It’s not NOT common for me to be out and about strolling the suburbs after a day of working from home, finding my favourite tree in my local park… and hugging it.
It’s also not NOT common for friends and I to spam each-other on Instagram with pictures of beautiful trees we’ve witnessed throughout our day.
Seriously, there my kind of people. Tree loving people.
But this is where it gets weird!
Recently I was strolling through my local park, walking straight towards my favourite tree for a little pat/hug, depending on how many people were around. This time though, I hugged Mr Tree and I didn’t want let go. Like I needed to just connect with mama nature and as I did I heard a gentle whisper inside of me that said ‘Laura, just receive’!
So I did, till it even got weird for me. Then I walked on my merry way.
It’s not NOT common for many of us to fall comfortably into the role of giver, carer, cheerleader, consistent friend, nurturer, caller, healer, provider, only to be a ‘rookie’ when it comes to the reciprocal part of the exchange, receiving.
Receiving … what does it even look like?
Being a visual person myself, this quote helped me visualise it.
‘Live life with your hands open’.
What do you think? And… what are your hands doing right now as you read?
I wonder if just for the rest of this piece, you could try and let your hands (the one not holding your phone) relax open. Take a simple deep breathe. Soften your shoulders a little and slow this moment right down, just for a second.
There you go… now read on to receive the rest of this piece.
It’s often our beliefs and hard wired nervous system that can help us relax into this space of receiving and feeling worthy of it, or something of the opposite. A simple gesture like ‘keeping your hands open’ is a great way to teach our nervous system that it’s ok to relax and receive.
For some, receiving can often feel way harder then giving at times. However, just like a coin has two equal sides to it, giving and receiving is the equal part of the same coin and we need to experience both for BALANCE.
If your hands are still open and you’re resonating with the concept of being a ‘rookie at receiving’, then here’s a little offering for you.
The best place to start leaning into receiving can be with and from ourselves. This might look like…
- Tree hugging… don’t mock it till you’ve tried it.
- Turning your phone on aeroplane mode for an hour and enjoying some peace and quiet
- Going for a walk alone in nature to get some space and recharge your batteries.
- Finishing work on time and claiming your afternoon/evening back.
- Committing to a self care practice that really lights you up and receiving the goodness from it.
- Doing something fun- for the absolute simple fun of it.
- Affirming to ourselves that we are worthy of receiving as well.
We can train ourselves to become NOT so rookie at receiving and this will inevitably extend into our relationships with others. Maybe that looks like…
- Taking that compliment instead of shutting it down.
- Saying YES when help and support is offered, maybe even asking for it.
- Sharing how you’re feeling with someone- even if it feels vulnerable.
- Opening your heart and hands a little more.
The bottom line is, you and I are worthy of both sides of the coin- giving and receiving and when we allow for this flow, we naturally feel more satisfied and fulfilled in ourselves and our relationships.
If you would like to explore this act of giving and receiving more, I would love LOVE to support you with my 1:1 Soul Venture session. I promise there’s no tree hugging involved (unless that’s what you need to fill your cups up), but it will leave you and your cups feelings fuller inside and out.
With love and open hands
LG 
SimBLISSity 