Conversations Over Tea: Gunnar Lovelace and Jennifer Partridge

Conversations Over Tea is an ongoing series of interviews between our founder, Rose Goodman, and people who inspire her.

with Gunnar Lovelace & Jennifer Partridge

Readers of Conversations Over Tea will remember Rose’s one-on-one conversations with Gunnar Lovelace and Jennifer Partridge, two luminaries and self-starters in the world of wellness. Rose caught up with them as a couple to see how they navigate their unique paths together.

How do you juggle being focused and effective in your work and maintaining a healthy, balanced, and loving relationship?

JEN:
We both have our own visions that keep us inspired outside of the relationship. That’s really important.

GUNNAR:
The thing that we probably struggled the most with is negotiating time. We create opportunities for us to really clearly commit to, like date days and times we’ve planned to be together in the future.

Do you have any tips for couples faced with the challenge of staying connected while their both diving into their individual career?

GUNNAR:
Creating structure and setting time aside, proactively, where the relationship can connect at its most essential nature.

JEN:
Being a team and recognizing that his challenges are also my challenges. It doesn’t mean that I have to look after those challenges, but I give him space to do what he needs to without getting angry that he had to cancel something. It’s about balancing our commitments but also being very flexible.

What are your individual practices for self cultivation?

JEN:
Tapping is my go-to for working through any emotional blocks or challenges. Not having my phone on over the weekend is really powerful for just dropping into my own space. Going up to Ojai, being in nature, or walking barefoot on the earth. Being under the stars.

GUNNAR:
If I’m not exercising I get to be pretty grumpy, so getting exercise, sleep, eating well, meditating, playing music. Pretty simple. The key for me is making sure that I have time for myself to do those things.

What are some of your favorite ways to be in nature as a couple, together as a couple?

GUNNAR:
We love hiking and being in and near water, whether it’s the ocean or creeks or swimming holes. Our house in Ojai is really private, so we spend a lot of time there just naked.

JEN:
Just being in the elements.

GUNNAR:
Before we go to bed we lie outside under stars for an hour or so.

JEN:
It’s beautiful. It settles the energy and clears everything out from the day. It brings us closer together and centers our energy. It’s lovely.

Go Deeper: Let’s Play: Eroticism, Great Sex, and Better Relationships

And The Four Phases of Conscious Partnership