What comes to your mind when you hear the word “love”? If you have a partner, you probably think of the feeling that unites you with that person; if you have children, you may think of them, or of your parents and siblings; there are those who associate this concept with the feeling that their pets awaken in them; and of course, there is also self-love.
Although love is often associated more with its romantic concept, in reality, it is something much broader and encompasses different types of relationships. Thus, based on these different ways of feeling, expressing and living love, the Greeks created eight words to define the types that exist.
Eros: passionate love and sexual desire
It is named after the Greek god of love and fertility, Eros, who also represents passion and sexual desire. This type of love focuses on physical pleasure and the intense emotions of falling in love. It is like an intense and glowing fire, but it is quickly extinguished.
Philia: soul connection, deep friendship
This type of love is between people who share moments, experiences and adversities, and is strengthened through understanding, trust, loyalty, empathy, mutual support and respect. The ancient Greeks valued friendship far above romantic love, because they considered it a love between equals, dispassionate and free from the intensity of sexual attraction.
Storge: familial and devoted love
This is the love that occurs among family members and, sometimes, among friends who become very close or in friendships that arise from childhood and last into adulthood. The bonds are strengthened by frequent cohabitation from early stages of life and is characterized as a compassionate and protective love.
Pragma: mature and lasting love
This type of love is a conscious choice, which is based on mutual commitment and requires time and dedication to strengthen it over time. It is present in long-lasting relationships, where the people involved create solid bonds, which keep them together long after the passionate love fades.
Filautia: self-love
This love has to do with self-compassion, self-confidence and self-esteem. Its presence is something fundamental to be able to live with plenitude any of the other types of love, because to love others, it is first necessary to love oneself.
Agape: universal and selfless love
Agape is a selfless love, which is present especially in people who perform humanitarian, altruistic or charitable works, who give the best of themselves, without expecting to receive anything in return. It is a very pure, conscious and compassionate love towards all beings and is given without personal gain, simply for the satisfaction of helping those in need.
Ludus: fun and playful love
Ludus is a flirtatious and fun type of love, whose essential ingredient is the joy that is usually present in the early stages of relationships, when two people court each other and begin the process of falling in love. It is that mixture of excitement, joy, euphoria and nervousness that occurs when you begin to interact with someone you see as a potential partner.
Mania: obsessive love
While it can be argued that something obsessive is not really “love,” the Greeks had this word to define toxic or codependent relationships, where affective imbalances occur, where one person becomes overly attached to another. It is characterized by possessiveness and insecurity of those involved.
Enter into a deeper concept of love
Love is a vital concept in the existence of human beings, since we all seek to love and be loved. However, many times we do not know what love really is and therefore our heart remains closed to experience it and live it in its fullest expression.
If you want to enter into a deeper concept of what love is, discover how to maintain relationships with a greater spiritual and emotional connection, as well as get to know yourself, your partner and loved ones on a more intimate level, we invite you to participate in the Tantra is love retreat.
Here you will learn to recognize the pure love and the divine that dwells in you, in others and in everything around you. With the help of the knowledge and practices you will gain, you will be able to experience an opening to the universality of love, thus opening yourself to the opportunity to live what is pure and true love for others and for yourself.
On the other hand, in the field of couple relationships, you will learn techniques to approach sexual union in a sacred way, as an act of consciousness. Through the practice of conscious intimate relationships, you will be able to channel sexual energy towards higher purposes, aimed at spiritual growth and union with divinity.
