Welcome everybody.
We're going to do a practice called RAIN.
And RAIN is an acronym.
It stands for Recognizing,
Allowing,
Investigating,
And Nurturing.
And RAIN is a practice that we often do when we are struggling with difficult emotions.
So during this practice,
I'm going to ask you to call to mind.
Situation that you find challenging.
And that is going to be the focus.
Of our meditation practice through the process of RAIN.
Okay,
So let's go ahead and get started by finding a sitting position that feels comfortable to you.
So allowing you to be alert with your spine erect,
But not stiff and relaxed.
Closing your eyes or lowering your gaze.
Just to establish a simple sense of presence.
Now allowing your awareness to scan through your body.
And wherever possible,
Softening and releasing obvious areas of physical tension.
You might take a few very full breaths.
And then you can allow your breath to be natural.
Just bringing your attention to where you most easily detect the breath.
And letting this place the experience of breath.
Be your home base.
Or anchor to the present moment.
So noticing this breath.
Right here.
If the breath is not a good home base for you,
You might instead choose your anchor.
As sensations in your hands or sensations of your whole body sitting here.
Were sounds in the room.
And just know that whatever you choose is your home base.
You can always come back to.
If you're feeling overwhelmed by the intensity of emotion,
To reestablish your anchor and to resource yourself.
And as you're sitting quietly,
Settling into your body.
Taking breath.
Bring to mind a current situation.
Would you feel stuck?
So one that elicits a difficult reaction.
Such as anger or fear.
Shame or hopelessness.
So it could be a conflict with a family member.
A chronic illness.
A failure at work.
Pain of addiction.
A conversation you regret.
And once you.
.
.
Call to mind the situation.
Take some moments to enter the experience.
So visualizing the scene or situation.
Remembering the words spoken.
And really sensing the distress.
And contacting the charged essence.
Of the story is the starting place.
For exploring the healing presence of brain.
And it is important not to select a situation that's going to set off trauma or emotions that are too intense and overwhelming.
So listen carefully to your own intuition as to what can be healthy to process.
So I'll just give you a moment.
Some space.
Think about what you want to work with.
And begin.
To engage.
In the experience.
So the R of RAIN is recognizing what is happening.
So as you reflect on this situation,
Ask yourself.
What is happening inside of me right now?
What sensations are you most aware of?
What emotions?
Is your mind filled with churning thoughts?
Take a moment to become aware of your felt sense.
Of the situation as a whole.
How is this experience living in your heart?
Your body.
And your mind Just noticing.
What happens?
When you call your attention to this.
And the A is for allowing.
So allowing life to be just as it is.
So bring your attention to whatever feels most difficult in what you have recognized.
With the intention of fully letting be.
So allowing is the willingness to pause.
And stay present.
With life that is here.
Just as it is.
So send a message to your heart.
To let thee.
The entire experience.
Find in yourself the willingness.
To pause.
And accept.
That in these moments,
What is?
And allowing difficult emotions to be present.
Requires gentleness and tenderness.
So you could say to yourself phrases like,
This too.
Or yes,
I can hold this.
This is about opening to your experience,
Even when it's painful.
You might find yourself saying yes to a huge inner no.
To a body and mind painfully contracted in resistance.
You might be saying yes to the part of you.
That is saying,
I hate this.
And that's natural.
In this point of the practice of RAIN,
You are just noticing what's true.
And intending not to judge.
Push away.
Or control anything that you find.
Can you be?
With the experience.
And allow it.
So we'll shift into the eye,
Which is investigating with gentle attention.
So we're going to begin exploring what you're experiencing more closely.
Calling on your natural interest and curiosity.
About your inner life.
You might ask yourself,
What about this most wants my attention?
What most wants my acceptance.
And pose your questions gently.
Your inner voice kind and inviting.
What wants my attention?
What wants my acceptance?
Notice where you feel the experience in your body.
Are you aware of heat or tightness,
Pressure,
Aches?
As you continue to investigate,
You might find it helpful to ask,
What am I believing?
So in rain,
Investigation is about inquiring into the felt sense of our experience.
Rather than being a cognitive or analytic process.
And so while your story and beliefs can be a portal,
To direct experience.
Keep returning your attention to your body.
To the felt sense and sensations of wherever you feel most vulnerable.
Bringing interested and kind attention to your experience.
I'll offer some.
Questions that you may ask,
And you can just experiment with these.
What is the worst part of this?
What most wants my attention.
What is the most difficult or painful thing that I'm believing?
What emotions does this bring up?
Fear,
Anger,
Grief.
And where do I feel these emotions inside?
What is the felt sense of these emotions as sensations?
Am I clenching,
Hot,
Sore,
Squeezed?
And what do I notice if I were to assume the facial expressions and body posture that best reflects these feelings and emotions?
I encourage you to do this if you're alone in your space and feel comfortable.
So as you contact and allow what is happening,
What do you notice?
Is there any softening in your body and heart?
Can you sense more openness or space?
Or does the intention to allow bring up more tension,
Judgment,
And fear?
Does it intensify or change what you're feeling?
As we transition to the end,
Nurturing.
Stay connected with the vulnerable experience inside.
And also sense that you are asking and listening.
From compassionate presence.
So you can ask the plays the most difficulty.
What do you most need?
Or how do you want me to be with you?
Does this suffering part want understanding,
Acceptance,
Company?
Forgiveness.
Love.
If the most vulnerable,
Hurting part of me could communicate,
What would it express in words or feelings,
Images?
And what does this part most need?
From either me or another source of love and wisdom.
So take some moments to breathe consciously.
And adjust your posture in a way that helps you fully contact your most awake experience of heart and mind.
So that could be your highest or future self.
And call on this wise and compassionate self.
Or you could call in another being like a friend or family member,
Pet or teacher.
Whose wisdom you love and trust.
And as you sense what's needed from this vulnerable part,
What is your natural response?
What does the vulnerable place most need to remember,
Experience,
Or trust?
So you might offer.
.
.
A wise message.
Such as Ansari.
I love you.
Trust your goodness.
It's okay.
I'm here.
You're not alone.
And you might extend your care to this vulnerable part through words,
Through touch,
Like hand on heart.
Or through imagery.
You could see your inner child or.
.
.
Your hurting self be embraced by light.
So feel free to experiment with ways to befriend your inner life.
And as you complete nurturing,
You might sense If there's a message from your most awake heart and mind.
That will be helpful to remember.
So just check in and see if there might be a message.
And as you offer this unconditional,
Kind presence to your inner life,
Sense the possibility A relaxing bath.
And being that awareness.
Get familiar with the quality of presence that is here.
So like an ocean with waves on the surface,
Feel yourself as the tender,
Wakeful openness.
That includes this changing life.
Can you sense that who you are?
Is not identified or hitched.
To any particular wave of fear.
Anger or hurt.
Can you sense how the waves have surfaced?
Belong to your experience?
That cannot injure or alter.
The measureless depth and vastness of your being.
So we're just going to seize any doing.
Just take some moments to rest in the presence and heart space that's emerged.
And take as long as you like.
Just allowing whatever arises in your body and mind to freely come and go.
Just knowing that this natural awareness is the innermost truth of who you are.
And if you're feeling some new residual difficulty,
You can offer your acknowledgement and care.
And before we close,
Just paying attention to the quality of your presence.
You could ask.
In these moments,
What is the sense of my being,
Of who I am?
And how has this shifted from when I began the meditation?
Just taking a few moments to rest with that.
And when you feel ready,
You can begin to transition.
Into the room.
Slowly.
On your own time.
Opening your eyes.
