Intimate Spaces

Despite being a champion of singlehood as an antidote to a deeply patriarchal setup, the need to find intimate spaces in one’s life is undeniable. Singlehood is interdependent. We need a healthy community to thrive well. We need spaces where we can unmask ourselves and show our real selves – a space where you feel completely seen and heard, without judgement. And no, I’m not referring to your therapy room.

An intimate space is the space where you feel completely seen and heard, where your vulnerabilities are met with care and affection. You feel more alive in such a space. Those moments have the capacities to stop the passage of time.

Pause for a moment and think: when was the last time you revealed your true-self?. The absence of such a circle in our lives diminishes our overall well-being. I recently had a long conversation with a friend, and I truly felt the intimacy I am talking about. After the conversation, I texted her saying it felt like a bolus stuck in my chest had cleared—I felt light. That’s the power of conversations and intimate spaces. An intimate space holds the potential to heal and thrive.

Honest conversations are healing

I remember crying during a workshop on conscious communication. The facilitator held the space so intimately that each participant opened and shared their vulnerabilities. We unfurled layers of wounds that were hidden and unspoken for years and opened it to the light for healing. That light was the honest, heart-to-heart conversation we shared in that space.

In fact, it felt like a true therapy session. I felt relieved and light after that workshop. I attribute that lightness to the space we created together. More importantly, to the notion of the facilitator, Mr. Roy.

“Honest, heart to heart conversation” - where one feels understood, even in unsaid words behind the pauses is the need of the hour.

We need to listen to understand rather than respond. In the fast moving, AI world, where human interactions are being replaced with chatgpt, meta AI, which understands the human sentiments and responds in an empathetic manner, what is stopping us from nurturing our ability to hold space for one another.

Humans are interdependent, social beings, we thrive well when our emotions are acknowledged and attended to with care. Heart to heart conversations help us flourish.

Imagine sitting next to a person and listening with your whole heart, with an intention to truly understand them. This process alleviates the suffering and brings the light to our wounds.

One of my earliest memories of such an experience was with a dear friend who is no longer with us. He was known for his ability to hold space. He bonded with many by creating wholesome moments where others could safely unfurl. He was a safe person—someone you could talk to about anything. It’s been two years, but there are still moments when I crave a conversation with him, just to feel that sense of being truly understood.

Let’s co-create such intimate spaces for our friends, partners, and children. Let us unfurl safely, share love, and create a sense of belonging.

Love,

Saranya