Creating healthy intimacy with partner self-care

Self-care can be a fun date type day/night for couples who want to do something positive and healthy for each other. As women, we know how important it is to prioritize ourselves but most often don’t do it and for men it seems to be a non-existent, taboo topic.

Take care of yourself

Nothing is better than showing someone how much you care by supporting them in bettering themselves and that you are willing to take care of yourself as well. Guys, I can tell you from personal experience that your woman will love you jumping on board with this (bonus points for taking the initiative) and you might find that you actually like it too and that’s OK!

So what types of things can you do that are couple friendly? There are plenty of options you can enjoy at home for an intimate evening of self-care.

Brushing Up

One of my favorites that my boyfriend and I do often is body brushing. He was surprised how much he enjoyed receiving this the first time we tried it and he loves giving it too! It’s very intimate, relaxing and even sensual. You just need a soft bristle body brush and you can add your favorite essential oils such as lemongrass or grapefruit if you’d like. Use soft, brisk strokes, stroking towards the heart, covering all areas of the body, front and back. This is easiest to do laying down on the bed and follow it up with a shower to rinse off the dead skin cells. Body brushing is not only great for softening your skin, it also boosts your immune system, increases lymphatic flow, improves circulation and relaxes the nervous system. Take turns doing this to each other and you’ll be amazed how relaxed and connected you’ll feel to your partner.

The Mask

Face masks are always a fun favorite. It’s quick and easy to do with very little effort. You can get individual packets of various masks. Get several and keep them on hand for anytime you want a little pampering. Apply the masks for each other as a way to create intimacy and usually a good laugh too. Make sure you take a pic for fun and memories. Add a sugar lip scrub to enhance the experience and leave you both with soft, sweet, smooth lips…

Scrub-a-dub-dub

On the topic of scrubs…body scrubs are amazing, especially when your partner is the one scrubbing your back and whole body in the shower with an awesome smelling salt scrub. I typically add Rosemary and Lavender Essential Oils to Himalayan Salt and mix with fractionated coconut oil. Use soft scrubbing shower gloves or your bare hands and enjoy the stimulating experience.

And a rub

Massage cupping is an easy to learn technique that is therapeutic, fun to learn and experiment with and feels fantastic. Give feedback to let your massage buddy know how much pressure is good and what speed is best for you. It can be a little intense in areas so don’t try to rush through too quickly. I use fractionated coconut oil to make the glide easy. You can incorporate cupping into a massage or if you don’t feel confident in your massaging skills then stick with just the cups. It works wonders for relieving muscle tightness.

Here are some other massage tools you can try that will relieve stress and tension without feeling like you need to be a professional for it to be effective.

Thumper Sport

Deep Tissue Handheld Percussion Massager

Out and about

If you want to venture out for a day of self-care, you have a lot of options to choose from. Here are some ideas to check out:

• Massage
• Salt room
• Gym
• Yoga
• Pedicures
• Facials/hot shave
• Sunset cruise
• Beach
• Air boat ride
• Fishing
• Paddleboarding
• Hiking/Running/Biking
• Exploring each others hobbies/crafts/interests

The idea is to have fun and enjoy your relaxing time, nurturing each other and feeling mutually cared for. It’s a fantastic relationship enhancer that you’ll want to add to your repertoire of date night activities.

Keep your love tank full and everyone around you will benefit.

Your zen friend,

Sheree