One of the themes I’ve been working on for years now is receiving. I’ve had to learn to receive compliments and pleasure and kindness and fulfillment in ever-increasing amounts since falling in love with my partner 5-ish years ago.

If you’re like, RECEIVING, KRISTEN!? REALLY THAT’S YOUR PROBLEM!?? MUST BE NICE.

Stay with me.

Receiving sounds AWESOME in theory but is often tricky in practice.

How often do you let a compliment land instead of a.) doubting it or b.) returning it immediately to the person giving it?

Read: NO I LIKE YOUR SWEATER BETTER!!!! 

Or: OH THIS OLD THING, IT WAS $4 AT TARGET.

Have you ever been embarrassed by accepting a gift because your inner asshole brain is freaking out that you didn’t bring a gift to give in return? Or that you brought the ‘wrong’ gift?

Do you distrust strangers who are being nice to you because you assume they want something?

All of those forms of receiving take work. (Or at least, they did for me.)

If you're in the habit of giving and giving and giving, it’s important to take a moment to receive.

To let the kindness of another person deeply affect you.

To let someone compliment your hair/shirt/heart/soul/work without batting down the praise or rushing to reciprocate it.

To enjoy all acts of kindness without keeping a running list of how you’re going to return the favor or even the score.

Ultimately, the more we receive, the more energy and juice and love we have to give.

I’m specifically talking about receiving more of the good stuff that has no limits here on earth: more joy, more delight, more wonder, and more awe. (See also: miserable people don’t leave joy in their wake.)

If you wanna do the work of getting more alive and more open — and therefore more able to receive love and joy and pleasure and energy — the Receive breathwork class will do the trick.

You’ll lie down and breathe with me.

You’ll relax for a bit afterwards.

And you’ll end with a heart just a tad more open than it is right now.

The Receive breathwork class is $22.

If you’re ready to lean into your own discomfort and blow through a bunch of the stuff that means you shut down around people, don’t trust compliments, and/or hate getting gifts, now is the perfect time to join me. 

As always, 25% of breathwork proceeds are donated to Flying Kites and/or Together Rising.