Emotional starvation in a marriage is like sharing a home but not a heartbeat. In this article, we explore the quiet crisis of spiritual disconnect in long-term relationships—a “trial marriagem 15” where everything looks fine but love has lost its voice. If you’re feeling lonely in marriage, unseen, and unheard—this is for you.
First published - Thursday, May 22, 2008 3:53 PM
Second revised edition- Published on 15/06/2008 14:15
Third revised edition - published on 05/07/2025 12:48
Feel invisible in your marriage? You might be emotionally starved. Reclaim intimacy and heal your relationship with spiritual and energetic reconnection tools.
In many homes, a quiet crisis brews—emotional starvation. This article explores the growing epidemic of spiritually divorced but legally married couples. If you’re feeling unseen, unheard, and emotionally exhausted in what feels like a trial marriagem 15, this guide will help you reclaim your emotional intimacy, reconnect your souls, or lovingly choose a new path forward.
Are you the invisible half in a trial marriagem 15?
Let me ask you something raw: When was the last time your partner truly looked at you—not just with their eyes, but with their soul?
Because if you’re reading this, maybe you’re living in what I call a trial marriagem 15—a strange, soul-numbing arrangement where you’re technically “together,” but emotionally galaxies apart. You do the things: dishes, bills, family WhatsApp groups, but deep inside, you feel like a ghost haunting your own love story.
I met someone at a healing workshop once—let’s call her Pagi. She whispered during our sharing circle, “He never left, but he hasn’t been home in years.” The room went still. Because we all knew what she meant.
Statistically, emotional neglect is more common than we think. In fact, research by the Gottman Institute shows that emotional disengagement precedes 80% of divorces, not cheating or screaming matches. Silent marriages are louder in pain than loud arguments.
So what does this have to do with trial marriagem? It’s a phrase I use to describe those relationships that look perfect from the outside—social media smiles, anniversary dinners—but inside, they’re a silent courtroom. Each partner is on trial. No one wins.
If this sounds like you, you're not alone. And no, you’re not being dramatic or needy for craving connection. You’re human.
You don’t need another lecture. You need to be seen. Let’s start there.
You wake up next to someone you once dreamed of—but now you barely speak. They ask, “What’s for dinner?” but not, “How’s your heart?” Sound familiar?
This isn’t just a rough patch. It’s what I call a trial marriagem 15—a hollow arrangement where you’re both technically “married” but emotionally living on trial. You’ve become invisible in your own love story.
In my counselling sessions, I often meet women and men whispering versions of the same sentence: “I don’t know how we got here… but I miss being seen.”
Behind every Instagram-perfect couple, there’s often an emotional disconnect no one dares to talk about. You’re not alone. According to a study by the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, nearly 1 in 4 married couples experience emotional neglect—a painful state where partners coexist but no longer connect.
But here’s the hidden truth: emotional starvation doesn’t just hurt—it erodes your self-worth. When love becomes routine, when presence is replaced by politeness, we stop asking for our needs to be met. We shrink. We numb. We become spectators in our own marriages.
This emotional invisibility is more damaging than dramatic fights. At least fights acknowledge something still matters. But in emotionally starved marriages, silence becomes the loudest scream.
This article is not about blame. It’s about visibility. About helping you finally feel felt—whether that means reviving your current relationship or choosing something more aligned.
Start by asking: When was the last time I felt fully seen by my partner?
If you can’t remember... you’re already halfway toward clarity.
๐For more heart-opening insight into emotional purity and connection, read Promising Purity, Or Is It So?
What is emotional starvation in marriage?
So what is emotional starvation, really? It’s not about not talking. It’s about not being felt.
It’s the gap between asking, “Did you pick up the milk?” and begging silently, “Do I matter to you anymore?”
Emotional neglect in marriage is when your partner becomes a roommate or, worse, a polite stranger. There may be no fighting, no abuse, no obvious cracks. But the emotional bandwidth has vanished. You stop sharing your day. You censor your excitement. You dread weekends instead of looking forward to them.
Unlike physical neglect, which is visible, emotional neglect hides behind functioning. You might even say, “But we don’t fight!” That’s the thing. You don’t feel enough to fight.
Signs of emotional starvation include:
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You feel lonelier with them than when you’re alone.
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You’re scared to bring up how you feel because it “won’t change anything.”
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There’s no meaningful affection, laughter, or eye contact anymore.
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Sex feels mechanical or totally absent.
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You fantasise more about being seen than being touched.
Emotional intimacy is a basic human need. Not a luxury. It’s the sacred glue that holds love together when everything else fades.
And yet, we’re never taught how to keep it alive. We think marriages run on loyalty, duty, and time. But a relationship without emotional connection is like a well-furnished house with no oxygen. Sooner or later, something suffocates.
There’s hope though. Because even emotional starvation can be healed—if both partners are willing to see each other again.
To be clear: emotional starvation is not the absence of love. It’s the absence of expression.
You can love someone and still emotionally starve them—by not witnessing their inner world, not validating their emotions, not caring about their mental weather.
Emotional neglect in marriage creeps in slowly. It shows up in:
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Conversations that only skim the surface.
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Physical proximity with no emotional warmth.
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A calendar full of tasks, but no space for togetherness.
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Partners becoming more like co-parents or colleagues.
I met a woman—let’s call her Radhika—who once said: “He brings me coffee every morning, but never once asks how I’m truly feeling.”
That’s emotional starvation. You’re functionally together but spiritually alone.
According to Psychology Today, emotional neglect in marriage leads to chronic feelings of low self-esteem, resentment, even depression. But the worst part? Most sufferers gaslight themselves into silence.
They think:
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“I have a roof, food, and a loyal spouse. I should be grateful.”
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“At least we don’t fight.”
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“Maybe I’m just too sensitive.”
No, you're not. You’re human. Emotional intimacy is as necessary as oxygen in a partnership. Without it, the soul wilts.
This kind of soul disconnect marriage often begins subtly:
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A partner becomes withdrawn due to work or stress.
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Affection decreases.
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Emotional check-ins stop.
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One partner waits, then gives up.
And soon? You’re just passing time together—one eye on your phone, one foot out the emotional door.
It doesn’t have to be this way. The first step? Naming it. Because what you don’t name, you normalize.
๐ก Want to understand the roots of emotional patterns in marriage? Discover more in this thoughtful piece: Behind Closed Doors
Are you spiritually divorced but still legally married?
Let’s talk about the “spiritual divorce.” It’s real. It’s silent. And it hurts like hell.
Spiritual divorce is what happens when the bodies stay, but the souls check out. You sleep in the same bed but feel a thousand miles apart. There’s no ritual of shared presence anymore. Only logistics.
This kind of disconnect doesn’t happen overnight. It creeps in. A forgotten birthday. A dismissive comment. The TV being more important than your tears.
Here’s how to know if you’re spiritually divorced but still legally married:
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You feel more emotionally connected to fictional characters than to your spouse.
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You fantasise about life after they’re gone—not dramatically, just quietly.
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You no longer argue, not because there’s peace, but because there’s nothing left to say.
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You keep up appearances for kids, family, society.
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You feel unseen, unheard, unimportant.
I once had a client who cried more reading poetry than in real life. When I asked why, she said, “Because Rumi sees me. My husband doesn’t.”
If that’s you—let this be your sign. You deserve to be seen.
Marriage isn’t just a legal bond. It’s a soul agreement. And when that agreement breaks, but the contract stays, you live in a spiritual void.
But you’re not broken. You're just buried under years of unspoken feelings. And yes, it can be reversed.
Here’s the most heartbreaking truth I’ve learned in relationship work: A marriage doesn’t need papers to die.
It can die the moment emotional presence leaves.
I call this the spiritual divorce—a disconnection of souls that happens quietly over time. No courts, no drama. Just two people who once shared everything… now sharing silence.
And many of these couples stay together. Why?
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For the kids.
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For appearances.
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Out of fear.
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Out of habit.
But every day spent in a soul disconnect marriage chips away at your aliveness.
Here are signs you might be spiritually divorced:
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There’s no eye contact. Just eye rolls.
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Your jokes fall flat. So you stop trying.
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You avoid deep conversations because “it always turns into something.”
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You don’t remember the last time you held each other without obligation.
I remember one man telling me during a session, “I’d rather work overtime than come home. At least there, I feel productive.” That’s not laziness. That’s spiritual exhaustion.
Being lonely in marriage is one of the most invalidated emotional wounds. Society sees your ring and assumes you’re loved. But if the soul isn’t held, nothing else counts.
This is not a call to divorce—but to truth. Spiritual divorce isn’t irreversible. It’s a red flag saying: Please come back to each other before it’s too late.
What causes this disconnection?
There’s no one villain here. But there are patterns.
Many of us enter marriages in survival mode. We carry childhood trauma, cultural conditioning, suppressed grief. We’ve been taught to numb emotions, not name them. To endure, not express.
And what does that create? Emotionally avoidant dynamics. We marry to escape loneliness, not knowing how to hold space for our own inner child.
Trauma teaches us to withhold trust. And marriages built on fear of abandonment often become emotional deserts. You stop opening up because, at some level, you believe:
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"If I show them my sadness, I’ll be too much."
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"If I ask for love, I’ll get rejected again."
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"If I say I’m lonely, they’ll say I’m nagging."
It’s not that your partner is evil. Maybe they’re in survival mode too.
And this is where the phrase trial marriagem 15 re-enters: A relationship that started as love but mutated into endurance. You keep testing each other’s limits instead of building bridges.
You live in silent punishment, hoping the other one will notice your pain. But emotional neglect can’t be guilted into change. It has to be seen, owned, and healed.
Let’s unmask the roots. Emotional starvation doesn’t appear out of nowhere. It’s built over time by layers of unhealed pain.
Key causes include:
๐ง Childhood Conditioning:
Many of us were taught love = obedience, silence = strength. We grew up in households where emotions were inconvenient. So we carry those patterns into marriage—shutting down instead of opening up.
๐งฑ Trauma and Emotional Numbness:
Unprocessed trauma makes us emotionally avoidant. If you've been hurt before, you start “protecting” yourself by not expressing needs. But love can’t breathe in a fortress.
⚙️ Survival Mode:
When life becomes about survival—paying bills, raising kids, managing in-laws—connection is the first casualty. You forget to check in. Affection gets postponed. Rituals die.
๐ฎ Energetic Disconnect:
Every marriage has a vibe. If your energies no longer intertwine—if the laughter, rhythm, and frequency has changed—you’ll feel like housemates, not soulmates.
This is what defines a trial marriagem 15. It’s like two people stuck in an emotional courtroom, playing roles, performing duties—but never truly returning to love.
๐ซ Curious about how astrological insights can help rekindle lost connection? Learn more about how to improve relationship astrology and rediscover joy using intuitive alignment.
What are the words I wish they said? (Journal Prompt)
Here’s a tender invitation: Take a deep breath. Grab a pen. Open your heart.
Now answer this:
“What are the words I wish they had said to me?”
Let them flow. No censoring. No logic. Just raw truth.
Maybe it’s:
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“I’m sorry I didn’t notice you were hurting.”
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“I miss the way we used to laugh.”
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“You matter to me more than my pride.”
Journaling is a sacred practice. It’s not just writing. It’s remembering yourself. It’s whispering truth into the silence that’s been building inside you for years.
Because sometimes, the thing you’re waiting for them to say... you need to say to yourself first.
Bonus Prompt:
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“What do I fear would happen if I told my partner how lonely I feel?”
That one question can unlock years of trapped emotion.
This is sacred. Grab your journal—or a quiet moment—and write down:
“What are the words I wish they had said?”
This isn’t about blaming. It’s about making space for what’s been buried. Your soul doesn’t heal through logic. It heals through acknowledgement.
Some journal entries I’ve witnessed include:
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“I see how much you give every day.”
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“You’re not difficult. You’re deep.”
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“You are not invisible in this home.”
When we write the words we long to hear, we begin to reclaim our voice. This exercise brings clarity on your needs, wounds, and silent expectations.
Bonus Reflection:
“What do you fear would happen if you told your partner how lonely you feel?”
This question often breaks people open. Because the answer is layered:
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“They’ll dismiss me.”
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“They’ll make it about them.”
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“They’ll finally admit they don’t love me.”
Even these fears are sacred truths. Don’t run from them. Sit with them. Honour them.
Healing starts with witnessing what has never been said out loud.
Can you heal without blame?
Blame is the easiest language to speak in marriage—especially when the heart is starving. But here’s the truth: healing doesn’t begin where blame lives. It begins where empathy breathes.
It’s tempting to point fingers when emotional neglect sets in. “They don’t ask how I am.” “They never listen.” “They forgot our anniversary.” And yes, your pain is valid. But staying in that loop of blame locks your healing in their hands.
Here’s the truth I often whisper to my clients: You can begin to heal, even if they never apologise.
This isn’t about letting anyone off the hook. It’s about reclaiming your power. When you release blame, you stop waiting for someone else to do the emotional work for you. Instead, you step into your own sacred agency.
But what does this look like practically?
Blame is often a cry for validation. But that validation starts within. When you offer yourself compassion, you no longer need to weaponise your pain.
Forgiveness—whether it’s given or withheld—is never the starting point. Understanding is.
So ask yourself: Can I see both of us as wounded children trying to love with broken tools?
That’s where true reconnection begins. Not in who’s right—but in who’s willing to reach first.
๐ Read this deep, heart-opening post for more wisdom on partnership and presence: Spouse
How can energetic intimacy rituals bring you back together?
When was the last time you touched each other with full attention—not sexually, but soulfully?
Energetic intimacy is about more than touch. It’s about presence. And in emotionally starved marriages, this kind of touch—the silent, tender kind—can feel miles away.
But healing doesn’t require grand gestures. It begins with rituals—simple, sacred acts done with intention.
Here are a few practices to help you reconnect energetically:
Tantra teaches us that energy flows where attention goes. And in marriages, energetic attention is often the first thing to disappear.
Rebuilding intimacy is not about fireworks. It’s about showing up again and again with your full presence, even in the smallest ways.
Because the body remembers what the mind forgets. And even if you don’t have the words yet—your touch can speak them for you.
Is your home silently reflecting your disconnect?
Let’s walk into your bedroom.
The spaces we live in are mirrors of our emotional state. And in marriages where emotional starvation exists, homes often reveal the disconnection first.
In vastu shastra and spiritual design, each corner of the house carries an energetic message. And your bedroom—your sacred union chamber—is often the most wounded space in a troubled marriage.
Here’s what to look for:
Lal Kitab and vastu for love suggests keeping a bowl of rose water or silver under the bed to attract softness and peace in the marriage. Energy responds to symbols. Change the space, and you shift the emotional field.
Because a disconnected space isn’t just about design. It’s a cry for reconnection.
And yes—it can change everything.
๐ซ Want to go deeper into these energy alignments? Try this keyword: improve relationship astrology for soul-aligned home healing.
Should You Stay, Heal, or Leave? How Do You Know?
This is the question that weighs heaviest in emotionally starved marriages.
You’ve tried. You’ve waited. You’ve journaled. But the love still feels locked somewhere between memory and longing.
So how do you know?
Here’s a heart-centred checklist to reflect on:
✅ Stay if:
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Your partner is willing to communicate and co-heal.
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There’s still mutual respect, even in pain.
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You both miss each other and want to reconnect.
✅ Heal (solo or together) if:
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You’re unsure but want clarity.
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You need space to rediscover yourself.
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You realise you’ve lost your identity in the marriage.
✅ Leave if:
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Emotional abuse or manipulation exists.
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You’ve begged for visibility and received indifference.
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Staying feels like self-erasure, not self-honour.
Many people stay because they fear being alone. But you’re already lonely in a soul disconnect marriage. So don’t stay to avoid grief. Stay because there’s hope, growth, and partnership. Otherwise, choose peace.
And yes—healing before leaving is still healing.
Because what you carry into the next relationship depends on how consciously you closed this one.
So ask yourself: Am I staying because of love… or fear?
How Do You Start the Conversation About Your Loneliness?
This is perhaps the bravest act in a trial marriagem 15.
To look your partner in the eye and say, “I feel alone with you.”
Here’s a conversation script that has helped hundreds:
๐ฃ “Can we talk about something important? I’m not blaming you. But I feel emotionally disconnected and lonely. I miss us. And I want to find our way back—if you're open to it.”
The key is vulnerability without accusation.
Other helpful phrases:
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“I want to feel close to you again.”
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“Do you feel the distance too?”
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“Can we try talking like we used to, even if it’s hard at first?”
And if they shut down? Say:
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“I understand this is hard to hear. I’m not attacking you. I’m just naming my truth so we don’t keep drifting.”
Start with tone, not just timing. Choose a calm evening, a neutral place, maybe after a shared meal. Avoid launching this conversation during a fight, or when either of you is emotionally flooded.
Healing conversations require:
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A safe nervous system
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Willing ears
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A soft heart
You don’t need to fix it all in one chat. You just need to open the door.
Because silence is what created the disconnect. Only truth can reverse it.
๐ฎ Lal kitab remedies for harmonious marriage
Lal Kitab, an ancient astrological guide, offers practical and symbolic remedies to harmonise marital energy.
Here are 5 powerful yet simple lal kitab for marriage remedies:
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Keep a Silver Item in the BedroomSilver represents emotional calm. Place a silver bowl under your bed for peace and healing.
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Feed Cows or Dogs TogetherOffering food together on Fridays increases joint karma, softening marital tensions.
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Apply Saffron Tilak Before SleepingA spiritual bonding practice that aligns energies—especially beneficial on Thursdays.
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Avoid Sleeping with a Knife or Iron Objects NearbyThese carry aggression energy. Replace with soft, soothing symbols like rose quartz or sandalwood.
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Light a Ghee Lamp in the South-West CornerStrengthens relationship stability and emotional bonding.
๐ซ Try these if you’re serious about bringing balance back. And for deeper guidance, explore happy married life tips with Tushar Mangl on Instagram.
What is the “Married but Invisible?” healing checklist?
Have you ever wondered, “How do I even begin healing when I don’t know what’s broken?”
That's why I created the “Married but Invisible?” Healing Checklist—a compassionate, clarity-bringing tool that helps you map where you are emotionally, where your relationship stands energetically, and what your next steps could look like.
Here’s a sneak peek of the checklist themes:
๐ Emotional Health Check:
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Do I feel emotionally safe to express myself in this relationship?
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When I’m upset, does my partner try to understand—or defend?
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Do I feel celebrated in this partnership, or tolerated?
๐ Energetic Flow Audit:
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Is our home a sanctuary or a war zone?
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Do I look forward to spending time with my partner?
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Is there laughter, or only logistics?
๐ Next Step Guidance:
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Do I want to try healing together?
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Do I need to reconnect with myself first?
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Would speaking to a counsellor help? (Hint: Yes. Even once.)
This isn’t just a checklist—it’s your emotional mirror.
Download it. Print it. Sit with it. Answer it without rushing.
Because sometimes, the clarity we crave is just a few honest answers away.
And if you’re ready to go deeper into healing, I offer private 1:1 consultation sessions where we explore emotional invisibility, energetic cleansing, and love re-alignment through both psychological and spiritual tools.
๐ Book a Consultation: DM me or visit my Instagram bio for details. You don’t have to walk this alone.
๐ Read this beautiful reflection on emotional authenticity: Confession of a Carefree Soul
What would happen if you shared your loneliness?
This question is everything.
So let me ask you again, gently: What do you fear would happen if you told your partner how lonely you feel?
Would they ignore you? Blame you? Say, “You’re too sensitive”? Walk away?
Or maybe—just maybe—they’d listen. Maybe they’re lonely too, but didn’t know how to say it.
Fear often stops us from sharing our emotional truths. But the deeper truth is this: avoiding vulnerability protects the ego, but starves the soul.
Here's what I want you to reflect on:
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Are you afraid of being dismissed... or of being seen too clearly?
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Have you convinced yourself it’s “not worth it” to speak... or are you afraid they won’t rise to meet you?
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What part of you needs to be held if the worst does happen?
The nervous system plays a big role here. If you’ve experienced emotional shutdowns or rejection before, your body may literally freeze at the idea of opening up. That’s not weakness. That’s trauma response.
Healing comes when you can say:
“Even if I cry. Even if I stutter. Even if nothing changes—my truth deserves a voice.”
And you don’t need a perfect outcome. You need a beginning. Even if that beginning is shaky, raw, and tender.
Speak. You’re not being needy. You’re being honest.
When was the last Time You Felt Truly Seen in This Relationship?
Let this question sit with you for a moment.
Not “when did they compliment me” or “when did we go on a date”—but when did I feel emotionally held, without having to perform?
Was it early on? A few years back? Never?
Being seen means your partner notices when you’re withdrawn. They ask before you have to explain. They see your joy and reflect it back. They hold space for your tears without trying to fix them.
For many in a trial marriagem 15, the last time they felt truly seen was...
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before kids,
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before life got too busy,
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or never—because the relationship began in emotional blindness.
But visibility is not a lost art. It’s a choice.
Try this self-exploration tonight:
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Write about the last time you felt emotionally alive.
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What happened that day? What made you feel mirrored?
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What part of you showed up that’s now hidden?
Often, rediscovering that memory rekindles a spark of possibility.
As a relationship coach and spiritual guide, I hold space for these deep reconnections—not by fixing anyone, but by helping each partner re-see the other, soul to soul.
Because when you are seen, even once, you begin to heal.
Could this be a wake-up call, not the end?
Let me offer a new lens: What if this heartbreak, this numbness, this trial marriagem 15 is not a failure—but an invitation?
An invitation to wake up. To stop autopiloting. To choose each other again—or choose yourselves, with truth and compassion.
Many couples reach the breaking point and assume the relationship is over. But in truth? It’s just trying to evolve.
Pain is often the soul’s way of saying: “Something here is no longer in alignment.” Not to punish you. But to guide you.
Ask yourself:
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Is this pain asking me to speak my truth?
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Am I being called to rise emotionally, spiritually, energetically?
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Can I be the first to show up differently—even if they don’t, yet?
And if the answer is yes, start small:
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A new ritual.
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A handwritten note.
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A clearing conversation.
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A moment of stillness where you choose presence over performance.
Because endings aren’t always exits. Sometimes they’re thresholds. Your soul is evolving. Let your love evolve too.
You’re not lost. You’re awakening.
How Can You Rebuild a Soul-connected marriage from here?
Rebuilding doesn’t mean returning to the past. It means creating something new—with awareness, wisdom, and willingness.
Here’s what I recommend as a relationship coach who blends ancient energy work with modern psychology:
And remember this: you don’t have to do it alone.
This is my sacred work—helping souls rebuild relationships that honour both the spirit and the human heart.
๐ซ Lal Kitab Remedies for harmonious Marriage (Part 2)
Your marriage isn’t just a contract. It’s an energetic ecosystem. And sometimes, subtle shifts bring miraculous results.
Here are more Lal Kitab tips that balance love energy:
These are more than traditions. They’re acts of energetic love.
Your marriage’s energetic field is shaped by your choices—not just emotionally, but spiritually. Here are two final but powerful remedies:
๐ Remember, the outer space reflects the inner state. Begin both your energetic and emotional healing here.
๐ For more spiritual guidance around connection and energetic love, explore: Secrets of Love
๐ The Epidemic Ends With One Visible Heart
If you’ve read this far, you’re not just seeking answers—you’re seeking emotional resurrection.
You’re the quiet warrior who’s held tears behind smiles, the lover who stayed loyal even while starving. But now? Now you’re being asked to wake up from emotional invisibility.
Whether your marriage revives or releases, let this be your sacred turning point. Use the rituals. Speak the unsaid. Reclaim your presence.
As a spiritual guide, vastu expert, and relationship counsellor, I invite you to connect, heal, and rise.
Let’s not just fix marriages—let’s elevate souls.
๐ Book a private consultation with me to begin your journey of sacred reconnection. Link in bio.
๐♀️ Frequently asked Questions
What is a trial marriagem 15?
When should I leave a spiritually disconnected marriage?
๐ค Author – Tushar Mangl
Tushar Mangl is a counselor, vastu expert, and author of I Will Do It and Ardika. He writes on food, books, personal finance, investments, mental health, and the art of living a balanced life. Blogging at tusharmangl.com since 2006, he seeks to create a greener, better society.
“I help unseen souls design lives, spaces, and relationships that heal and elevate—through ancient wisdom, energetic alignment, and grounded action.”
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