What is the level of intimacy you share with your partner? Have you tried something different to do, together?

Well then it time you try out this Love Exercises. Do take care to spend enough time for this, preferably on a weekend or a vacation.

Art by Rikuko

Art by Hirokazu

1. Two as One. Embracing each other gently, begin to sense your partner’s breathing and gradually try to synchronize your breathing with his or hers. After a few minutes, you might feel that the two of you have merged.

Inhibitions. Countless millions of relationships have probably started with a glass of wine. Inhibitions block feelings of vulnerability, so lowering inhibitions can indeed help people bond. Getting drunk, however, is blinding and debilitating. Instead of alcohol, try the Two as One exercise above.

2. Soul Gazing. Standing or sitting about two feet away from each other, look deeply into each other’s eyes, trying to look into the very core of your beings. Do this for about two minutes and then talk about what you saw.

Art by Jayun

3. Monkey Love. Standing or sitting fairly near each other, start moving your hands, arms and legs any way you like—but in a fashion that perfectly imitates your partner. This is fun but also challenging. You will both feel as if you are moving voluntarily, but your actions are also linked to those of your partner.

Similarity. Opposites sometimes attract, but research by behavioral economist Dan Ariely of Duke University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and others shows that people usually tend to pair off with those who are similar to themselves—in intelligence, background and level of attractiveness. Some research even suggests that merely imitating someone can increase closeness. See the Monkey Love exercise above.

4. Falling in Love. This is a trust exercise, one of many that increase mutual feelings of vulnerability. From a standing position, simply let yourself fall backward into the arms of your partner. Then trade places. Repeat several times and then talk about your feelings. Strangers who do this exercise sometimes feel connected to each other for years.

Arousal. Studies by researchers such as psychologist Arthur Aron of Stony Brook University show that people tend to bond emotionally when aroused, say, through exercise, adventures or exposure to dangerous situations. Roller coaster, anyone? See the Falling in Love exercise above.

5. Secret Swap. Write down a deep secret and have your partner do the same. Then trade papers and talk about what you read. You can continue this process until you have run out of secrets. Better yet, save some of your secrets for another day

Self-disclosure. Research by Aron, Sprecher and others indicates that people tend to bond when they share secrets with each other. Once again, the key here is allowing oneself to be vulnerable. See the Secret Swap exercise above.

Art by Fujisawa Machi

6. Mind-Reading Game. Write down a thought that you want to convey to your partner. Then spend a few minutes wordlessly trying to broadcast that thought to him or her, as he or she tries to guess what it is. If he or she cannot guess, reveal what you were thinking. Then switch roles.

Art by Nariyuki

7. Let Me Inside. Stand about four feet away from each other and focus on each other. Every 10 seconds or so move a bit closer until, after several shifts, you are well inside each other’s personal space (the boundary is about 18 inches). Get as close as you can without touching. (This exercise often ends with kissing.)

Proximity and familiarity. Studies by Stanford University social psychologists Leon Festinger and Robert Zajonc and others conclude that simply being around someone tends to produce positive feelings. When two people consciously and deliberately allow each other to invade their personal space, feelings of intimacy can grow quickly. See the Let Me Inside exercise above.

Art by Tetsukuzu Tetsuko

8. Love Aura. Place the palm of your hand as close as possible to your partner’s palm without actually touching. Do this for several minutes, during which you will feel not only heat but also, sometimes, eerie kinds of sparks.

Original here – Thanks, Kitsune

Come live with me and be my love,
And we will all the pleasures prove
That valleys, groves, hills, and fields,
Woods, or steepy mountain yields.

And we will sit upon the rocks,
Seeing the shepherds feed their flocks,
By shallow rivers to whose falls
Melodious birds sing madrigals.

And I will make thee beds of roses
And a thousand fragrant posies,
A cap of flowers, and a kirtle
Embroidered all with leaves of myrtle;

A gown made of the finest wool
Which from our pretty lambs we pull;
Fair lined slippers for the cold,
With buckles of the purest gold;

A belt of straw and ivy buds,
With coral clasps and amber studs:
And if these pleasures may thee move,
Come live with me, and be my love.

The shepherds' swains shall dance and sing
For thy delight each May morning:
If these delights thy mind may move,
Then live with me and be my love.

-- by Christopher Marlowe

(thanks – Dandoonah for the image. I just borrowed it.)

May ALLAH accept your fasting and bless you, your family, your near & dear ones and all of us.

Ramadan is the Holy month to be generous in your thoughts, deeds and actions.

GIVE YOUR BEST.

What makes a nation’s pillars high
And its foundations strong?
What makes it mighty to defy
The foes that round it throng?

It is not gold. Its kingdoms grand
Go down in battle shock;
Its shafts are laid on sinking sand,
Not on abiding rock.

Is it the sword? Ask the red dust
Of empires passed away;
The blood has turned their stones to rust,
Their glory to decay.

And is it pride? Ah, that bright crown
Has seemed to nations sweet;
But God has struck its luster down
In ashes at his feet.

Not gold but only men can make
A people great and strong;
Men who for truth and honor’s sake
Stand fast and suffer long.

Brave men who work while others sleep,
Who dare while others fly…
They build a nation’s pillars deep
And lift them to the sky.

Does it seem anywhere remotely apply to Kuwait?

Should have been “Expatriates men who work while the citizens sleep..“?

That’s what makes a nation great, not wealth.

An excellent & touching poem by Steven Reiser

To my bride, I give you my heart

Sharing love each day, from the very start

To my bride, I give you my kiss

Filling each day with joy and bliss

To my bride, I give you my being

To love, to play, to work and to sing

To my bride, I give you my mind

Learning each day to be more kind

To my bride, I give you my soul

Growing together to be more whole

To my bride, I give you my life

Rejoicing each day that you are my wife.

Leisure – by William Henry Davies

What is this life if, full of care,

We have no time to stand and stare.

No time to stand beneath the boughs

And stare as long as sheep or cows.

No time to see, when woods we pass,

Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.

No time to see, in broad daylight,

Streams full of stars, like skies at night.

No time to turn at Beauty’s glance,

And watch her feet, how they can dance.

No time to wait till her mouth can

Enrich that smile her eyes began.

A poor life this if, full of care,

We have no time to stand and stare.

Do we really really live a rich life; if we have no time to stand and stare at the niceties that nature has to offer.In these difficult times, I suggest that we turn to nature to seek solace.

Think. Can you buy this with money when you feel like it? NO WAY.

When you feel down, read this and listen to this song,

You Gotta Make Your Own Sunshine

by Neil Sedaka

Whenever the day is bringing you down

And nothing`s going your way

Just turn it around

Don`t let the world upset you

Get depressed and what doesn`t get you

You`ve got a chance to make it

Reach right out and take it

Leave your worries behind

You gotta make your own sunshine

You gotta make your own sunshine

If nothing in life is turning you on

And everyone of your friends

All seem to be gone

Just start yourself a hummin`

Remember that the good times are coming

Life is a celebration

Don`t waste your invitation

Hang those tears on the line

You gotta make your own sunshine

You gotta make your own sunshine

When you`re feeling down

You gotta aim high

Don`t stare at the ground

Reach for the sky… reach for the sky!

Just keep yourself up

Don`t ever complain

Before you walk in the sun

You gotta laugh in the rain

Just get your act together

Be ready for who and whatever

Life is a smile so find it

Put your face behind it

Get it straight in your mind

You gotta make your own sunshine

You gotta make your own sunshine

You gotta make your own sunshine

You gotta make your own sunshine

I said a prayer for you today
And know God must have heard.
I felt the answer in my heart
Although he spoke no word!

I didn’t ask for wealth or fame
(I knew you wouldn’t mind).
I asked him to send treasures
Of a far more lasting kind! I asked that he be near you
At the start of each new day;
To grant you health and blessings
And friends to share your way!

I asked for happiness for you
In all things great and small.
But it was for his loving care I prayed the most of all!

Send it to someone near to your heart and make him smile. Circulate as much as you can.

Say those sweet words to your Valentine each day in a different language and it will be six months before you can repeat the same language again.

A different language for each day of the year (that’s my aim – so please add if you a new expression of love in a different language). Let each day be full of love.

Afrikaans	Ek is lief vir jou!
Albanian	Te dua!
Amharic	Afekrishalehou!
Arabic	Ohiboke / Nohiboka
Arabic	Ana Behibak (To A Male)
Arabic	Ana Behibek (To A Female)
Armenian	Yes kez si’rumem!
Assamese	Moi Tomak Bhal Pau
Bambara	M’bi fe
Basque	Maite zaitut!
Bavarian	I mog di narrisch gern
Belarusian	Ya tabe kahayu
Bengali	Ami tomake bahlobashi!
Berber	Lakh tirikh
Bicol
Bisaya	Nahigugma ako kanimo
Bolivian	Quechua Qanta Munani
Bosnian	Volim te!
Bulgarian	Obicham te!
Burmese	Chit Pa De
Cambodian	Bon Sro Lanh Oon
Canadian	Sh’teme
Cantonese	Ngo oi ney
Catalan	T’estim Molt (I Love You A Lot)
Cebuano	Gihigugma Ko Ikaw.
Cheyenne	Ne mohotatse
Chichewa	Ndimakukonda
Chinese	Wo Ie Ni
Corsican	Ti Tengu Cara (To Female)
Corsican	Ti Tengu Caru (To Male)
Creole	Mi aime jou!
Croatian	Volim te!
Czech	Miluji tev!
Danish	Jeg Elsker Dig
Dutch	Ik Hou Van Jou
Ecuador	Quechua Canda Munani
Elvish	Amin mela lle
English	I love you!
Esperanto	Mi Amas Vin
Estonian	Mina Armastan Sind
Ethiopian	Afgreki’
Faroese	Eg elski teg
Farsi	Tora Dust Midaram
Filipino	Mahal Kita
Finnish	Mina” Rakastan Sinua
Flemish	Ik zie oe geerne
French	Je T’aime
Friesian	Ik bin fereale op dy
Frisian	Ik hald fan dei!
Gaelic	Ta gra agam ort
Galician	Querote!
Georgian	Mikvarhar
German	Ich liebe dich!
Greek	S’ Agapo
Greenlandic	Asavakit
Gujarati	Hoon tane pyar karoochhoon! tane chaahuN chhuN!
Haitian Creole		Mwen renmen’w
Hausa	Ina sonki
Hawaiian	Aloha wau ia ‘oe!
Hebrew	Anee ohev otakh / Anee ohevet otkha / Anee ohev otkha / Anee ohevet otakh
Hiligaynon	Guina higugma ko ikaw
Hindi	Mai tumase pyar karata hun / Mai tumase pyar karati hun
Hmong	Kuv hlub koj
Hokkien	Wa ai lu
Hopi	Nu’ umi unangwa’ta
Hopi	Nu’ umi unangwa’ta
Hungarian	Szeretlek!
Icelandic	Eg Elska Thig
Ilonggo	Palangga ko ikaw
Indonesian	Saya cinta padamu!
Interlingua	Io te ama
Inuit	Negligevapse
Irish	t’a gr’a agam dhuit!
Italian	Ti Amo (Relationship/Lover/Spouse)
Japanese	Kimi O Ai Shiteru
Kannada	Naanu Ninnanu Preethisuthene
Kapampangan	Kaluguran daka
Kazakh	Men seny jaksy kuremyn
Kiswahili	Nakupenda
Korean	Tangsinul Sarang Ha Yo
Kurdish	Ez te hezdikhem
Lao	Khoi huk chau
Latin	Te Amo
Latvian	Ess Milu Tevi
Lebanese	Bahibak
Lingala	Nalingi yo
Lisbon	Gramo Te Bue’, Chavalinha
Lithuanian	As tave myliu!
Luo	Aheri
Macedonian	Sakam Te!
Madrid lingo	Me molas, tronca
Malay	Saya cintamu
Malayalam	Njyaan Ninne’ Preetikyunnu
Malaysian	Saya cintamu!
Maltese	Inhobbok!
Mandarin	Wo ai ni!
Marathi	Me Tujhashi Prem Karto (to Female)
Marshallese	Yokwe Yuk!
Mohawk	Konoronhkwa
Moroccan	Ana moajaba bik
Nahuatl i	Ni mits nek
Navaho	Ayor anosh’ni
Ndebele	Niyakutanda
Norwegian	Jeg elsker deg!
Pakistani	Muje se muhabbat hai
Pangasinan	Inaru Taka
Papiamento	Mi ta stimabo
Persian	Tora Dost Daram
Pig Latin	Iay ovlay ouyay
Polish	Kocham ciebie!
Portuguese	Eu te amo!
Punjabi	Mai Taunu Pyar Karda
Romanian	Te iubesc!
Russian	Ya tyebya lyublyu!
Sanskrit	twayi snihyaami
Scot Gaelic	Tha gra\dh agam ort
Serbian	Volim te!
Sesotho	Kiyahurata!
Setswana	Ke a go rata
Shona	Ndinokuda
Sign language	I point at self with index finger. love hold crossed hands over your chest. you point with index finger to the other person.
Sindhi	Maa tokhe pyar kendo
Sinhalese	Mama Oyata Adarei
Sioux	Techihhila
Slovak	Lubim ta!
South African	Ek het jou lief
Spanish	Te Quiero
Sri Lankan	Mama Oyata Arderyi
Swahili	Nakupenda!
Swedish	Jag A’Lskar Dig
Swiss	Ch’ha di ga’rn
Syrian/Lebanese	Bhebbek (to Female)
Tagalog	Mahal kita!
Tahitian	Ua Here Vau Ia Oe
Taiwanese	Gwa ai lee
Tamil	Naan Unnai Kadhalikiren
Telugu	Neenu Ninnu Pra’mistu’nnanu
Thai	Phom rug khun / Chan rug khun
Tswana	Ke a go rata
Tunisian	Ha Eh Bak
Turkish	Seni seviyorum!
Ukrainian	Ya tebe kokhayu!
Urdu	Main tumse muhabbat karta hoon!
Vietnamese	Anh yeu em / Em yeu an
Vlaams	Ik hou van jou
Vulcan	Wani Ra Yana Ro Aisha
Welsh	Rwy’n dy garu di!
Yiddish	Kh’hob dikh lib!
Yoruba	Mo ni fe e
Yugoslavian	Ya Te Volim
Zazi	Ezhele hezdege (sp?)
Zulu	Ngiyakuthanda!
Zuni	Tom ho’ ichema