Breathwork For Self Intimacy: Deepen the Connection Between You + You

What is Self Intimacy?

Self Intimacy is the practice of attuning to your thoughts, feelings, and desires. When you practice self intimacy, you allow yourself to be vulnerable, which helps you build a more authentic relationship with yourself. This more you practice, the more your sense of self-awareness, self-compassion, and feelings of self love magnify. Self intimacy is the practice of being alone with your mind and body to connect with yourself in a loving and meaningful way. 

Take a few deep breaths – in through the nose, out through the mouth – and notice... what's happening in your body? Take note of your physical sensations, your thought patterns, and your emotions as you take a few more deep breaths.

Carving out time for self intimacy practices can help you feel more in tune with yourself, which in turn leads to improved relationships with others and a greater sense of inner peace. Building a strong, loving relationship with yourself will benefit every area of your life. 

Do you want to connect more with the deeper layers of self love? 

Try our Othertrip // Self Love session with Harry + Amanda. This 30 minute breathwork session is designed to bring you into deeper union with yourself and your essence. From this space, you can discover your own pleasure and prepare yourself for intimate sessions with your partner.

The Importance of Self Intimacy + Self Love

Self intimacy and self love are the foundation of every aspect of our lives. Every connection outside of us initially begins within. The question is - how often do we prioritize intimacy and love within ourselves? In what way do we connect with our own sensuality?

If we have a strong sense of self-connection, we will likely set boundaries that protect our time and energy, prioritize self-care, and make choices that support our overall well-being. In other words, when we feel connected to ourselves and comfortable with our feelings, we are the happiest and most satisfied. As a result, we can better navigate life's challenges and make decisions aligned with our values and goals.

Cultivating deeper self intimacy and self love profoundly impacts how we connect with our partners. A strong connection with yourself means you can communicate your needs, desires, and boundaries to your partner - a foundation of a healthy, fulfilling, and authentic dynamic. When it comes to romantic connection, validating emotions and prioritizing trust is essential on both sides.

The Othership Intimacy Series is not just about deepening connection between partners, but is also an opportunity for us to invest intimate time with ourselves. You can choose a practice from the Intimacy Section on the Othership Guided Breathwork App: begin with a few deep breaths, tune into your thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations, and give yourself permission to have time just for you.

How Breathwork Can Deepen Your Intimacy

Being intimate with yourself and harnessing your inner sensual energy is a life-long practice. For so many of us, it can feel challenging to access this innate life force energy. There may be subconscious feelings of share, or a sense of reluctancy to dive deeper into these practices due to the societal taboo placed on this topics. Or perhaps it hasn't felt like a priority. As a result, harnessing this inner energy may feel foreign and seen as separate from our everyday selves.

How can breathwork deepen intimacy levels with ourselves and with others? One of the many benefits of breathwork is its utilization for discovering the self. Sexuality is an energetic alignment where we feel deeply connected and in sync with our essence - a practice that requires deeper emotional acuity. Connecting with yourself and investing time to tune into these subtleties and channeling this energy opens up a portal for greater self-awareness and self-acceptance. 

Breathing also releases tension and emotional blockages in the body. With breathwork, we create more space for positive emotions in intimate moments like love, joy, and a deeper sense of harmony. Sharing and cultivating these emotions with a partner helps to build a more profound and stronger intimacy. While engaging in these practices, we can better understand what others feel and need - which is necessary for healthy relationships and loving connections. Synching in breathing is synching in trust, harmony, and openness together.

How to Practice Breathwork for Self Intimacy

How does breathwork relate to intimacy and sensuality? Our sensuality is an undeniable part of us, and acknowledging and cultivating it is essential for our wellbeing. If you're interested in exploring, sustaining, or optimizing your sexual energy through breathwork, first determine whether you wish to do so alone or with a partner. It may be easier to start practicing alone to grow more in tune and comfortable with these techniques. Consider your intention and try journaling before and after your routine for deeper integration.

Breathwork can be easy, transformative, and expansive. Carving out time to practice simple techniques, like deep diaphragmatic breathing exercises, is a perfect way to connect with yourself. As your practice deepens, you can explore more complex techniques to further harness your energy and your experience of pleasure.

One way to deepen self intimacy is through mindful self-pleasure practices. One of the main benefits of mindful-self pleasure is the way it helps individuals become more comfortable with their bodies and sexuality. Society often imposes unrealistic standards on what is considered "normal" or "attractive," which can lead to feelings of shame and insecurity around our bodies and sexual desires. By engaging in mindful self-pleasure and intentional breathing techniques, you can learn to embrace your body, appreciate your unique experiences of pleasure, and become more comfortable with your sexuality.

Pairing breathwork and mindful self-pleasure with non-vibrating toys can also help you experience heightened and prolonged energetic release. When you are fully present in the moment and connected with your body, you can tune into the subtle nuances of pleasure and ride the waves of sensation to their fullest extent. Additionally, the relaxed and focused state of mind that mindfulness promotes can help alleviate stress and anxiety, making it easier to fully let go and surrender to the experience of pleasure.

Note: while breathwork can be transformative, it also may bring up difficult emotions and memories. If you’re dealing with complex emotional issues, or working through blockages around your self intimacy, we recommend working with a professional or qualified practitioner to guide you.

If you're interested in utilizing breathwork to enhance your practice of self intimacy, sign up for our Othership Intimacy Series.

Create a Self Love Ritual Night 

Creating a nurturing and loving space for yourself is essential to cultivate self-love and self-care. We all need some personal time to feel our sensations and our bodies on deeper levels. To make these experiences even more intimate, you can incorporate our breathwork sessions specifically designed for focusing on self and nothing else.

So, what does a self-indulgent romantic night between you + you look like?

1. Before you begin the practice, set an intention for your time with yourself.
2. Create a comfortable and calming space in your home - put some candles and play relaxing, ambient music for a more sensual mood.
3. Connect with your body to fully drop in; some gentle stretching or shaking is a great way to release the energy of the day and ground you into the present.
4. When you feel ready to drop in, choose a session that best serves your intention.
5. After the session, take a moment to integrate the experience. You may want to journal about the experience or simply tune into the shifts in your body.

Some of our favorite self love + self intimacy session:

• Sensuality + Self with Harry - Harness your sexual energy and deepen your pleasure
• Dark Erotic Exploration with Nicolle - Explore erotic pleasures, claws, and fangs freely
• ‍Embodying Desires with Gina - Find a space to connect with love, sex, and intimacy within you

The Othership Intimacy Series

Our body is a place where we make contact with the world through our senses. Embodying self intimacy practices in your daily routine is a path towards greater embodiment in your vessel and alignment with your emotions. Being present with your physical, emotional, and mental state opens up portals to greater intimacy, sensuality, pleasure, and connection. 

With our intimacy sessions, you have the opportunity to carve out time just for you -- to release tension, to revel in the beauty of your five senses experience, and access a deep state of self-love. Try the Othership Guided Breathwork App.

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Co-Written by Aysu Naz Atalay