 Ahhhhhh, yes. Breathe this in for a sec... Love in motion.
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 There are so many key factors that make us individuals, probably billions the way scientific research is heading! And when it comes to a romance that combines perfectly the sexual and the emotional, there is a crashing together of two individuals and all their stuff. Isn’t it crazy that we bring so much into our relationships? You. Don’t. Even. Know... What??? You read that right…as a human, you are made up of the DNA of your parents (and new science is telling us that we actually are infused with the trauma of our ancestor’s DNA at conception, not even just our PARENT’S crap, but our ANCESTOR’S crap as well? yayyyyy…) Suddenly, as you might imagine, the bedroom is cramped. So many issues are literally flying all around you both, and your coupleship begins to feel overwhelming. Turns out that you find a best friend and lover who is within 5-20 points of your I.Q. (Check this out…) and who has a matching emotional issue. Not the same issue, but trigger-points that you are familiar with and that you tend to attract from others, and trigger in others, because your brain also has the amazing ability to heal these painful places inside of your relationship with your partner. This is the person you have chosen for the very reason that you can heal together. How cool is that? Unfortunately, statistics show that upwards of 82% of coupleships (first marriages and unmarried couples) decide these issues and trigger-points are too painful, and they don’t seek the accountability, coaching and mentorship needed to journey together through the pain and come out on the other side more passionate, compassionate and connected to each other. Do not despair. There is hope. The crowded bedroom can be simplified with the right stuff. And here are three (of soooo many!) things you can start practicing today to help you consistently use the key to your partner’s heart:
Your coupleshp is worth it! I promise. Only three daily choices (and if you read Brene Brown’s newest book, Rising Strong, you will see her research endorses everything that we teach). By finding your value, worth and empowerment and by feeling and expressing your feelings healthfully, nearly all past trauma can heal (and “trauma” is a scary word that can mean something as simple as a sibling being born and you feeling replaced and traumatized by a seemingly happy event). This healing journey gives us meaning and the deep understanding that all pain comes with a silver lining that can only be seen when we convert our pain into better boundaries. Oh yeah, this is a great blog on Boundaries, and a new blog on Healthy Attachment will be coming soon! We promise that when these tools are practiced daily it is natural and easy to take your partner of nearly thirty years by both hands, look them deeply into their beautiful big, blue eyes and achieve a connection that is as fresh as the first magical kiss. The magic-sauce never has to fade. First, let’s take a look at the balance of emotional and sexual energy. In the beginning, when a relationship is new, the entire brain is activated in the area of “pleasure” when you bond in love. This is oxytocin, the hormone of connection, bonding and trust at work. It quite literally bonds you to that person and their stimulated hormone levels. This changes our core values of what coupleships look like. And it invests us in the larger dynamic of community, family and deeper connection. Reproducing has this great ritual around it. Sex is literally the flooding of receptors with a mix of oxytocin, dopamine, and several other spicy little ingredients. The adrenaline can’t be allowed into the mix or a whole new level of “CRAZY,” yes the all caps “CRAZY,” inside of your relationship can have it’s own addictive cycle (yet another blog topic coming soon, and here’s an anonymous blog about this from one of our past clients). What has to happen to maintain that best sex of your life every month of your life with the same partner until well over a hundred years old? Glad you asked. The age-old myth is that coupleships have up to 3 years of connection and passion, and then that “newness” wears thin, and a more settled love takes its place. Hold on to your seats, because Jami and I absolutely disagree with this assertion. Why? Because we have only had our interest for each other, our love, our connection and our passion increase exponentially over time, and it hasn’t stopped increasing. And what we know is that the sexual-emotional loop has to have balance. When the emotional cup is filled to overflowing, the sexual connection is supported for the absolute best results.  Oh, wow, it's been a year, hasn't it??? And I bet you're ready for something fun and reconnecting with your love. We sure are! Well, you're in for a treat because we are finally LIVE with our weekend retreats--yeah, baby, yeah! "Wholehearted living is about engaging in our lives from a place of worthiness. It means cultivating the courage, compassion, and connection to wake up in the morning and think, No matter what gets done and how much is left undone, Choose wholehearted today. We will, too. Be cherished, Marla (and Jami)  It’s the perfect time to get away from it all with your love! We are super excited to offer our fun and refreshing Spicin’ It Up Couple’s Retreat as well as our Advanced Retreats*. If it has been difficult to find time for your coupleship then this retreat weekend is for you! Past participants report getting more during this retreat than two years of conventional counseling (short and sweet!). Space is limited so reserve your spot today! (*We want to make sure that you feel comfortable so it is important to note that all personal exercises are completed privately with your partner. Unless you want to share, there will be no public disclosure of your personal information. We have also instituted extensive COVID-19 requirements and restrictions to keep each participant physically healthy. We are requesting participants have at least one of the following to attend: proof of COVID Vaccine, antibodies present due to having had COVID, and/or 10-14 days quarantined prior to attendance. Thank you for understanding.) Here’s what you’ll experience:
Is this retreat for you? (If you answer “Yes” to any of the following questions then, YES, it’s for you!)
What is the cost?
August 13-15 October 15-17 November 5-7 Space is limited, so grab your spot today!  Here’s what you’ll experience:
What is the cost?
Upcoming Retreats: August 27-29 October 1-3 October 22-24 November 12-14 Space is limited, so grab your spot today! by Marla
2020 has thrown a lot of curveballs and I’m feeling “curveball fatigue.” Yes, it’s real and, yes, I just made it up. Can you relate? About a year ago I had streamlined my journal process due to time constraints caused by, well, the busyness of life. You know, two days watching grandlittles, full-time school, full-time work, and the list goes on. But recently I’ve really been feeling the need for more. My emotions are all over the place, ya’all—weepy one second, laughing the next...so many feels to feel. Whew. So I hopped back into the long version of the process I had been using since 1992. And, guys, it was more needed than I thought! It has helped ease my anxiety and focus my attention on serenity, freedom, and joy. In case you’d like to join me first let’s talk about how to use the Feeling Wheel (you can find the Wheel it HERE):
Okay, now here are the deets that coincide with the Feeling Wheel you see here (you can see the kid’s version above to reference just in case you’d like to help your kiddos learn to express all the hard feels):
 by Marla and Jami
Life is short. Have an affair. ~Ashley Madison Tagline (Jami) The Ashley Madison client reveal in 2015 hit very close to home…I cheated on Marla for the first 12 years of our marriage, and for another two years after I revealed my incredibly shameful secret I continued to be unfaithful. Getting caught saved my life, and finally exposed why I was doing these crazy, stupid things. Let’s face it; even just the disease risk is not worth sleeping around, but that’s not much of a deterrent when you are looking for approval from anywhere you can find it. Having 33 years of marriage and being happier than ever together, we have incredible tools and also so much hope to share with those of you who are struggling to put the pieces of your relationship back together. What we realized on a deeper level is that the hook-up culture is more insidious than we even speculated. All you have to do is Google “discrete hook ups” and there are dozens of sites that will provide nude pictures of your neighbors that are willing to have sex tonight, or so they say. But, the amazing news is that it’s all fixable! We have couples tell us that they have gone to counseling for y e a r s and had never experienced the relief and freedom found in just 3 short sessions with us. Wow! What a privilege and honor that is to hear. The short version... (Marla) The whole truth came out through a family intervention on Christmas day. Not so fun (understatement of the year!), and very messy. Our daughters were in 3rd and 4th grade, and I had lost every one of my support systems because I chose to stay with Jami…my family except for my mom, all of our friends, our jobs, and our church support. I remember lying on the floor in a heartbroken puddle sobbing to the point of hoping I would not be able to take another breath because death seemed like the only relief from the gut-wrenching pain at that moment. (See Jami’s upcoming book Silhouette of a Man for the full story.) The handling of our pain was devastatingly clumsy, and completely humiliating. As a result we had to re-evaluate everything. What we learned is that most people cheat because at their core they feel unworthy and need approval to feel good about themselves. Even if their partner is willing to be more connected and sexual with them, like I was, it feels to the cheater like there are strings attached, and like they can never do enough or be enough. This sounds crazy because there are even more strings and issues with an affair, but this wasn’t about logic, it was about honesty, or the lack of it, between Jami and I. And we have seen this over and over again with our clients who have asked us to come alongside of them to help them recover from infidelity in their relationship. (Note: not all cheating is sex.) A successful coupleship requires consistent growth and freedom to talk about what goes on in our minds, even if it is not politically, or morally correct. This means building a foundation of honesty with the ability to share and actively listen to feelings without judgment, and with compassion. The important thing to realize, even if your relationship was not “outed” in the release of Ashley Madison’s client list, is that we live in a disposable culture that says, “I’m not getting what I want, I’m not happy, and all I need to do is disengage from this relationship and find someone who will make me happy.” Relationships cannot be sustained with status-quo. And it’s time to create a culture that says, “We choose to recover this relationship because the healing of this relationship can create a wave of healing around the globe, and heal the world.” What every couple needs Forgiveness: Even if there is no infidelity in the relationship, you need to start here. It will open up a new conversation, and you do have things to forgive, we promise, even if those things are simply your unmet expectations or the little resentments that creep in when you least expect them. We teach people how to do this in an easy and fast way (really the shortest short-cut, guys!), and our book How Men Make Women Crazy (and Visa Versa): Ending the Madness sheds some light on the subject. A new Conversation: There has to be an ongoing intimacy and excitement about the two of you. This means learning how to be present to your partner’s feelings and sharing your own feelings safely. We’re not going to sugar-coat this and say it’s easy, but it is well worth doing. We use a Feeling Wheel to help get the feelings out and train people on its use. The goal is to drain the shame out of the middle of this “compass for your heart,” and learn to filter every difficult feeling through LOVE. Compassion: The reality is that your partner holds the key to unlocking your heart. We have seen it every time we work with a couple, even with the very small 3-5% who are not able to stay together using our process (we have a better than 95% success rate having only 8 to 12, seventy-five to ninety minute sessions, even if the couple is already separated or divorced). You chose your partner for a reason…help us help you keep that reason alive and healthy and full of passion! What little thing can you do for your partner today to fan that flame of passion that your relationship started out with? Start with asking them, “What little thing can I do for you today?” And see what happens from there. *These statistics are from 2018 and I am pretty positive there are more than "one woman in twelve" right now who are considering separation and/or divorce as soon as the holidays are over. by Marla
Ah, yes, forgiveness... A tough thing to do when feeling all the hard feels. But so important! I can attest to the fact that forgiveness is the best way forward out of pain and onto the healing journey. Been there, did NOT want to do it, but chose to anyway. And now I have the coupleship I’ve always desired. Don’t let winter come and settle into your heart. Forgive. It’s more than worth it! xoxo  by Jami and Marla This week we need to start by talking about shame. Yes, this is a really different kind of conversation for some of us. (Jami) Men, we benefit from knowing what shame is so that we are able to deal with it in our hearts and minds and defeat anger which allows us to be open about it with those we love. Sidenote: Anger turned inward is depression and outward is rage. To be clear, rage is NOT a healthy way to express your anger and there is a definite difference in how it’s done. We need to step up and teach our children and our communities to deal with shame in love and kindness. (Don’t worry, men. It’s not all on you but it is so important for you to understand and acknowledge. Marla addresses women below..) In her book Daring Greatly author and shame researcher Brené Brown says, “When shame becomes a management style, engagement dies. When failure is not an option we can forget about learning, creativity, and innovation. When it comes to parenting, the practice of framing mothers and fathers as good or bad is both rampant and corrosive—it turns parenting into a shame minefield. The real questions for parents should be: ‘Are you engaged? Are you paying attention?’ If so, plan to make lots of mistakes and bad decisions. Imperfect parenting moments turn into gifts as our children watch us try to figure out what went wrong and how we can do better next time.” The truth is that I let my shame issues get in the way of my relationship with Marla in the ’90s, and recently I nearly lost it all. I thought I was above it. The truth is without a connected group of accountable and authentic men consistently in my life, I again let fear and isolation take me down an ugly road. It is so easy to believe the lie that if I share with even my best friends that I will lose something. Credibility? My career? My wife (a very real fear)? And maybe even my life? Yes, when we are accountable and connected in honest ways we only lose isolation, depression, fear, and hate. Sadly there is so much fear and hate coming from men these days and we must band together and find better ways! Please do not let the fear of being honest keep you down as I did. I got lucky and didn’t end up losing everything I love, especially the love of my life, Marla. She has stuck with me through thick and thin and I am forever grateful and a much better man because of her.
(Marla) I am certainly not without my own shame web, and it has been a nasty, sticky web indeed. It was in 1995 that I began to realize that I had been living a life based on my shame. Everything I said and did I carefully adjusted to make sure that I would not be disapproved of (can you relate, girlfriends?). My core shame created this belief in me that I was not enough, therefore I needed to perform, be perfect in all areas, and do it with such finesse that I would never be “found out” for the fraud I was. This was all very unconscious at the time, but as I began to embark on the journey of healing, I came face to face with my addictions. No, I was not addicted to drugs, alcohol, medications, sex, work or rage. I was addicted to approval. Ughh. I was addicted to perfectionism (creating the façade that everything around me was “perfect”). I was addicted to being right. More ugghhh. And I literally felt unsafe whenever I was wrong. These are the things I did to keep from being vulnerable; to keep from letting anyone know who I really was:
Ladies (and maybe most of you reading this) can you relate to any of these statements? If so, you are also struggling with your core shame. (And for those of you who can’t relate at all, you may need to read the definition of “denial” because, from what Brené Brown’s research says, we ALL have shame at our core. Men, as Jami mentioned above it may look a little differently for you. Something like “I should never be weak…I should always be strong…I should be a good provider…”) The cool, and hopeful, thing is that you can have healing and relief from this dangerous place. I have. I’m certainly not completely rid of my shame, but it continues to get better and better. I am more full of joy and peace today than anything else, but to be honest Jami’s struggle that he gives a nod to above just about killed me and sent me straight back to this core shame for a time. It was horrible, earthshattering, paradigm-shifting, heart-crushing and also allowed me another run at cleaning out this very deeply-seeded shame. For this I am grateful. (Jami) Marla and I have developed the Feeling Wheel 5.0 to help all of us learn better strategies for relationships. Because…well…shame. The core of the wheel has three feelings: Shame, Forgiveness, and Love. This is the center of all our conflicts. All our behaviors are related to how we deal with these three feelings. Think of Shame as the giant lie that you are not worthy of love. This is why Marla and I put Shame across from Love. It is because it is the only toxic feeling on the wheel, and it is, in fact, based on a lie; the lie when any person believes that they are a bad person. And because of the nature of Shame, it sticks to other feelings like Fear, Anger, Jealousy and even Peace (worry much?) and Joy (have sexual shame?). All feelings free from shame are healthy feelings. Feelings are raw information. Our brains are highly efficient at making connections with how events in our life make us feel. We then develop strategies and we repeat what gets us what we expect, which is not necessarily the best outcome. Just outside the core of the wheel are six feelings that we reference as ”modes.” A mode is a pattern of behavior solidified to help us function and communicate. Think of it as an autopilot program that gets activated in certain situations, designed to protect your heart. Most often we don’t think much about doing these things, we just do them often without much conscious thought. These are often packages of behaviors that once served us well and helped us survive, but are now needing to be updated to serve us better. The question this week is where does your life hurt? What do you avoid? Why? Can you find a pattern of your behavior that is contributing to the pain? Let’s talk about how we can help each other and get better results for our families and communities. Schedule your Free Discovery Session today HERE.  by Marla
When Jami and I first learned this "rule" twenty years ago I was pissed (to say the least)! Jami had cheated* on me and I was terribly hurt, angry, and betrayed and it was most definitely HIS FAULT. Fast forward a few counseling sessions and this is what I discovered... I have the key to the prison I've locked my heart inside. It's when I choose how I feel that I unlock it. Yes, it's true even when somebody has done something that hurts us. Ughhhh. I agree. I discovered that nobody could "make me feel" anything because it is always a choice what emotion I am experiencing. I can shift how I feel at any time. "So, how is that possible? When someone betrays me they made me feel betrayed because of what they did," you respond. Yes, and... Let me explain. We have such deep-seated trauma (and by trauma I mean anything that has caused us pain throughout our lives such as emotional abuse or, as crazy as it sounds, the birth of a younger sibling--really!) that we get triggered by someone else's feelings, actions, behaviors and have learned to blame them even though the feeling I'm experiencing originated with me. The most powerful gift you can give yourself is the gift of feeling your emotions and embracing them as your own. I am a recovering codependent which is a pysch word that just means that I cared about other people's feelings so that I could "make" them feel better which "made" me feel better. See all that blame, there? When Jami does something that elicits a feeling of hurt in me I now know that I have to dig deep and discover where that emotion originated from. If it's old (like when my much older brother and sister didn't want me around) then recognized it is not Jami hurting me but touching that old hurt of which I have already forgiven. If it's new then I need to feel it, forgive, and shift to feeling "free" (which is the opposite feeling on our Feeling Wheel (posted in the comments). Here are the steps:
Be free, friends! xoxo  by Marla
We are sending you virtual hugs and want you to know that we are here for you in these exceptionally stressful times. Here are some things you can do to replace anxiety with contentment right now: 🧡 Write out the things that you are t r u l y passionate about. Create a vision board (or simply a list for those of you who are more left-brained 😉). Then frame it and hang it on your wall where you will see it every day. As you leave the house keep your framed passions in mind throughout the day. 🧡 Find a vulnerable and safe friend to share your true and authentic self with. Meet up for coffee or wine or beers in a safe and private location. 🧡 Pray, meditate and/or journal. 🧡 Be present to your emotions and express them healthfully (using r e a l feeling words like lonely, disappointed, hurt or peaceful, confident, and free; good, bad, find, and okay are NOT real feeling words…I know, I know what the??? Check out our Feeling Wheel HERE so you can figure out what you're r e a l l y feeling.). 🧡 And finally, share your deepest feelings and desires with your partner. When you start expressing real feelings you are beginning the process of sharing your deepest feelings and desires with your partner in a shame-free connection that develops a flow of love between the two of you that really is unstoppable that doesn’t have to be shrouded in fear. You are incredible, worthy, valuable and your youiest you is needed in our world today that feels so uncertain! Embrace YOU and see what wonderful things come from it. If you, or anyone you know, could use help embracing peace, power, and joy right now we a FREE Discovery Session so you can hear more about it! xoxo, Marla |
Marla and JamiCofounders of JamiAndMarla.LOVE (fka Passion Provokers and Keller Coaching) Jami and Marla are proud to bring a new level of success to coupleships worldwide with their unique coaching, mentoring, and consulting process. Their blogs are not only informative for coupleships they are personal. For over 25 years they have been helping people create emotionally and physically intimate coupleships. 
Ariel MinterAriel is a freelance blogger, web designer, and SEO consultant. She is 23 years young, married to her soulmate, and a proud “mother” to boxer Bruce and Yorkie Dexter. She focuses on writing content that is raw and relatable. (Info relevant at the time of writing, circa 2013-2015) Archives
October 2021
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