Welcome to this guided meditation that will help you embrace and sit with your emotions and thoughts throughout the day.
In this meditation we'll be using the RAIN technique so find a quiet and comfortable space where you can sit or lie down undisturbed.
Close your eyes or find a soft downward gaze and take a few deep breaths.
As you breathe imagine letting go of any tension in your body or mind.
Allow yourself to arrive fully and presently in this moment.
Now begin by bringing your awareness to the here and now.
Acknowledge what is happening inside of you at this very moment.
Notice any thoughts or emotions that might be making themselves known to you.
As you begin the practice of noticing,
Begin the practice of identifying and naming them.
Give your thoughts or emotions labels.
Perhaps simply saying thought or feeling happiness or sadness.
Allow these things to be just as they are without any judgment or need to change them.
As you find this place of stillness in your body,
Observe these internal experiences asking yourself what is happening inside of me right now.
Let your breath be your anchor as you acknowledge your current emotional state.
Imagine your emotions and thoughts as visitors knocking at the door of your consciousness.
Open the door and greet them with an open heart.
Now as you become more and more aware of your thoughts and emotions,
Remember not to resist or deny whatever arises.
Give them space to unfold naturally.
Let your emotions and thoughts become the focus of your meditation.
Perhaps ask yourself,
Do I have the capacity to be with this in this moment?
Remember that this practice is all about embracing what is without any judgment.
Observe your thoughts and emotions as if you're watching clouds passing through the sky.
You are the vast and open sky and your thoughts and emotions are merely clouds,
Transient and ever-changing.
Allow them to move through you like the gentle flow of a river.
Now with a gentle and unbiased attention,
Move closer to your emotions and thoughts rather than pushing them away.
See if you can shift to your relationship with them from one of reaction to one of understanding.
Explore where you feel these emotions in your body.
Notice if they are changing or evolving.
Ask yourself,
What is sitting underneath this and this and this?
Dive deep into the source of your emotions with curiosity and an open heart.
Imagine yourself as a compassionate detective uncovering the hidden layers of your emotional experience.
With each layer you peel back,
You come closer to the core of your feelings.
Now as you continue this process,
Remember that you are not your thoughts or feelings.
They are transient passing through the vessel of your body.
Witness them with a loving detachment and ask yourself,
Can I be with this in a loving and compassionate way?
Can I offer myself love and support?
See if you can cultivate a sense of self-compassion and care for yourself in this moment.
See if you can wrap yourself and your emotions in a blanket of kindness and tenderness.
Visualize yourself cradling your inner self much like you might hold a child in need of comfort.
As you nurture your inner self,
Realize that you can hold your emotions and thoughts with a gentleness and love.
As you consistently engage with this practice,
Know that you're cultivating a profound insight into your inner world and you're honing your ability to address thoughts and emotions with enhanced clarity,
Compassion and freedom.
As you journey through your day,
Carry this heightened awareness,
Understanding that you possess a potent instrument to traverse the constantly shifting terrain of your thoughts and emotions.
Tara Brock wrote once that after you've completed the active steps of RAIN,
It's important to simply notice your own presence and rest in that wakeful tender space of awareness in the same way that the earth blossoms following a spring shower.
After RAIN,
Realization naturally arises as to our true nature.
We're no longer bound to identify with passing states like fear or anger.
We are free to inhabit the wholeness of our true being.
Begin to deepen now into your breath,
Inhaling peace and exhaling any remaining tension.
Embrace the freedom of not being defined by your passing thoughts and emotions.
You are the serene and unchanging witness of this ever-flowing stream.
Gently wake open your eyes knowing that you carry this newfound awareness and sense of freedom.
You carry this with you as you move throughout your day and you possess the tools to navigate the ever-changing landscape of your mind and emotions.
Pause and practice RAIN whenever needed to nurture your inner self and find peace within.
Until next time.
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