conscious relationship.
These are the qualities that must be present for a relationship to be a conscious one that has a sense of purpose and with mutual respect.
1. Responsibility
This is the element that starts with you. Responsibility involves being able to admit your faults, as well as to concede when you are wrong. And most importantly, to be willing to take responsibility for your growth.
Many people never make it past this “hurdle,” and they flail with themselves and in other relationships as a result.
Putting aside your ego and owning your mistakes and learned behaviors is the first step to detecting negative behaviors, triggers, or any other shortcomings you need to improve.
Taking responsibility also requires admitting what you want out of a relationship and being straightforward.
In a conscious relationship, you are 100% responsible for your 50% of your part of the relationship.
2. Trust
Trust has to be a choice in a conscious relationship, not a passive notion.
When you choose to trust your partner, it allows you to put them and the relationship above your insecurities and their potential flaws.
Trust your gut first. Choose wisely, and when you have, place your trust on your partner, just as you would like for them to do the same towards you.
Trust allows you to experience love freely and in the present moment.
3. Forgiveness
Others will inevitably hurt you from time to time, on purpose or otherwise. When this happens, you may give in to the primitive “fight or flight” reflex and either lash out in retaliation or become withdrawn.
Acting on this instinct does not allow you to acknowledge your emotions properly or to communicate with the other person in a way that facilitates growth.
Forgiveness tends to lead to conversations in which you can illustrate how you were hurt, and the other person can apologize and commit to doing better.
Focus on forgiveness, healing, and growth as this will enable you to heal and help you both improve.
4. Aspiration
While we all have flaws, you should keep in mind that it is always possible to work through these shortcomings or any past issues you may have.
I highly recommend that you consider holistic healing if you’re feeling that your past is holding you back.
Conscious relationships require constant aspiration to do better and to grow.
All relationships will have moments of conflict. People are simply too complex for any relationship to be void of challenges.
But, you can have an experience of love that provides you a safe place create your own experiences and take radical responsibility for your intention of growth.
Anticipating these moments will allow you and your partner to cooperate and face them as a united force. And welcoming the opportunity to do better only makes your relationship stronger.
5. Autonomy
These days, it is so easy to lose yourself in a romantic relationship, even in marriage or long-term commitment.
Modern society places a lot of emphasis on finding your “other half” and making this person your everything (a role no one can fulfill for you!)
Thinking about romantic relationships in this way is incredibly toxic, as it sets us up to shed our autonomy as soon as we become committed to someone.
Remember that you are not a half, but a whole person. Allow intimacy and autonomy to coexist within your relationship. This means that you and your partner to be free to disagree on various values or opinions, have your interests, and spend time apart.
6. Appreciation
A relationship does not have to lose its spark. People become distant in their relationships over time because they stop attempting to be close or show appreciation for one another.
While in many ways, we are more connected due to technology, it can also make it challenging to engage with the people right in front of us.
Do not neglect problems in the relationship, but do not focus on them so much that you forget why you care about the other person and want to be with them in the first place.
Remember to be grateful for all of the good parts of the relationship.
Steps to Creating Conscious Relationships
Cultivating a conscious relationship requires a lot of self-awareness and dedication from all people involved. Begin by having a conversation with your partner about forming a conscious relationship.
In order to do so, here are the steps that you should follow to create a conscious love with your romantic partner.
1. Define the Relationship Purpose
Knowing why you are in a relationship will enable you to establish direction and keep the relationship alive.
These purposes should serve as a motivator whenever the relationship is in a stage of conflict.
To determine the purpose of the relationship, take the time to come up with a list of mutual reasons why you both wish to have a relationship. (Do this even if you’re already in a long-term relationship or married).
The easiest thing to do is to discuss what you both want. These reasons can be simple, as well, such as “we want to make each other happy.”
2. Create Agreements That Follow the Purpose
Coming up with agreements that follow your relationship purposes is essentially a process of establishing ground rules.
These rules should not make you feel restricted or miserable. Instead, since you both base them on each other’s criteria for a solid relationship, they should bolster you and make you feel like that kind of relationship is indeed possible.
You and your partner can have as many or as few agreements as you deem fit, so long as your agreements echo all of the elements of a conscious relationship outlined above.
3. Carry Out Acts That Form a Conscious Relationship
Although the foundation for a conscious relationship, establishing purposes and agreements, is highly necessary, these components ultimately will not matter if you or the other person are not willing to act on them.
Your daily actions and the habits you form in the relationship will determine how well the relationship functions and how healthy the relationship is.
Make a conscious effort each day to nurture your relationship with your partner.
What are the Stages of a Conscious Relationship?
A conscious relationship evolves through identifiable stages.
Each stage is a progression towards deeper intimacy and understanding between partners, where both individuals are seen as human beings with their own core wounds and histories.
- Awakening: The first thing to occur in a conscious relationship is an awakening. This is when both partners become aware of their dysfunctional patterns from past relationships. Recognizing these patterns is a beautiful thing as it sets the stage for growth.
- Understanding: In this stage, partners begin to understand their own relationship dynamics and how their unconscious reaction to trauma relationships affects their current union. This understanding helps in healing wounded human beings within each partner.
- Healing: Healing involves addressing core wounds. This is the only way to move from being in better relationships to being in a truly conscious one. Healing might involve professional experiences with therapists or guided introspection.
- Growth: Partners begin to use tools like love languages and taking full responsibility for meeting not only their partner’s needs but also their own. This stage is pivotal for long-term fulfillment.
- Integration: Here, both partners integrate their learnings into everyday life. This might involve creating a safe space where both feel a natural feeling of aliveness, respecting each other’s sense of self, and working together in times of challenge.
- Expansion: In this final stage, the relationship becomes a source of positive energy and deep satisfaction. The partners become better people, individually and together, and can offer a safe space for each other, transcending old patterns.
What are the Signs of a Conscious Relationship?
A conscious relationship is marked by distinct signs that differentiate it from more traditional relationships.
- Mutual Growth: Both partners are committed to their personal growth as well as the growth of their relationship. They understand that being in a relationship is a hard work, but it’s a rewarding one.
- Communication: There is a strong emphasis on open, honest communication. Issues are not swept under the rug but are addressed head-on to make sure current issues are resolved and do not impact the relationship long-term.
- Awareness of Patterns: Partners in a conscious relationship are aware of their relationship patterns and how these patterns play out in their current relationship. This awareness helps prevent the repetition of negative cycles.
- Responsibility: Each partner takes full responsibility for their happiness and well-being. There is no blaming or shirking of duties; each individual owns their actions and emotions.
- Alignment: There is a deep alignment of values and life goals. This doesn’t mean partners agree on everything, but there is a fundamental agreement on the right thing to do in various life situations.
- Respect for Autonomy: Each partner respects the other’s need for much space and individuality. They understand that a healthy relationship is not about losing oneself in another, but about supporting each other’s sense of self.
- Emotional Intimacy: Emotional intimacy is at the core of a conscious relationship. This includes sharing fears, desires, and dreams, creating a safe space for vulnerability.
A conscious relationship is about much more than just being together; it’s about growing together, understanding each other on a deeper level, and creating a bond that is both enriching and empowering.
It transforms the idea of love from a mere emotion to a transformative journey, where each step is an act of love and each challenge an opportunity for growth.
My Conscious Relationship Story
I spent 17 years of my life in a relationship that was anything but a conscious one. And during those years, I see that both of us made mistakes and lacked the ability to be able to lift our relationship from the place it had settled in.
After years of therapy, consideration and deep thought, we decided that it was best to end the relationship, rather than to continue showing our children a terrible example of marriage.
It was not an easy decision to make, but the absolute best decision we did for our family.
We now are conscious co-parents to our children together.
Keep this in mind, as the outcome of the relationship can always go from unconscious reactions and power struggle to one that allows you to have the experience of growth.
During the years following, I spent time in healing and awareness. Because it is true, that only once you begin with your self-awareness and healing, can you be open and honest about your relationship with yourself first — and then with someone else.
After a long healing process, which led to becoming a Transpersonal Hypnotherapist, I cultivated a healthy, conscious, elevated relationship that served as a platform for love, growth, and awareness, while also growing a conscious platonic relationship with my co-parent.
The journey of evolution has been beautiful.
I’ve had many discussions with others on how to successfully elevate your current relationship to a growth, conscious level.
And honestly, there’s no one better to teach others how to do so, than someone who failed, fell, and stood up stronger – and now is able to teach other couples what to do to not fall into the same path.
One of the most healing things about being someone who has experience both codependent relationships, unhealthy relationships and transformed with conscious awareness is sharing the learnings and partaking in the collective growth.
Your spiritual growth allows you to make a conscious choice towards providing a space space for yourself and others.
Many of us have experienced love in a different path, and the best way to use the practice of acceptance and deep learning is by sharing your story, something I get to do now with thousands of people across the world, as a Transpersonal Coach.
Creating conscious relationships will let you become the best version of yourself. And that’s absolutely beautiful.
Continue with: 55 Soulmate Manifestation Signs You Need to Know
