Meditation: The Thrill of Receiving Your Own Nourishment
Written by Kyle Schauenberg
If you're like many people, you may find it to be far more natural to give than to receive. You pour our energy outward by default – caring for family, tackling work tasks, offering care and support – yet when it comes time to receive nourishment yourself, it can feel strangely unfamiliar. And yet, the world is offering so much nourishment and opportunities for replenishment all the time. Nourishment that is quite specific to your own needs.
Over the course of this article, I invite you to introspect and explore how meditation can teach you the gentle art of receiving your own nourishment. We'll talk about the balance between giving and receiving, how meditation builds our "receiving muscles," and ways to turn everyday moments – like drinking water or hearing a compliment – into mini-practices of acceptance. Along the way, I'll share personal reflections and invite you to pause and ponder your own experiences. You might think of this article as a type of introspective meditation itself or a guided journaling session. So get cozy, take a relaxing breath, and let's dive in.
Always Giving, Rarely Receiving
Think about your daily routine. Perhaps you express yourself externally all day long: solving problems at work, tending to kids or pets, checking off chores on your to-do list. You might pride yourself on being generous with your energy and attention toward others. You might even feel fulfilled by accomplishing many tasks. And that's a beautiful quality! However, when evening comes and someone offers you help or even a kind word, do you feel a tad uncomfortable? Many of us do. We brush off compliments – "Oh, it was nothing, really!" – or instinctively try to return every favor right away, as if we’re uneasy being on the receiving end. Does that sound familiar?
If so, you're definitely not alone. Our culture often praises the givers and go-getters, people who are always "productive" and selfless. Being receptive, by contrast, can be misunderstood as passive or even selfish – which is far from true. In reality, only giving and never receiving creates an imbalance in our lives. Imagine if you only exhaled and never inhaled; you’d be out of breath pretty quickly. Life is just like that breath: it requires a rhythm of outflow and inflow, giving and receiving, pulling in and offering out. When we constantly push our attention outward without ever soaking anything back in, we end up drained, depleted, and disconnected from the nourishment that’s readily available to us.
Nature prefers balance, and so do our hearts. Just as day balances night and activity balances rest, we need to balance our giving with the ability to receive. It might feel awkward at first – even vulnerable – to simply accept care, love, or even moments of quiet for ourselves. But learning to receive is deeply nourishing. In fact, it can be thoroughly thrilling to realize, hey, I need this…I’m going to soak this in. It’s like discovering a wellspring of energy and support that was there all along, just waiting for you to pause and welcome it in.
Before we get ahead of ourselves, though, you might wonder: how do we learn to receive more automatically, especially if it doesn't come naturally? One beautiful way is through meditation.
Meditation: Practicing the Art of Receiving
Meditation is often described as many things – a relaxation technique, a mindfulness practice, a spiritual ritual – but at its heart, meditation is also an exercise in receiving. When you meditate, you tap into the power of sensing your inner experience. You turn your attention inward. In those moments of quiet sitting, you are actually practicing the art of absorbing. You might think of it as letting yourself be nourished by your own presence.
Let’s break that down a bit. Say you decide to sit quietly and follow your breath for a few minutes. To start, you offer your attention to the breath – you focus on the air flowing in and out. But as you continue, you might notice something subtle: a shift into simply receiving the breath. You feel the cool air entering, the warm air leaving, and you allow yourself to absorb the sensations. In one moment, you’re consciously giving attention to each inhale and exhale, and in the next moment, you’re just letting the breath happen and receiving the calm it brings. There’s a gentle back-and-forth, almost like an ocean tide within you – attention out, attention in.
This natural rhythm of meditation – the flow between doing and being, between brain rest and brain activity – is a microcosm of giving and receiving. Sometimes during meditation, you might find you're offering love or compassion to yourself (for example, mentally saying "it's okay, I’m here for you"), and other times you might feel yourself accepting love, as if you're being bathed in warmth and understanding. Sometimes you actively listen to your surroundings or to your own mind, and sometimes you just sit and let the sensations wash over you. All meditation naturally moves through this current of giving and receiving. And as you practice regularly, you get more and more familiar with what it’s like to receive without resistance.
I love to think of it this way: every meditation session is like a mini training in receiving your own nourishment. You are building a kind of muscle memory for receiving. Each time you relish a sensation: taking in the peaceful nature of a soothing thought, or cherishing a loving gesture, or listening to a delightful sound – you are teaching your nervous system that it's safe to relax and take things in. You’re saying to yourself, "It's okay to just be here and soak this up." Over time, this becomes more automatic. The skill of receiving starts to show up in your daily life without you even trying.
Think about how amazing that is: by simply sitting quietly and paying attention in a kind, curious way, you are nourishing yourself. You are letting in your own love, your own attention. There's a quiet delight – maybe even a thrill – in realizing you can give yourself that gift. In meditation, you become both the giver and the receiver of nourishment. And as you practice, you become more balanced. Life doesn’t feel like an endless push of output anymore; you start to notice the input, the support, the energy flowing toward you as well.
Now, here’s the really encouraging part: You don’t have to be sitting on a cushion or carving out 30 minutes of perfect silence to practice receiving. Any time you choose to soak in the energy of a moment, you are doing a meditation. Anytime your nervous system gets the cue that it can take a moment of restoration, you are meditating. Even 30 seconds of absorbing what you love is a powerful and useful meditation. And life constantly presents us with chances to receive – if we choose to embrace them.
Turning Everyday Moments into Nourishing Rituals
Beyond formal meditation, there's an entire world of mini-meditations or "booster" moments (as I like to call them) that can help you practice the visceral art of receiving. It doesn’t require extra time in your schedule, just a gentle shift in perspective. Essentially, it's about doing exactly what you normally do, but with a different intention – an intention to absorb and fully experience the gifts in that moment.
You might be surprised how even the most ordinary activities can become nourishing when you approach them this way. Let’s look at a few everyday examples and how you can turn them into opportunities to receive. As you read these, I invite you to imagine yourself in each scenario. How would it feel to pause and really soak in the experience described?
Drinking a glass of water: Once in a while, it can be really interesting to drink water while opening up all your perceptions to the really experience it. Feel the cool water on your lips and tongue. Notice the sensation as it travels down your throat. Feel into the purity and clarifying nature of the water. Remember what a luxury it is to have free flowing water at the ready for our consumption. Imagine your body gratefully receiving that hydration. Each sip can be a tiny act of self-care. You might even mentally say, "Thank you," as you feel the water replenishing your cells. It’s not just drinking; it’s receiving nourishment in liquid form.
Taking a shower: We often step into the shower on autopilot—get clean, get out, move on. But what if this everyday moment became a ritual of reconnection? Next time, pause. Feel the warm water cascading over you like a soft rain. Let each droplet follow the curves of your body—over shoulders, along spine, across scalp—as if the earth itself is tending to you. Imagine the water not just rinsing away the physical, but gently loosening the static of stress, the dust of fatigue, the energy that no longer belongs. Allow yourself to receive. This isn’t just about getting clean. It’s about letting the element of water restore your natural rhythm. It's a quiet returning to your own aliveness. A daily act of elemental care—simple, sacred, and deeply yours.
Eating a meal: So often, we eat in motion—between tasks, in front of screens, half-aware of the moment. But a meal can be something more: a quiet return to the senses. Next time you sit down to eat, take a breath before the first bite. Let your eyes explore the colors and shapes on your plate—the deep green of a leaf, the golden edge of toast, the glisten of olive oil. Inhale gently. Notice the subtle aroma rising up to meet you. As you take that first bite, invite your attention into your mouth. What do you feel? Warmth, crunch, softness, spice? Let it unfold, slowly. Let it be interesting. Let it be yours. With each chew, you are receiving something ancient: energy drawn from sun and soil, transformed through seed, harvest, and hand. You don’t have to force anything—just notice. The simple act of being nourished is its own quiet wonder. Let this be a moment to belong to the earth again, one bite at a time.
Enjoying entertainment: This one might not be obvious, but think about the last time you listened to a great song, read a captivating book, or watched a movie that made you laugh or cry. In those moments, you are receiving the joy of someone else's talents. The musicians, writers, and actors are offering their creativity to you for your enjoyment. So next time you relax with your favorite Netflix series or playlist, consider this: rather than feeling guilty for "doing nothing," acknowledge that you are actively receiving pleasure and inspiration. Let yourself laugh fully at the comedian’s joke or get lost in the notes of the music. Absorb it. That feeling of delight or inspiration means you’ve opened up and taken in the gift of art and entertainment.
Feeling a loved one's touch: Human touch is incredibly nourishing, but only if we allow ourselves to feel it. When your friend gives you a hug or your partner reaches for your hand, take a breath and truly absorb the love in that touch. Notice the warmth of their skin, the pressure of the hug or the gentleness of the handhold. Instead of thinking ahead to what you’ll say next or stiffening up, try to melt into the embrace for a moment. You might silently think, "I receive this love." It can transform a casual hello hug into a real source of comfort and connection that stays with you.
Receiving a compliment: This one can be tough for a lot of us. The next time someone at work or a friend says, "You did a great job" or "I really appreciate you," pay attention to your reaction. Is your first instinct to deflect it ("Oh, it was nothing, really")? If so, practice doing something different: pause, breathe, and let their words land in your heart. You might feel a bit uncomfortable – but try simply saying "Thank you" and nothing else. In your mind, repeat the compliment to yourself and allow yourself to really hear it. Picture yourself breathing in those kind words as truth. You might even jot it in your journal, ore keep an “encouragement” tab in your notes on your phone. That simple act of not batting away a compliment is you receiving the gift of appreciation. It can boost your confidence and deepen your sense of being valued, which is so nourishing.
Soaking in nature's beauty: One of the easiest ways to practice receiving is to look around you, especially outdoors. Nature offers her gifts constantly – the golden light of a sunset, the sound of leaves rustling, a cool breeze on a hot day, the intricate design of a tiny flower. When you’re out for a walk or even glancing out the window, take 30 seconds to really soak in that beauty. For example, if you see the sky painted with pink and orange clouds, stop for a moment. Take a breath and let your eyes drink in the colors. Feel the awe or calm that it brings. That feeling is you receiving the nourishment of natural beauty. You might even find yourself smiling or feeling more at peace after. It’s available to us every day, often free of charge – we just have to welcome it.
These are just a handful of examples, but truly any moment can become an opportunity to receive if you bring a mindful, open attitude to it. It doesn’t need to take long. Even half a minute of fully absorbing life’s gifts – a scent, a sight, a kind word, a bite of food – can act as a powerful reset in your day. Think of these little moments like taking sips of water throughout a hike so you don’t get dehydrated. Instead of trudging through your day bone-dry, you periodically refill your cup. Over time, this habit can shift your overall mood and energy levels. Life starts feeling less like a race and more like a rich landscape to savor.
Embracing the Abundance Around You
The wonderful secret in all of this is that life is incredibly generous. It might not always seem that way when we’re busy or stressed, but there is abundance all around us in each day. By learning the skill of receiving, you’re essentially tuning your heart and mind to notice that abundance and truly benefit from it. The thrill of it – the deeply satisfying spark – comes when you realize how much you've been missing and how good it feels to finally let it in.
I invite you to take a moment, right now as you read these words, to check in with yourself. Are you receiving this? Perhaps take a slow breath and notice anything good in your environment at this very moment: Is there a comfortable chair supporting you? Do you hear the soft hum of something in the background, or maybe silence that feels peaceful? How does your body feel – can you relax your shoulders and receive a bit of ease into your muscles? Even reading and pondering ideas is a form of receiving nourishment for the mind. Acknowledge that. Maybe even say to yourself, "I am allowed to receive." Feel the difference that makes internally.
As you go forward, you might treat this whole idea as a gentle experiment. Tomorrow, see if you can catch one moment to consciously receive. It could be anything – that first sip of morning coffee, the sunlight through the window, or a simple "have a nice day" from a stranger. Whatever it is, pause for a couple of breaths and inwardly agree to absorb it. You don’t necessarily need to announce it or change what you’re doing externally; it's a quiet internal shift. And notice how it feels. Does it bring a tiny sense of relief, like ahhh? Do you feel a warmth or a softness inside? There’s no right or wrong answer – just pay attention with curiosity.
Over days and weeks, if you keep playing with these moments, you might find that receiving starts to come more naturally. You’ll have effectively trained that "muscle" through both meditation and daily life practice. And when challenges come (as they do for all of us), you may discover you’re less quickly drained because you're not running on empty – you know how to refill your spirit throughout the day. Life’s gifts, big and small, become a source of strength and nourishment for you.
In a world that often pushes us to constantly give and strive, consider this post a loving reminder that you, too, deserve care, balance and sustenance. Meditation is one beautiful way to give yourself that care, by carving out space to receive your own love and attention. And beyond that, each day offers countless tiny treasures – moments that can uplift and restore you if you welcome them in. The thrill isn't in some grand event; it's in the soft excitement of realizing "Wow, I can actually feel supported and full, just by embracing what's already here."
So here's to practicing the art of receiving your own nourishment. May you find balance between pouring out and drinking in. May you feel the joy of a hug fully felt, the refreshment of water intentionally absorbed, the warmth of praise sincerely accepted. Your life is happening right now, offering itself to you in ways both subtle and profound. Take it in. Receive it. Let it nourish you. And notice how much more you have to give when your own cup is full.
Thank you for taking this time for yourself – that's you receiving, too. Here's hoping you carry a little of this gentle, receptive energy into the rest of your day. Happy receiving!
Photo by Seth Doyle
