A Trauma Informed Exploration of the Law of Giving and Receiving

Why Receiving Is Just as Sacred as Giving and How to Let It In

You’ve probably heard the phrase, “You get what you give” or “What you give comes back to you.” That’s the Law of Giving and Receiving in a nutshell. It’s one of the core spiritual laws of the universe. It’s like a cosmic boomerang of energy….give love, receive love. Share joy, receive joy. But if only it were that simple, right?

Photo taken by me…somewhere in the Okanagan Valley, BC

This week I felt called to go a little deeper into this universal law.

The Law of Giving and Receiving isn’t just about buying someone a coffee and waiting for the universe to drop a mansion on your lap (though, never say never!). It’s about the energetic flow we participate in. A sacred exchange that involves both the offering of our energy and the willingness to receive energy in return.

Manifestation Is an Exchange of Energy

Many people approach manifestation like it’s a vending machine.

Insert desire, push button, receive dream life.

But manifestation is more like a dance. A sacred dance. An energetic rhythm of giving and receiving. If we want to attract abundance, we must embody abundance. That means sharing from a place of genuine generosity. Not out of obligation, expectation, or fear of missing out, but because it feels aligned and joyful.

When we give freely, whether it’s love, kindness, presence, wisdom, or even material resources, we send a strong signal to the universe. One that says “I trust the flow and I believe there’s more where that came from.” And that belief will act like a magnet for more of what we desire.

"Giving is better than receiving because giving starts the receiving process."

- Jim Rohn.

But What About Receiving?

Now here’s where things get interesting.

We love to talk about giving. Giving feels good. It makes us feel generous, useful, and even noble when we are able to give freely to others. But receiving? Well that can stir up some serious discomfort for a lot of us.

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Here’s a question for you: Do you actually feel safe to receive?

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It might seem like a strange question at first. After all, who wouldn’t want to receive more love, more support, more abundance?

But if you’ve experienced trauma, especially trauma that taught you love had strings attached, or that help wasn’t safe, or that asking for what you need could mean rejection or shame, then receiving may feel like a threat to your nervous system…not a gift.

This is more common than most people realize. And it may show up like:

Brushing off compliments.

Insisting we’re “fine” when we're not.

Feeling awkward or guilty when someone offers to help us.

Rejecting opportunities because we don’t feel ready yet.

If any of this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. It’s not just modesty. It could be your body saying, “I don’t feel safe to receive.”

How Trauma Blocks the Flow

Let’s talk about the role trauma plays in all of this.

Unhealed trauma often leaves behind invisible barriers. An energetic imprint, or subconscious limiting beliefs that whisper things to us like:

“I don’t deserve this.”

“If I receive this, something bad will happen.”

“I have to do it all on my own.”

“I don’t need anyone’s help.”

“Life is hard.”

These beliefs create a type of energetic static, so to speak, that disrupts the flow of giving and receiving. Even if we’re visualizing, journaling and making vision boards, if deep down on an energetic level we don’t feel safe to receive what we’re asking for, the energy stops moving. And this creates a block. The universe hears our soul’s yes but our nervous system’s no.

Our energy is not sending a clear signal. It’s important to address these limiting beliefs in order to move through these energetic blocks.

I go a bit deeper into identifying energetic blocks in The Hidden Connection Between Manifestation and Trauma. And I take an even deeper dive into this topic in my upcoming book, The Healing Frequency.

"The universe is not outside of you. Look inside yourself; everything that you want, you already are." —Rumi

How Do We Heal This?

If you feel like the ability to receive may be blocking you, there is good news. Like everything else in the energetic realm, this can shift. You can learn to feel safe receiving. I’ve come up with a few suggestions on where to begin:

1. Start Small

Practice receiving in low risk ways, such as accepting a compliment without deflecting it. This is how I started. It felt a little awkward at first, but it definitely became easier over time. If someone compliments your outfit for example, answer with a simple “thank you” rather than downplaying the compliment.

Or try saying yes if someone offers to help carry your groceries. Let someone buy you a coffee. Don’t argue. Simply receive it with a smile and a thank you. These things can go a long way in helping your nervous system to feel safe in the presence of goodness and generosity.

2. Notice What Comes Up

When someone gives to you, what’s your first instinct?

Gratitude? Guilt? Suspicion?

Just observe it without judgment. Your reactions are data, they don’t define you. They can help you uncover the beliefs that are standing in the way of receiving. When I began doing this I realized very quickly that although I was grateful, guilt and suspicion played a huge role in my energetic block. Recognizing this is an important first step in uncovering the limiting beliefs that keep us stuck and our energy blocked.

3. Heal the Root

If your trauma taught you that receiving wasn’t safe, it’s okay to grieve that. Grieving is a natural part of the healing process.

It’s okay to get support along your journey. Doing some inner work, recognizing the shadow, somatic healing, therapy, and energy practices like breathwork and meditation can help your body feel safe again. And not just to survive, but to receive love, support, abundance, and joy.

Root Cause Therapy is a powerful energetic healing modality that uncovers the root cause and heals what created the limiting beliefs that may be keeping us stuck.

4. Visualize with Feeling

When you are trying to manifest something, don’t just think about the thing you want. Visualize yourself receiving it with open arms. Imagine what it would feel like in your body to say, “Yes, I receive this.” Let yourself feel the joy, the warmth, the gratitude, and breathe into it. See it and feel it as though it’s already yours.

5. Affirmations for Empowerment

Those who know me will know I’m not big on affirmations. Although words carry energy just like everything else, our subconscious may not be in sync with the words, or affirmations we believe to be true on a conscious level. And when our conscious and subconscious are in conflict, it creates more of that energetic static.

With that being said, I do believe that affirmations can help to empower us so I’ve included a few here. So, if you’re a person who feels empowered by affirmations, here’s a few to say out loud (yes, out loud!):

“I am worthy of receiving love and all the abundance the universe offers.”

“It is safe for me to receive support.”

“I trust the flow of life to provide for me.”

Words have the power to help raise our vibration and shape our energy. But please understand that it takes much more than empowering words to break down the energetic blocks of our limiting beliefs. It takes some inner work to understand where those beliefs originated from, and a willingness to work through the energy that may be keeping us stuck in order to restore the natural flow.

"When you change your energy, you change your life" - Dr. Joe Dispenza

The Balance of Giving and Receiving

To manifest effectively, it’s important to master both sides of this divine equation.

Give with joy. Receive with grace.

Let energy flow in and out like breath. The more balanced this becomes, the easier it is to align with the life you’re calling in.

This is not about striving for perfection. It’s about creating harmony. It’s about letting your heart become a portal that is generous in its giving and wide open in its receiving. Because the reality is, the universe wants to give to you. But you have to be open enough to let it.

So, here’s an invitation for you today:

Give with an open heart.

Say yes and be wide open to receive.

And then watch the magic of the universe unfold.

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I’m honoured and grateful to be speaking at the Global High-Vibe Summit during the powerful energy of the Summer Solstice!

This summit brings together heart-centered leaders, healers, and visionaries from around the world to share wisdom, tools, and inspiration for living a more aligned and elevated life.

The Global High-Vibe Summit is your journey to inner transformation. If you're ready to raise your vibration and deepen your healing, I’d love for you to join us for this virtual event.

Register now and step into your next level of growth and expansion ⬇️⬇️

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As always, I am so grateful to have you here. If you enjoyed this post and would like to support my work, it’s as simple as clicking on the little heart at the bottom of this post. And if you feel called to buy me a coffee, the link is below 👇🌻💖