Hi,
My name is Alyssa.
Thanks for joining me in practice today.
I'd like us to focus on a RAIN meditation.
RAIN stands for Recognize,
Allow,
Investigate,
And Nurture.
So let's begin by getting comfortable where we are,
Bringing in a posture where we can be relaxed but also alert,
Bringing a sense of full awareness to where you're sitting and our breath.
Taking some time to practice some intentional breaths.
Taking a possibility of relaxing with the breath.
Paying attention to where you feel the in-breath maybe it's in the nostrils,
The throat,
Expansion of your chest.
Deep breath in,
Long breath out.
Deep breath in,
Long breath out.
See if we can ground ourselves a bit more into our bodies,
Into this moment.
As you breathe,
You may sense some areas of your body that may need to relax a bit more.
So let's guide some of these breaths into those places.
Softening the eyes and clenching the jaw.
Dropping your shoulders away from your ears.
Allowing your legs to be heavy.
Your hands soft.
Throughout this practice,
Your mind will drift into thought.
It's okay.
Just notice,
Huh?
I was in thought.
Relax and land back into the breath.
The breath is always there.
It's an anchor.
I'm in this presence now.
I want you to scan your life.
Notice if there is a place of difficulty that is bringing up a challenge or strong emotions.
Maybe it's conflict with friends or loved ones.
Difficulty at work.
Maybe it is something physical or an illness or something that is triggering to you that brings up difficult emotions.
With observation,
I want you to look at what feelings come up.
Maybe it's fear,
Sadness,
Frustration,
Shame,
Anger.
I want you to bring to mind a situation that brings up reactive emotions that you would like to find more balance in the midst of.
Like watching this outside of yourself.
Like a movie.
Go to the frame in which you feel emotionally reactive.
I want you to allow yourself to freeze the frame and sense what it is that's triggering you.
As these feelings,
These emotions arise,
We can move into our RAIN exercise.
We begin with the R in RAIN that is recognizing.
Recognizing what is going on inside of you.
And mindfulness and compassion in.
Recognizing what is present here in the moment.
How it feels within your body or where you feel it in the body.
Now deepen your breathing.
This breath.
Breathing into the A in RAIN.
Allow.
You're letting whatever it is just be here.
By allowing,
We're able to then deepen our attention.
Still allowing it to sit on the surface.
And our judgments.
The I in RAIN is investigate.
Feelings that have come to the surface.
It can sometimes help to ask yourself,
What am I believing?
That someone is upset?
That I am not understood?
I'm feeling not lovable?
Maybe you're feeling disrespected?
Most importantly,
Come into the body and sense whatever you are believing is feeling in your body.
Pay attention to your throat,
Your chest,
Even your belly.
What is the felt sense?
Punching or rawness?
Aching or tightness?
Fully connect with the experience?
What do you notice?
Does it invoke a facial expression?
Maybe there are words that come to mind or an image?
The investigation moves us towards nurturing the N in RAIN.
Once we begin to look at that vulnerable place,
You may ask,
What do I need right now?
Do you need to know something?
Trust something?
Asking,
What are these feelings?
Why are they coming up?
Now coming from a loving part of you,
Take a full few deep breaths.
Staying in contact with the vulnerability.
What is this place most need?
Calling into your own wisdom.
Not offering what's needed.
You can begin that by sensing where it is in your body.
Maybe that means offering yourself some energy of touch.
Placing your hand on your heart or your belly.
Maybe can start to regard our inner landscape with some compassion.
What words or messages does this part most need to hear?
Maybe it's something as simple as,
I care about this.
I'm sorry,
This is hard.
Or I'm not leaving,
I'm here.
You belong.
Allow some of these words into the place needed and offer support.
Really exploring what letting in compassion means.
Seeing the holder and also the held.
We follow rain with after the rain by relaxing into this place.
Dissolving into it.
Like ice to water,
Water to gas.
Where of the presence that is here?
How has it shifted since we began our meditation together?
Sensing the space that is here and trusting that this is more true than any story you tell yourself.
Sensing in the presence here.
Taking a few moments now to thank yourself for prioritizing your practice,
For familiarizing yourself with your inner world.
Bringing your hands to heart center,
The light in me honors the light in you.
And I seal this meditation with a Namaste.
