Receiving Is a Practice

(Not a Personality Trait)

There’s a quiet belief many people carry — often without realizing it — that receiving is something you either naturally know how to do or something you’re just “bad at.”

But receiving isn’t a personality trait.

It’s a practice.

And like any practice, it lives in the body.

Many of us were taught, explicitly or subtly, that being capable, helpful, and self-sufficient was a form of safety.  Over time, giving became second nature.  Receiving, on the other hand, began to feel awkward… indulgent… or even unsafe.

In the BodyMind Method, we often explore this question gently:

What happens in your body when support is offered?

Do your shoulders tense?

Does your breath get shallow?

Do you rush to say, “I’m fine, really” — even when you’re not?

Winter invites us into a different rhythm.

This is a season of softening, not striving.  Of listening inward rather than pushing forward.  And yet, softening can feel vulnerable when we’ve spent years holding everything together.

Over-giving often isn’t generosity — it’s a learned pattern of self-protection.  A way to stay needed.  A way to avoid asking.  A way to prove worth without having to name it.

Receiving asks something different of us.

It asks us to trust that we don’t need to earn rest, care, or support.

Yoga teachers often speak to this winter wisdom — fewer shapes, slower pacing, more sensation than striving.  They frequently remind students that rest is not a collapse — it’s a skill.  One that must be practiced slowly, with compassion.

Receiving works the same way.

You don’t force it.

You notice where it’s blocked.

You listen to what the body is protecting.

And you begin — gently — to let a little more in.

BodyMind reflection

•   Where do I instinctively say “I’m fine” when I’m not?
•   What sensations arise when someone offers me help or care?
•   What would it feel like to receive support without explaining or justifying it?

This month, you don’t need to become “better” at receiving.

You only need to become curious about how your body responds when you try.

February Intention

This month, I practice allowing support — one small moment at a time.