Today,
We're going to slow down enough to meet what's moving inside of us gently,
Honestly,
And without judgment.
We'll begin with a body scan to locate any emotional disturbance or tension that may be living in the body,
And then move into our RAIN practice.
So RAIN stands for Recognize,
Allow,
Investigate,
And Nurture.
And this practice is a way of clearing space,
Softening what's heavy,
And realigning with your true center.
So you can be seated or lying down.
Choose whatever posture helps you feel supported.
So let's begin.
Go ahead and settle into your nest.
Make yourself maximally comfortable.
And you can let your eyes soften or close as you feel is right for you in this moment.
Taking a slow breath in through the nose.
And a long,
Gentle exhale out the mouth.
Another deep breath in,
Letting your belly expand.
And exhaling,
Feeling yourself drop a little more into the moment.
One more time,
Breathing into the belly.
Nice,
Long,
And slow breath out through the mouth.
Letting yourself drop in here.
Allowing your breath to return to its natural rhythm.
Nothing to do here,
Just arriving.
And we'll begin with the body,
The place where emotions often show themselves first.
Bringing your awareness to the top of your head.
Noticing any sensations,
Warmth,
Coolness,
Tingling,
Or neutrality.
Allowing your attention to move slowly down the forehead into the space behind the eyes.
Into the jaw.
And soften just a little,
Wherever you notice holding.
Moving your awareness down the neck,
Across the tops of the shoulders,
Down into the arms.
Into the hands.
And into each one of your fingertips.
Bringing your attention to your chest.
The heart space.
The rhythm of the breath.
And then moving down into the belly.
A common home for emotional residue.
Fear,
Stress,
Anticipation,
And intuition.
All might live here.
Just noticing what's present for you.
Bringing awareness through the pelvis.
Into the hips.
The thighs.
The knees.
Calves.
Ankles.
And into the soles of the feet.
Now slowly scanning back up from the feet.
Up into the head.
Noticing.
Is there one area calling for your attention?
A place that feels tight,
Or heavy,
Aching,
Or unsettled?
If nothing stands out,
That's perfectly okay.
You can choose any neutral or slightly activated area.
So taking a breath into this part of you.
And gently acknowledge,
This is where I'll rest my awareness.
And so we'll move into our RAIN practice now.
With that body part as the focus of entrance.
We'll move through the steps one at a time.
Let's begin by recognizing what's here.
Name it softly in your mind.
There is tension.
There is heaviness.
There is sadness.
There is anxiety.
Or simply,
Something is here.
You're not fixing or analyzing.
Just witnessing.
Recognizing is like turning on a light.
Gentle.
And steady.
And illuminating.
And next,
Let's allow the sensation or emotion to be here.
Allowing doesn't mean that you like it,
Or that you want it.
It simply means you're not fighting it,
In this moment.
You might say inwardly,
This belongs right now.
Or,
I'm willing to feel this.
Or perhaps,
I don't need to push it away.
Or you could simply say,
I allow this.
Let it have a little space.
Let it breathe.
Notice what happens when resistance softens.
Even slightly.
Now,
In the investigation part,
We become gently curious.
Not analyzing.
Just sensing.
So you can ask inwardly,
With kindness,
What does this part of me want to know?
What emotion is underneath this one?
And you can let the answers come as feelings,
Images,
Impressions,
Or not at all.
Even,
I'm not sure,
Is information.
Does it have a shape?
Texture?
Or temperature?
Is it still?
Or pulsing?
Or light?
Or expanding?
What is this part of me needing right now?
And now,
We nurture.
Placing a hand on the area you've been sensing.
Or on your heart.
Offer simple,
Supportive words to this part of you.
I'm here with you.
You're safe with me.
I care about you.
You don't have to hold this alone.
I'm listening.
I'm listening.
I'm listening.
Allowing your touch and your breath to be warm and comforting and stabilizing.
Imagine sending softness into the space where the disturbance lives.
You are soothing your own system from the inside out.
So taking a few minutes here,
Just to stay with this part.
Sensing what it needs.
And offering that.
And if it moves or shifts,
You just follow it wherever it goes with curiosity and compassion.
Sending yourself the warmth and kindness that you would for a friend who was experiencing pain or discomfort.
As you're ready,
You can gently begin to lengthen your breath in and out.
Breathing in life with gratitude.
Noticing how the body feels now.
Not looking for a result,
Just observing the shift.
You might take a moment of gratitude for yourself.
For showing up here.
For listening inward.
For tending to what needed care.
And as you're ready,
You can gently wiggle your fingers and toes.
Letting your eyes slowly blink open.
And taking one last deep breath together into the belly.
And out through the mouth.
Thank you for practicing with me today.
May you move through the rest of your day with more ease,
Clarity,
And inner alignment.
