In this practice,
We will be bringing the concepts of RAIN to difficulty.
Now as a way of entering this heart practice,
You might just take a moment to feel your own intention toward open-hearted awareness.
Feeling your own sincerity will really set the ground,
Drawing your heart right to that place of being available and to the current that carries you home.
The body can also be prepared in a way for this heart practice with the simple image and the felt sense of the smile.
So if you'd like,
Just feel your eyes,
The corners of the eyes,
The outside corners.
Let them just soften a little.
A slight smile at the mouth,
The inside of the mouth,
Smiling,
Sensing,
Inviting a smile to spread through the heart and the chest area and just energetically sensing the spirit of the smile,
Receptive,
Open,
Spreading through your whole body.
This practice can help awaken our heart of compassion,
This dynamic way it arises,
This alchemy of compassion as we allow ourselves to be touched by suffering.
We have that courage,
The availability to suffering,
A natural tenderness that opens up,
That's the tenderness of compassion.
And as we explore this,
We'll be using the acronym RAIN.
And in this version of RAIN,
The R is to recognize the situation,
To recognize what's going on.
The A in RAIN is to allow,
Just let it be as it is.
Don't try to fix it or change or avoid.
The I of RAIN is to investigate with a gentle attention.
And this investigation is to inquire into the felt sense of the body and the N of RAIN is to then nourish what is experienced with deep compassion.
Note that the key part of the process then is what happens after the activity of RAIN,
Which is to rest.
And the experience of what unfolds from that nourishing RAIN is the aftermath of RAIN.
Much like when we have a real RAIN that nourishes the earth.
The flowering is really what's described as the shift or enlargement of our sense of being.
From the small self that's in some way struggling against something or with something to that open-hearted awareness,
Which is vast and tender and such a compassionate presence.
And now,
Just taking a quiet moment,
Taking a moment to scan your life.
What's going on right here in your life?
What's here for you?
Is there some circumstance,
Some situation that you can bring self-compassion to your own heart?
This is very important.
Maybe it's a situation you're in.
Maybe it's a situation you're in with another person.
Maybe a conflict of challenging experience,
Parent,
Child,
Friend,
Partner.
It might even be something at work.
You may have a sense of failure.
Some place that you're really judging yourself harshly could be some deep disappointment in yourself.
Where would self-compassion soften and open and create more space in your life?
And as you focus in on a situation,
A set of circumstances,
Let it be close,
Right there.
So you can sense what it is that you get reactive about.
What's the state of emotion,
The heart,
The body,
The mind when it gets triggered?
Be aware of the circumstances.
You can recognize,
Okay,
This is it.
This is where I turn on myself.
This is where I get hard,
Where I get reactive,
Where I close down.
Recognize.
And then once you've recognized these general players,
Experience that which needs attention.
Consciously allow it to be there.
Just pausing and saying,
Okay,
This is how it is right now and creating space.
That's the allowing.
And next we investigate.
Investigating means deepening your attention to what's going on inside of you.
Maybe you're triggered,
Reactive.
Turn towards yourself in this way of investigating.
You might sense,
What's the worst part of this for me?
What is it I'm most afraid of?
What is it I'm most upset about when I'm feeling stuck,
When I'm feeling judgmental?
What am I really judging?
What am I afraid is going to happen?
Feeling this in your body,
Where it's coming from.
Sense it in your body.
You might feel it in your throat.
Your chest.
Your belly.
What's going on?
What's the felt sense?
And the feelings,
The emotions that are the strongest right now.
So what needs most attention?
Maybe there's a sense of shame.
That there's really something wrong with me.
That I'll never change.
That I'll never be who I want to be.
That I'll never be happy.
So sense the unlovable.
The sense of failure.
Let yourself go right to where there's something stronger.
The sense of vulnerability,
Of difficulty in your body.
Just notice what it feels like.
It can help to put your hand on your heart.
So I invite you to do this.
To put your hand on your heart.
On your ability to keep your attention where emotion is strong.
That can be very skillful.
And the ask is to direct the inquiry right to the place in you that's most upset.
That's most challenged.
What is this place with most need?
Does it need to be forgiven?
Does it need acceptance?
Does it need to be embraced?
Or does it need some reassurance?
Something to trust?
Sense that in you which is most listening.
Paying attention to the wise.
The most caring part of you.
As you move to the end of RAIN.
As we remember that the N stands for Nourish.
And offer to the place in you that's most vulnerable or hurting.
What your most sensitive self needs.
And again,
Putting your hand touching your heart can be very much a way of communicating to your inner life.
And if you haven't done this before,
Place your hand gently on your heart and vary the pressure so it really communicates care.
Perhaps there is a message to offer inwardly that could be healing words of wisdom.
Words of truth or maybe just energetic sense.
Listen.
And sense the words needed.
They might just be these simple words.
I'm sorry.
Maybe,
Darling,
I care about this suffering.
Or maybe,
It's okay,
Sweetheart.
And if it feels hard to offer your own heart,
The wounded place,
Some care,
You might call on whatever person or being that you most trust is loving and is caring that can see you truly.
This could be a person that's alive or not alive.
It could be your dog or cat.
It could be a spiritual figure.
Just feel the place of yearning to be forgiven or held or loved and from that place call on that being and sense that care pouring through your hands your hands around your heart or just right into your heart.
Imagine it.
Visualize it.
See if you can allow yourself to feel it and receive it.
Let love,
Let compassion flow into your heart.
Compassionate presence.
Or the compassionate presence of another that you can merge with and just hold this vulnerable place,
This unconditional care.
And you might sense your experience of your own being when there's this whole thing with compassion and relax and just rest with that compassionate presence and allow whatever is arising to be touched with the tenderness of compassion after rain.
Just resting in the aliveness in the healing presence that's right here.
When we've offered compassion inwardly it's helpful to take the time in quiet silence for a few moments and just resting in this compassionate presence.
When we've offered this presence inwardly it's natural to include others in our awakening heart.
So let's take a few moments to bring healing attention to one other person in our lives.
I'd like to invite you to bring to mind someone that you care about that could use your compassion that could use your love that could use your energy.
And let yourself focus in some instance on the situation or circumstances where that person gets caught in some way when that person is suffering feeling down on themselves they may be feeling fearful strange suffering just for a moment register that person's suffering or pain really close up and for a moment create the space for it to be as it is.
What is this person experiencing?
What is this person believing about the world?
About themselves?
Perhaps they believe that they don't belong that they'll never be who they want to be that they're not lovable not good,
Not okay Maybe they feel that they can't make it that their lives lack meaning lack the sense of what it is You're investigating and sensing what it's really like to be living with that doubt or that fear or that grief or that hurt What is the worst part of this for that person?
And now we'll move to the N in RAIN to the nourishing with compassion that person in your heart holding that person in your heart,
Sensing what that person most needs and offering it offering the love the reassurance the accompaniment you might envision yourself holding that person or putting a hand on that person's cheek you might whisper a message saying that person's name offering them your energy,
Your love your care and again after the activity of RAIN knowing that this is who you are when there's this tenderness of compassion sensing the presence the awakeness the open-hearted awareness it's just here,
Just resting and as that awareness is flooding whatever arises is known and touched there is a place in the heart where everything meets go there if you want to find me sense the soul eternity all are there that is the heart give yourself to it with total abandon quiet ecstasy is there and a steady sense of resting in a beautiful calm healing space once you know the way the nature of attention will call you you can return to it again and again and be saturated with knowing I belong here I am at home here and once you know the way the nature of attention will call you to return again and again and be saturated with knowing I belong here I am at home here so take your time allow yourself to feel allow yourself to bask in the effect of rain knowing I belong here and I am at home here Namaste
