Intimacy is not just a psychological fad, a rallying cry of contemporary couples. It is based on a deep biological need for love and affection.

Often when people think about intimacy, they think of sex. Intimacy is a process that can involve sex, but it does not necessarily have to. Intimacy goes a long way beyond sexual intercourse. Intimacy is about closeness, about being together and about creating and maintaining a relationship. Intimacy can be said to be an important part of any relationship, with or without sexual intercourse. Intimacy is defined as a close, familiar, and usually affectionate or loving personal relationship with another person or group. Most people think intimacy is all about sex or physical relationships. I’m sorry to break it to you, but it is more than that.

Usually when people begin to feel disconnected from each other, the major problem is lack of intimacy. Intimacy goes a long way in the growth and development of a relationship. When your relationship lacks intimacy, it becomes vulnerable to toxicity. Intimacy is very complex and complicated. There are different types of intimacy and each type must be involved in every relationship. Keep reading to learn more about the major types of intimacy.

1. Emotional Intimacy

This is the ultimate and most relevant type of intimacy needed in a relationship. Emotional intimacy is all about connecting your mind and feelings together with your partner. It is all about sharing one’s experiences with the partner. You will be shocked to know that most couples do not experience this phase of intimacy in their relationships.

Emotional intimacy is the phase or type of intimacy wherein you acknowledge your partner for who he or she is without any reservation and defects. This is the phase of intimacy where you consider your partner before anything else. In this is the level of intimacy whenever there is danger, the first person you think of is your partner.

2. Physical Intimacy

This type of intimacy is derived from talking, communicating and looking at people around you. Physical intimacy is the most common form of intimacy. In relationships, you get to the physical intimacy phase once you get to understand the feelings and attitude of your partner. This includes but is not limited to sexual intercourse with your partner. You can also have nonsexual physical intimacy such as holding hands, cuddling on the couch, or a hug.

3. Intellectual Intimacy

This is also a very vital type of intimacy that must be present in the lives of every couple, friend or partner. It is all about sharing thoughts and opinions about things you both care about. This is the intimacy where you share intellectual thoughts and insights with your partner. Intellectual intimacy is the act of connecting to your partner by discussing certain issues. The topics can be light-hearted or incredibly serious, but the cord of relationship is reinforced when you go about the business of mentally exercising your thoughts with your spouse. It also involves brainstorming with your partner to solve pertinent questions and problems. To strengthen intellectual intimacy, you can decide to share your favorite songs, movies, and poems.

4. Spiritual Intimacy

The most important type of intimacy is spiritual intimacy. Spiritual intimacy can be seen as the hub from which all other intimacy types get projected. Spiritual intimacy comes from being together, praying for one another, and praying together at the same place of worship. Not religious? Don’t worry, you can still connect spiritually without prayer. Take time to meditate together, give thanks to the life you have together, and promise to work through challenges together.

5. Recreational Intimacy

A lot of couples strive to get to this level of intimacy. This is the level of intimacy where you find a great amount of comfort in doing recreational activities. It might be a form of indoor or outdoor sport, going out together to the cinema, going to the park to relax, or similar things.

When you invest time with your partner by participating in recreational activities together like going to the movies, shopping, or other normal events, you develop recreational intimacy. Having both basic and separate exercises is critical to personal development. In fact, married couples need activities they will be involved in together (no external body invited). This helps each partner in the relationship to keep up his or her own particular identity. The target of recreational intimacy is to sufficiently discover enough common interests so that you appreciate your time together.

These are some of the intimacy types which should help couples with strong and healthy marriages and relationships. Get ready to know your partner on a whole new level!