We will now do a RAIN meditation.
First,
Find a posture that is comfortable for you,
One that is both grounded and stable.
Now take a few deep breaths,
Watching the air go in,
And out.
In,
And out.
Now scan for any obvious tension in the body,
And allow it to relax,
Starting at the top of the head,
Going down into the face,
The jaw,
The back of the neck,
Into the shoulders,
The arms and hands,
The back and stomach,
And down to the legs and feet,
Allowing the whole body to be at ease.
Now try to bring to mind a current situation where you feel emotionally stuck,
Maybe something that feels emotionally unresolved.
It could be a conflict with someone close to you,
A sickness,
Maybe something went wrong at work,
Or a painful conversation you had with someone.
Try not to choose a situation of trauma.
However,
If you do end up feeling overwhelmed or that it feels like too much at any point during this meditation,
It's a great time to use resourcing and shift attention to something relaxing,
Such as your anchor or bringing forth self-love.
Now enter the experience,
Really bringing it to the forefront.
What was the worst part about this experience?
What are you afraid of?
Or what about it distresses you?
See if you can really get in touch with the essence of the story.
Now recognize what is happening inside you right now.
What do you feel?
What sensations or emotions in the body does it bring up?
Do images appear in your mind?
Perhaps painful images or stressful images?
And where is this all happening in your body?
Where can you feel it?
This is the R of RAIN,
Recognizing.
Now,
Having recognized what you're experiencing,
Pay attention to whatever is the strongest.
Now,
Allow this to just be as it is.
Feel acceptance encompass this experience.
You can experiment with words to help you,
Such as just let it be,
Or this too,
This too.
You can also put your hand over your heart,
Allowing the touch to aid you in accepting this experience.
This is the A in RAIN,
Allow or accept.
If you cannot accept it,
Accept the resistance to accepting it.
Let your acceptance expand as far outward as it needs to,
And try to just see the resistance as it is.
Now we will investigate this experience,
The I of RAIN.
What about this experience wants your attention?
Is there a clear belief that is feeding this emotionally difficult experience?
Maybe that someone will leave you,
That you will then fail,
That you will lose respect,
That the situation will last forever.
You can also ask yourself,
Am I protecting something?
Am I holding back something that might feel difficult to let out?
Now check in with your body to see how your body is experiencing it.
What are you feeling?
And where do you feel it?
Maybe you feel anger,
Sadness,
Confusion,
Anxiety,
Loneliness,
Or even numbness.
Maybe you feel tension in the jaw.
Maybe you feel pressure in the head,
Tightness in the chest.
Whatever you're feeling,
Really investigate it.
Do these feelings change over time?
Maybe you're bouncing back and forth between a few feelings,
Between anger and frustration,
For example.
Really bring these feelings and body experience to the forefront of your attention.
And again,
Bring about acceptance to them.
Note that whatever you're experiencing is totally okay.
Now ask yourself,
What do these emotions and beliefs need?
What comfort do they need?
It could just be acceptance,
Being heard,
Being told that everything is okay,
Knowing that you are valued,
Whatever it is.
Now bring forth the wise,
Noble heart,
Imagining this wise,
Loving being within yourself.
How does this wise being respond?
And what would it offer to you?
Now allow your heart to offer this to you.
Now if this is difficult,
Or if you cannot feel this wise heart,
First bring kindness and compassion to that.
And then you can bring in another resource,
A friend,
A spiritual figure.
It could be a pet,
Some music you love,
A favorite location that soothes you.
It could be anything.
And now with this additional resource,
See if you can offer what this difficult experience needs,
What comfort it needs.
Now notice and allow yourself to feel the nurturing and whatever feelings that might bring up.
This is the end of RAIN,
Nurturing.
Now allow the nurturing to encompass you,
Embrace you,
Perhaps feeling warmth and calm coming over you.
And now notice what state you're in.
See how it is compared to the state at the beginning,
The quality of presence now.
Notice what you are feeling now,
Just noticing,
No judgment.
And see if you can sense an increase of spaciousness,
The awareness that embodies and allows this entire process,
The spaciousness that can hold all of this.
See if you can sit in this spaciousness,
This nurtured self for the remaining moments of this meditation.
