Maria has been openly polyamorous for the past 10 years and has shared her experiences through multiple media sources over that time. Having heard of polyamory at an earlier time in her life, her own realization that she was polyamorous was like the turn of a light bulb. Maria woke up one day and it hit her right there, "I'm polyamorous!" It still took another 2 years for Maria to begin her first polyamorous relationship, and she recommends others to take some time to learn about polyamory before they jump in. Speaking of jumping in, Maria and I get into some good conversation around NRE and the science behind the hormones it, and Maria shares that the secret to keeping those feelings of being in love strong is remembering to be in the moment. Slowing down seems to be a theme for Maria, and she shares how taking things slowly played a role in reigniting the spark of intimacy that was damaged when she came out to her husband as polyamorous, ultimately salvaging her marriage. Maria reminds us of the importance of living in the moment through all of life's experiences--sexual or otherwise! Getting into some discussion about her coaching practice, Maria then shares what S.E.X.y relationships means to her (Synergistic Energy eXchange), and she shares how people exchange energy not just in sex, but also in other unexpected group activities, such as group meditations. This really was such a fun conversation and there's a ton of great nuggets through this episode. Learn more about Maria at www.mariamerloni.com and follow her on IG: @MariaMerloni ! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/practicingpolya/support