Hello,
Thank you for being here.
For this exercise,
We are going to use a modified version of Tara Brach's RAIN.
And this is an acronym for recognize,
Allow,
Investigate,
And nurture.
This is a practice for learning how to work with difficult emotions.
And to begin,
I invite you to find a comfortable seated posture or lying down,
Maybe even standing,
Whatever works for you,
Whatever allows you to be awake and alert,
Yet still relaxed.
And allow your eyes to close,
Or if you'd rather keep them open,
Allow your gaze to settle on something in front of you,
Perhaps on the floor.
And take a couple of deep breaths,
Beginning to become aware of the body,
Of your body and how it is right now.
Noticing the points of contact between the body and the surface beneath you.
Just the shape of the body,
However it is right now.
And now we're going to move a little deeper and take note of our emotions or perhaps thoughts,
Anything that might be somewhat unpleasant,
Somewhat uncomfortable.
And rather than critiquing or becoming angry at the way we feel,
What we're thinking,
Just ask yourself,
What is it that's happening inside me right now?
What sensations are you most aware of right now?
It could be a tightness in the throat,
The shoulders,
A festering deep within.
It could be just a buzzing of thoughts,
All wound up tight.
And just recognizing,
Perhaps even naming,
Anger,
Disappointment,
Regret,
Sorrow.
As soon as you've recognized what's here,
Whether it be large or small,
We're going to allow it to just be the way it is.
Make some space for this emotion,
This thought.
Whatever it is that's bothering you right now,
See if you can just make space for it and hold it,
Allow it to be here just for now.
You have every right to feel what it is that you're experiencing right now.
There's no need to feel ashamed of what you're feeling.
Simply allow it to be here.
And now that we've understood what is happening and given it permission to be here,
We're going to move on to the next step,
Which is investigating,
Using a gentle,
Curious attention.
Ask yourself,
Where do I feel this in my body right now?
Is it in the neck,
The shoulders,
The back,
The chest?
These tend to be where we carry a lot of emotions.
If it's somewhere else,
Then it's somewhere else.
It's okay to acknowledge that.
What is it that most wants your attention right now?
And how does this part want you to be with it?
What does it most need,
Whether it be from you or some larger source of love and wisdom,
Whether that be a deity,
A spiritual figure,
Perhaps the universe,
Maybe someone you love,
Someone you trust?
What is it that this emotion,
This tight and comfortable space needs in this moment?
Some things that you might find you need are love,
Compassion,
Understanding,
Perhaps even company.
And again,
There's no need to feel any shame for these things.
This is your need,
And we're here to meet that need,
And it's okay.
And now calling on the most wise and compassionate part of your being,
You may offer yourself a loving message or send a tender embrace inward towards you.
Try placing a hand over your heart and noticing the warmth of your hand over your chest.
You may imagine someone you trust,
A close friend,
A pet,
A family member,
Maybe even a teacher holding you with love,
Sending a message to you that might be something like,
I see you,
I'm here.
I'm not leaving you.
I love you.
Give yourself permission to open up to this message that they would send to you.
It's safe to take it in,
So let it be a part of you.
Opening up to this love,
To this nurturing,
And taking it in,
Embracing this message,
Holding it close.
Perhaps feeling it in that touch between your hands and your heart.
Allow yourself to rest in this nurturing,
Allowing it to fill you,
Warm you,
To treat you,
To nurture you,
And to some degree to heal you.
You are completely worthy of this care.
You are worthwhile.
You have meaning,
So you definitely deserve this care,
This love.
No need to tell yourself otherwise.
Simply open,
Accept,
And rest in this nurturing,
In this loving presence.
And breathe.
Continue breathing.
Perhaps offer yourself some gratitude,
Saying thank you.
Thank you for this much needed care.
And begin to become aware,
Again,
Of the sounds in your surrounding environment,
Of the surface beneath you.
Beginning to gently open the eyes or lift the gaze.
Coming yourself back into this moment.
And here you are.
Even though you imagined someone else offering this kindness to you,
Recognize that really it came from you,
From deep inside of you.
And this is something you can repeat as often as you'd like,
Anytime you'd like,
Whether it be sitting down and following this guided meditation or taking a brief moment during the day to place a hand over your heart and offer yourself this nurturing,
This love.
Perhaps the difficult feeling hasn't gone away,
And that's okay too.
It may just need some time.
And that happens when we're wounded,
We often need time to heal.
There's nothing wrong with this.
Be kind to yourself and nurture yourself.
Thank you for joining me today.
Feel free to come back to this meditation at any time.
