R.A.I.N.

RAIN is an exercise of the MBSR program (Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction). RAIN stands for R - Recognize your experiences, thoughts, and emotions in this moment. A - Accept these experiences without judging or condemning them. I - Mindfully investigate how these experiences feel in your body. N – Non-identify with these experiences.

Recognize that they are temporary and not part of your identity. The goal of the rain exercise is to adopt a non-judgmental, accepting attitude toward your experiences and to realize that your thoughts, emotions, and body sensations are temporary. By learning to mindfully acknowledge difficult thoughts or strong emotions without losing yourself in them or fighting against them, you can develop a healthier relationship with your experiences and cope better with stress.

Transcript

Welcome to the RAIN meditation.

This is an informal way of using mindfulness to decrease stress and anxiety in daily life.

RAIN is an acronym and stands for Recognize,

Acknowledge,

Investigate and Non-Identify.

Now we do this informal practice together and when it feels right you might want to gently close your eyes.

In case stress or anxiety is present then in the first step we simply recognize that this emotion is present.

We don't need to like it or accept it.

It's here anyways.

In the second step we acknowledge and allow it.

We simply nod in its direction and say perhaps,

Ah,

I see you.

In the third step we want to investigate the emotion.

So we want to become curious about what this moment actually feels like in our bodies.

Where can we notice the anxiety or the stress or the difficult emotion?

Simply observing,

Not slipping into the story about why this is happening.

And finally we are practicing not to identify with the anxiety or difficult emotion or stress.

Simply observing it from a distance,

Seeing it as a pattern that is rolling in,

Staying a while and then is rolling out.

So that way we can maybe take it less personally.

Is it possible for us to have a new relationship with the difficult emotion?

Maybe one that's based on openness,

Non-judgment,

Kindness and allowing.

And when we are ready,

Gently opening the eyes and coming back to the room.

This brain meditation is now complete.