“Swoon” Show Notes: Episode #7 – (Come on Baby) Light My Fire - Erotic Fire in Long-Term Relationships
Jeff Guenther, MS, LPC on Apr 28, 2019 in Swoon
Do you feel disconnected from your partner? Does it feel like it takes a lot energy to initiate sex (or show up for sex)?
In today’s podcast Julie and Gina talk about tending the erotic fire in your relationship. Learn how to keep the romance, intimacy and passion alive in your relationship.
This episode covers:
- What it means to tend your erotic fire.
- Things you can do to connect to your own sexual fire.
- Ways you can keep the erotic connection going in your relationship.
- How touch, flirting, seduction, and active engagement can help you feel connected between and during sex.
- Finding small ways to have sex, sensuality or pleasure on your radar in between sexual encounters.
Memorable quotes in the podcast
On tending your erotic fire -
“People can have a sexual encounter and then if there isn't a thread or erotic fire in between encounters, the next time it's time to have sex you kind of have to gear up for it...to get into the sexual realm can feel like it takes a lot of energy.”
“If you've ever built a fire, it takes a lot of energy to get it started from scratch. And if it goes out, it takes a lot of energy to build it up again. But if you have a fire and it dies down a bit, it's easier to build it back up again.”
“Different people have different erotic templates or different things that get them in the mood to have sex and help them feel ready...for some people, that includes things that are not sexual, feeling connected outside of sex. I talk to a lot of people who say, 'I feel disconnected, I can't have sex and their parter is like 'well I feel disconnected so we need to have sex, that's how I feel connected” Thinking about the erotic fire or thread allows us to do things that help us feel engaged so that when we are ready to have sex we're not going from 0-60, the engine is already a little big warm.”
On compartmentalization -
“We often compartmentalize sex from other parts of our life and it feels like it's over there and I have to get in the mindset or prep for it.”
“Some people pack their sexuality away...especially people who have careers or jobs where it feels inappropriate to be sexy. They pack that part of themselves away and they keep it packed away until it's time to have sex...and then what do you have to do? You have to unpack it and put it back on.”
On Foreplay -
“Foreplay begins as soon as sex ends or as soon as the last orgasm is had. If you are viewing your relationship and your sexual connection through that lens, the way you interact on a daily basis is going to be different. You may be more mindful with your words. You may be more attentive to your partner. You may prioritize different things. Because all of it...it becomes this entire dance about eroticism and connection.”
On putting energy into your relationship -
“Are you showing up for date night the way that you showed up for your third date? Or are you showing up for it, kind of half-assed without a lot of excitement?”
“Relationships and sexual relationships require energy...and some people don't like that. There is still this pervasive idea that sex should be spontaneous and easy, our connection should be spontaneous, it shouldn't require any work or effort or planning or attention. I very much disagree with that idea. I see a lot of people who hope that's true and then end up not having any sex.”
“Do small things regularly and get a huge payoff.”
On tending your own erotic fire -
“Whether or not you are in a relationship, it's important to explore your own erotic fire. What are the things that keep you connected to who you are as a sexual being?”
“Sometimes the things that make our heart beat really fast, those are the things that make us feel a little bit alive.”
Resources Shared in This Episode
Click here to download the BDSM/Kink Worksheet.
Make a list of 10 ways you can tend your own erotic fire.
Then start doing the things on your list.
**Bonus homework - If you are in a relationship –
Make a list of 10 ways your partner can attend the erotic fire between you.Each person does this and then you share your lists. Where is the overlap? What is different? Start doing the things that stoke your partner's fire and they will start doing things off your list.
Your Swoon hosts
Gina Senarighi, MS, MA, CPC is a sexuality counselor and communication consultant specializing in healthy boundaries, passionate relationships, jealousy, and infidelity. She supports non-traditional couples all over the world as a retreat leader and certified relationship coach.
Connect with Gina
Julie Jeske, LPC is a sex and relationship counselor. She has a private practice where she helps clients increase intimacy, ignite passion and deepen their connection to themselves and others. Julie especially loves to help women discover who they are sexually. Through counseling, online classes, or in-person retreats; her clients learn how to talk about their sexual and relationship desires, and explore ways to make them a reality.
Connect with Julie
