The Softness of Giving and the Power of Receiving
Many of us want to move our agenda forward.
We want to shape the day, the project, the family — scripted in a way that feels good and safe for us.
And I don’t see this as wrong.
Our desires are shaped by experience — by what has made us feel safe, successful, and grounded — and naturally we want to share that with the people around us… our kids, our parents, the people we work with and care about.
But there is a second force at work here.
What I’m calling today… the power of receiving.
Let’s back up for a moment.
We usually think about the things we do — how we work, how we use our bodies and minds — as having power and force. In yoga philosophy, this is sometimes described as Pingala, the active or solar channel.
(Quick note — we’re not talking about gender here, just subtle body language.)
The other channel is Ida, the receptive or lunar channel.
In our culture, doing is often seen as powerful… while receiving can be mistaken as passive.
But today I want to flip that idea.
I want to talk about the strength — the courage — and the power of receiving.
Our senses are the doorway.
They help us understand what is happening in this present moment. And when we actively engage our senses, we begin to truly understand what is happening around us — especially with our families, our friends, the people we work with, and the people we teach.
When we use our eyes to gently scan faces and body language, we begin to sense someone’s inner state.
When we listen — really listen — we hear subtle clues in tone and language that help confirm what we’re seeing.
Just these two senses alone, when used intentionally, allow us to receive an incredible amount of information.
And this is where we begin to shift… from the power of doing to the power of receiving.
I truly believe that deep down we all want what is best for the people in our lives — and for ourselves.
And yet we live in a challenging world. A time where we have so many external resources… and often feel a shortage of internal clarity.
There is a deep yearning for understanding right now.
And I believe that understanding begins when we learn to receive — to truly notice what is happening within us and around us.
As we become more present with our senses, we naturally begin to participate more fully in the experience of others.
Over time, we all develop ways to protect ourselves and our families. It makes sense that we would want to project outward what has worked for us and say, “Do as I do.”
But I want to take a small sideline here.
One of the most powerful concepts I learned in AA was attraction versus promotion.
When I first heard it, I didn’t fully understand.
Back in the heat of my addiction, people told me very forcefully, “You’ve got to stop.”
But it wasn’t until I met someone who quietly embodied a different way of living — someone who wasn’t being daily victimized by their addiction — that I felt something shift.
Their quiet confidence created curiosity in me.
I found myself asking, How do you do this?
That is attraction… not promotion.
And this brings us back.
I believe it actually takes more strength — more inner steadiness — to truly receive what another person is expressing than it does to push our own agenda forward.
When we receive deeply, we can then:
Softly give
Softly guide
Softly support
Softly hold
Let’s place the power of receiving back into our own hands — the hands that feel touch and sensation.
Let’s bring the power of vision back into ourselves — to truly see what is in front of us, the joys and the hurts alike.
Let’s reclaim the power of listening — so we can hear others without immediately needing to defend or explain, but instead respond with compassion and grace.
Our senses are gateways into our inner world.
Let’s use them actively… passionately… and yes, powerfully.
A Practice — Five Layers of Awareness
If you want to explore the power of receiving more deeply, here is a simple inward journey inspired by the ancient yogic map of the five koshas — five layers of being, each a doorway into presence.
Take a moment…
Body — Annamaya
Notice your posture, your weight, the sensations of being here. Honor the form that carries you through the world.
Breath — Pranamaya
Feel the rhythm of breath. Sense the subtle movement of energy nourishing you.
Mind — Manomaya
Notice thoughts and emotions rising and falling like waves. No fixing… just receiving.
Wisdom — Vijnanamaya
Sense the quiet voice beneath the noise — the place of intuition and insight.
Bliss — Anandamaya
Rest in simple presence. Spacious, open, enough.
This is what receiving feels like when we turn inward — awareness meeting itself.
May the Force (of receiving) be with you!
ROAR with love,
Danny
The Emotional Driver
“Emotion Is the Note. You Are the Song.”
