Welcome to the practice of RAIN.
RAIN stands for Recognize,
Allow,
Investigate,
And Nurture and it's a powerful way to bring mindfulness to challenging emotions and experiences.
Before we begin,
I invite you to come into a comfortable and relaxed position.
You can sit or lie down,
Or you can stand.
You can shift between postures during the meditation.
If it feels supportive,
You can gently close your eyes,
Or you may keep them open.
As you explore this practice,
If at any time you start to feel overwhelmed or anxious,
I invite you to turn your awareness towards an anchor,
Which is something that feels pleasant or neutral to you.
Some suggestions would be for you to come back to the anchor of the breath,
The anchor of naming objects in your environment,
Or the anchor of touch by giving yourself a gentle hug.
Begin by bringing your attention to your breath.
Take a few deep breaths in and out of your belly,
Allowing yourself to settle into the present moment.
Feel the rise and fall of your belly,
And notice the sensation of the breath as it enters and leaves your body.
Beginning with the R of RAIN,
Recognize.
Begin by recognizing something difficult that is present in your inner experience right now.
It might be an emotion,
A physical sensation,
A thought,
Or an image.
There may be multiple emotions or feelings that are present.
Take a moment to feel how this is living in your body as well as your mind.
You might want to name the experience.
If you are experiencing anxiety,
You can whisper anxiety.
If you are experiencing grief,
You can whisper grief.
Next,
The A of RAIN is allow.
Give yourself permission to allow whatever you've recognized to be there.
Without judgment,
Simply acknowledge what you are experiencing.
You might want to affirm your experience by whispering yes,
Or this too belongs.
Inviting a gentle and loving inclusion of your feelings or sensations in this moment.
Moving on to the I of RAIN,
Investigate.
Begin to explore with a curious and gentle attention what you've recognized and allowed.
You might ask yourself,
What about this most wants my attention?
What most wants my acceptance?
What am I believing in this moment?
And if this feels overwhelming to you,
Remember that you can return to your anchors of the breath,
Of naming objects in your environment,
Or of gentle self-touch.
Simply observe what arises to these inquiries and notice what you feel in your body.
As you investigate what is arising,
Inviting the kind,
Non-judgmental attention to allow whatever thoughts,
Feelings,
And sensations are here in this moment.
Deepening the investigation of RAIN,
You might ask what the suffering part of yourself most wants?
Is it to be seen?
Does it need acceptance?
Forgiveness?
Connection?
Love?
Lastly,
Turning to the nurture of RAIN,
Offer some care and nurturing to whatever you found within yourself.
You might place a hand on your heart or offer words of kindness to yourself.
For example,
You can say,
I'm here for you.
May I be at ease?
Or may I find peace?
Imagine sending love and compassion to the part of you that's feeling this difficulty.
You might offer yourself a wise message or a tender embrace.
And if you are finding it challenging to offer yourself love,
You might bring to mind a loving being,
An animal,
A person,
Or place in nature.
And imagine that being's love and wisdom flowing into you.
Take some moments,
As long as you'd like,
To simply rest in this spacious and kind awareness.
Allowing whatever arises in your body or mind to freely come and go.
Know that this natural awareness has the innermost truth of who you are.
Thank you for joining me in this RAIN practice.
May you carry this awareness and tenderness with you as you continue your journey.
You
