The Balance Between Giving and Receiving - Art Therapy
In both art therapy and spiritual traditions, the balance between giving and receiving is one of the most powerful keys to emotional well-being, resilience, and creativity. When this balance is disrupted, we may feel drained, burned out, or stuck. When it flows, life feels abundant, connected, and nourishing.
At Active Kreative, we often remind participants that the balance between giving and receiving is not just symbolic — it is embedded in how the body, brain, and nervous system are wired. By combining creative practices with breathwork, visualisation, and art therapy, we can restore harmony and allow both sides of our being — the giver and the receiver — to thrive.
👉 If you’re new to the Active Kreative Approach, you can explore the full framework in our Methodology Guide and discover how art therapy integrates with neuroscience, somatic awareness, and spiritual traditions.
The Left and Right Sides of the Body: A Map of Energy
Many holistic traditions, from Ayurveda to Chinese medicine to yoga and Buddhism, describe the body as carrying two distinct energetic currents:
Left side of the body: The feminine principle — receiving, intuition, nurturing, and the subconscious. Energetically, the left side is linked to the right hemisphere of the brain, which governs creativity, emotional processing, and holistic thinking.
Right side of the body: The masculine principle — giving, action, logic, and outward expression. It connects with the left hemisphere of the brain, associated with analysis, planning, and goal-directed behaviour.
This polarity is not about gender but about balance: yin and yang, moon and sun, inner and outer. When one side dominates — for example, constant giving without receiving — imbalance and fatigue occur.
In art therapy, we can physically embody this by working with both hands, both sides of the paper, or both hemispheres of the brain. Each action reminds us that giving and receiving are two halves of the same cycle.
The Neuroscience of Giving and Receiving
Modern neuroscience validates what ancient wisdom has always known. The act of giving and the act of receiving activate different but complementary systems in the brain and body.
Giving triggers the brain’s reward pathways, releasing dopamine and oxytocin. These neurochemicals boost connection, motivation, and joy. Giving also strengthens social bonds and reinforces a sense of purpose.
Receiving, on the other hand, is linked with parasympathetic activation — the body’s rest-and-digest system. When we allow ourselves to accept care, kindness, or support, our cortisol levels drop, our heart rate steadies, and our body enters a state of safety.
This is where Polyvagal Theory becomes important. The vagus nerve acts as a bridge between the body and brain, determining whether we feel safe or threatened. Over-giving without receiving can keep the body locked in sympathetic activation (fight/flight) or even push it into dorsal shutdown (freeze/collapse). Receiving, however, helps re-regulate the system, restoring a ventral vagal state where connection and creativity flourish.
👉 For a deeper dive into how neuroscience supports the Active Kreative process, see our article on Polyvagal-Informed Art Therapy.
Spiritual Perspectives on Balance
Across traditions, giving and receiving are seen as two aspects of one sacred flow.
In Buddhist Tonglen meditation, the inhale represents receiving suffering, and the exhale represents giving compassion and healing. This trains the heart to stay open in both directions.
In energy healing, the left hand is often the receiving hand, while the right hand channels energy outward.
In chakra theory, the heart centre is the bridge between giving and receiving — balancing love for self and love for others.
In Hindu traditions, the divine feminine (Shakti) and masculine (Shiva) energies are seen as complementary forces, whose union creates balance and vitality.
These teachings remind us: if we block receiving, our giving dries up. If we hoard receiving, without giving, the energy stagnates. Flow is the essence of balance.
Why Art Therapy Restores Balance
Art therapy offers a uniquely embodied way to rebalance energy. Unlike talking therapies, which rely on words, art therapy uses movement, colour, imagery, and breath to access both hemispheres of the brain and deeper layers of the psyche.
How it works:
Activates both brain hemispheres: Creative expression (right hemisphere) combines with structure and reflection (left hemisphere).
Regulates the nervous system: Slow, mindful art-making paired with breathwork calms the body and fosters safety.
Engages the subconscious: Symbols, colours, and shapes access emotional layers beyond words.
Anchors new patterns: Visualisation while creating strengthens the mind-body connection, rewiring old habits into balance.
👉 Learn more about how we integrate multiple modalities in our Active Kreative Methodology.
A Guided Art Therapy Practice: Hands of Balance
Here’s a simple art therapy exercise you can try at home or in a group setting to reconnect with the rhythm of giving and receiving.
Step 1 – Prepare
Sit comfortably with paper and art materials. Take three slow breaths.
Step 2 – Right Hand (Giving)
Place your right hand over your heart.
Ask yourself: “What am I holding and ready to give to the world?”
On the exhale, imagine this energy flowing outward.
Trace your right hand on paper and fill it with colours, shapes, or words that represent what you give.
Step 3 – Left Hand (Receiving)
Place your left hand open on your lap, palm up.
Ask yourself: “How easy is it for me to receive and feel nourished?”
On the inhale, imagine golden light flowing into your hand.
Trace your left hand on paper and fill it with colours and symbols of what you wish to receive.
Step 4 – Connect
Use lines, mandalas, or neurographic drawing to connect both hands on the page.
Notice: do they feel balanced, or does one hand carry more energy?
This exercise blends art therapy, breathwork, and visualisation meditation — engaging body, mind, and spirit in one healing practice.
Integrating Balance into Daily Life
The art you create becomes a mirror of your inner world. After the practice, ask yourself:
Do I give more than I receive?
What beliefs or fears block me from accepting care?
How might receiving more deeply make my giving more sustainable?
When practiced regularly, these reflections create a new nervous system pattern: one where giving and receiving flow together, instead of in opposition.
At Active Kreative, we see again and again that when people honour both sides of the cycle, their creativity, relationships, and sense of purpose expand naturally.
Final Reflection
Balancing giving and receiving is not a one-time fix — it is an ongoing practice of self-awareness. Each breath, each gesture, and each creative act becomes an opportunity to harmonise the two.
When you give from an open heart and allow yourself to receive with gratitude, life becomes a circle of reciprocity. Art therapy provides the canvas where this truth can be seen, felt, and embodied.
✨ To explore more practices, workshops, and tools for creative balance, visit our Active Kreative Workshops and Methodology Page.
