For the maturing single crowd, learning to balance the mind and the yearning body is a challenge we must all face. Learn what to trust when the goal is romantic chemistry.

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It’s summertime and the social scene is sexual. Every establishment is filled with people, dressed to kill. The combination of heat and human courting ritual brings skin out of hiding to boast in less-modest attire. Everyone’s best features are highlighted whether it is to attract potential partners or to stimulate the partners they have.

For single people, it is a time when the needs of the body become difficult to ignore. With every turn of the head we size each other up, drawn by the most natural of impulses.

Most of us that are no longer in our teenage years, and have become better at negotiating with our hormones, are not slaves to what our bodies desire. We look past the physical forms of potential mates to decide whether a person can satisfy much more than our primitive needs; but the struggle to balance the mind and body raises a few questions.

Is it ok to listen to your body?

The answer is yes; there’s nothing wrong with listening to your body as long as it is not at the expense of another human being. It is not a crime to have a sex life if you do not currently want a relationship. In fact, it is probably healthy, but it is never excusable to use people to satisfy your needs.

It is our nature to see that stunning person who captivates us on the most basic of levels and engage him or her. Physical attraction is the spark that ignites many good relationships and keeps that fire burning throughout long-standing unions. However, we must always be honest with ourselves and our potential lovers about what we are seeking.

If it is a relationship you desire, you cannot sleep with someone based on their looks alone. A sexual relationship has to follow an authentic attraction to a person’s character and inner beauty or you will be deceiving someone to get what you want. When someone’s personality turns you off, you should not let the interaction make it to the bedroom.

On the other hand, you might only be looking to start a mutually beneficial, physical relationship. In that case, communicate your sentiment early and honestly, and you might find that your attractive new acquaintance will engage you on that level. Maybe you’re not perfect for each other, but with a little authenticity you might be friends with benefits. In my opinion, this is a difficult relationship to manage, but I will not say that it can’t work.

Can we balance the mind and body?

Again the answer is yet, but doing so it not so easy. We must consider our needs and feelings as well as those of the people we are drawn to.

We cannot and should not ignore our biological impulses, but we must constantly weigh them against what our hearts truly desire, what our minds know is right, and what it means to conduct ourselves in ways that make us good human beings and proud of who we are.

Krystal Baugher gives us three ways to maintain equilibrium between biology and logic.

Read about how to balance the mind and body here.

[image: via Sergio Fabara Muñoz on flickr]