The receptive holds the creative
The Dao and the I-Ching remind us that the natural world holds a rhythm of receptivity. In the I-Ching, the creative sparks vision and initiation, while the receptive provides the space, endurance and form for that vision to manifest. The receptive completes rather than competes, responding to life’s movements rather than forcing outcomes. In this way, receptivity is not weakness but a quiet strength. It is the ground from which creativity, insight and love arise naturally, without force.
As humans, we can learn from this principle by noticing how we interact with our inner and outer environments. Receptivity invites us to pause, to witness without interference and to hold attention gently rather than chase or control. In stillness - whether in Meditation, Yoga or simply listening to what arises, we see which stories open us, which shut us down and allow space for new possibilities to emerge.
invitations
Sit with this simple question - What is this?
This meditation was shared with me many years ago. At one level this is a simple Meditation technique because the only thing you have to do, is to ask this question with receptive listening presence: What is this?Practice receptivity through the body.
Choose one posture, perhaps a forward fold with the soles of your feet touching gently, knees bent and dropped out to each side. Fold forward allowing the spine to round. You are not trying to get your forehead on your feet, but to stretch the back. The gesture is inward. See if you can stay until you notice the moment you want to adjust, improve the form or leave it. See if you can soften and stay just one more minute.Return to a place in nature that holds you.
When I was young, I would go to a place I called the 'thinking' bridge. I would sit there and listen to the running water, the birds flying through the sky above and wait for things to settle, become a little clearer. Can you find that place within yourself or outside in nature? A bridge, a path, a tree, moving waters where you can be alone with your thoughts and let the natural world speak first?Notice where you are trying to rush or control.
Notice where you are trying to rush, control or shape something. Could it be held instead? What happens if this is held rather than manipulated?
This receptivity also becomes the foundation for love and connection. When we meet others without clinging, when we allow their presence without rigid expectations, creativity flows naturally. Like a tree bending in the wind, we remain rooted yet flexible, supporting life without dominating it. Our attention softens, our care deepens and our relationships become spaces of mutual presence and freedom.
In everyday life, this means noticing where stillness can hold spontaneity. It means allowing ideas, gestures or insights to emerge in their own time, without forcing them. It is the practice of responding rather than reacting, of creating without needing control, of living like the body of nature itself: alive, open and receptive, holding the creative and letting it move when it is ready.
