Welcome to this R.
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Meditation.
R.
A.
I.
N.
Stands for Recognize,
Allow,
Investigate,
And Nurture.
We'll be using this technique to mindfully and non-judgmentally explore difficult feelings and experiences together.
So begin by settling into a comfortable position.
Gently close your eyes and start to observe your breath flowing in and out of your body.
There is nothing to fix or change here.
Just be with your breath as it naturally flows in and out.
Allow the present moment to be exactly as it is and your breathing to be exactly as it is.
I now invite you to bring to your awareness an experience you've been struggling with internally.
It might be a current problem you feel stuck on,
Or a memory from the past that's been bothering you,
Or a concern about the future that's been on your mind lately.
If you're new to the R.
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Meditation,
I recommend choosing something that you know won't completely overwhelm you so that you can build up some practice with this technique.
The first step of R.
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Is to recognize your experience.
Can you identify what is going on inside you in this moment?
See if you can name your experience.
For example,
You might say to yourself,
I'm feeling angry at my friend,
Or I'm heartbroken over my loss,
Or I feel anxious about my upcoming trip.
You might also recognize that there are several emotions happening at once.
Remember,
Just as with your breath,
There is nothing to fix or change here.
We're simply recognizing what is going on inside us.
The second step of R.
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N.
Is to allow your experience.
We often try to avoid or suppress our negative emotions because they can be so uncomfortable.
But unfortunately,
Like struggling against quicksand,
This tends to get us even more caught up in those emotions.
Can you choose to allow whatever feelings are arising in your body right now?
Can you let them be present without resistance?
As the saying goes,
What we resist persists,
But what we feel heals.
The third step of R.
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N.
Is to investigate your experience.
As you continue to stay present with your feelings,
See if you can explore them in your body with gentle curiosity.
How are they showing up?
Where are they located?
Are there sensations in your chest,
In your belly,
In your jaw,
Someplace else?
Are they being expressed in multiple areas?
Do they have a particular quality,
Such as prickly or tight,
Churning or tingling,
Or even a certain color or shape?
Do they move around your body or change size as you watch them?
There is no right or wrong answer here.
You're just bringing an open mind to discovering what is happening inside of you.
The last step of R.
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N.
Is to nurture your experience.
This step calls upon our deepest capacity to tend and befriend.
See if you can bring kindness and compassion to your inner self.
Can you comfort your upset or wounded parts with kind words or soothing images?
Or perhaps you wish to try placing your hand on your heart or giving yourself a gentle squeeze.
Listen closely to your internal experience.
Can you give yourself whatever nurturing is most needed at this time?
If this step is challenging for you,
Imagine how you might comfort a loved one who is suffering in this way.
And now that we've completed the four steps of R.
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,
I invite you to spend a few cycles of breath reflecting on what it was like for you to meet your difficult experience in this open-hearted way.
Notice if anything shifted in your mind or body during this process.
And finally,
Please offer yourself gratitude for your willingness to be present with whatever showed up in our time together.
Thank you for doing this R.
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N.
Meditation with me today.
