First Aid For Feelings - by Thor A Rain

COURSE

First Aid For Feelings

With Thor A Rain

The role of physical sensations and emotions is often dismissed, and we go to great lengths to suppress, ignore, numb, or disconnect to these feelings. But all feelings are information and there will come a time when ignoring them will start to negatively impact our work, relationships, and health. Are you familiar with the mnemonic ABC (Airway, Breathing, Circulation) for medical first aid? This course offers a new tool "First Aid for Feelings" that allows you to recognise feelings, even when they are uncomfortable, and deal with them in a productive way. Informed by Thich Nhat Hanh’s practice of looking deeply, these teachings take an inclusive approach to feelings and draw on a deep understanding of how the body’s fight or flight mechanism and freeze response works. You will learn what to do when your feelings intensify to the point that you are struggling, why the way the brain has evolved over millennia, why that means that you’re not as in control of what happens as you might think, and how to work with your brain's inner workings in order to improve your experience and become more skilled in understanding your feelings and acting on them.


Meet your Teacher

Thor is a health activist, social entrepreneur, and pain and fatigue specialist. For over a decade, Thor has helped hundreds of people use First Aid for Feelings to deal with stress, pain, fatigue, anxeity, and overwhelm. Having pioneered this approach to aid their own recovery from ME and fibromyalgia, they set up a social enterprise, The Helpful Clinic, to share it more widely. Thor has practiced mediation for over 15 yrs and practices with the Sangha of Interbeing in Cambridge, UK.

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10 Days

3.6k students

4.8 stars

17 min / day

Stress

English


Lesson 1

Why Do We Have Feelings?

Today lesson focuses on how understanding the purpose of feelings means you no longer get stuck, but can respond to your feelings appropriately and move through them. Practice – Meditation on the purpose and role of feelings, followed by the day’s awareness tip

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Lesson 2

What Are You Doing Now?

Inculcating curiosity about your current strategy towards your feelings, we look at how you talk to yourself about your feelings. You’ll learn how to be kinder with yourself during self-talk. Practice – Meditation on current behaviour and self-talk, followed by the day’s awareness tip

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Lesson 3

Learning Your ABC

We look at why having ABC for feelings' first aid is as important as ABC for medical first aid. Practice – Meditation on ABC for feelings' first aid, followed by the day’s awareness tip

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Lesson 4

Your Brain Is Like a Three-Scoop Ice Cream

Drawing on Professor Linden’s analogy of the brain, we will understand how your brain works to create the possibility to be kinder to yourself even when you are unskillful. Practice – Meditation on shifting from critical to curious and kind to yourself, followed by the day’s awareness tip

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Lesson 5

Your Breath Is Your Portal To Choice

We learn how the practice of breathing mindfully helps release stress and improves your ability to think more clearly. Practice – Meditation on breathing, followed by the day’s awareness tip

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Lesson 6

Your Feelings Are Your Guide

We will discuss how taking the time to learn what your feelings mean and what they are communicating give you the clues and power to reach your goals. Practice – Meditation on your body’s communication, followed by the day’s awareness tip

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Lesson 7

You Always Have A Choice

If you feel that you don’t have any choice, you are ‘crocodiling’. Learn how soothing your crocodile reconnects the part of your brain that can see and make choices. Practice – Meditation on choice, followed by the day’s awareness tip

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Lesson 8

The Power Of Curiosity

We will learn why curiosity makes it easier to respond to intense feelings and take helpful action. Practice – Meditation on curiosity, followed by the day’s awareness tip

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Lesson 9

Why Self-Compassion Is So Vital

We discuss how being kinder to yourself helps you be more skillful and successful with yourself, as well as with others. Practice – Meditation on self-compassion, followed by the day’s awareness tip

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Lesson 10

Reclaiming You

Today, we will learn how knowing your own feelings' first aid means reclaiming your attention and agency every time you use it. Practice – Meditation on reclaiming you, followed by the day’s awareness tip

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4.8 (148)

Recent Reviews

Ari

September 13, 2025

I have used this app on and off for several years. About 6 weeks ago, after experiencing a very painful loss that I’m still struggling with, I decided to join for a year and pay so I could have access to the courses. I have listened to 3 or 4 including this one. This course has helped me tremendously. Although all of the courses have been excellent, this has helped me the most, both in my personal and professional life. Thor, I can’t thank you enough for sharing your knowledge, expertise, and unique and lovely style in helping both me and I’m sure many others. I’m overwhelmed with gratitude. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Hattie

July 1, 2024

So incredibly helpful!

Lauren

June 27, 2024

I’ve just finished this course for the third time, and I know I’ll be returning to it again and again. I’ve found this course so helpful for me in my everyday life. I appreciate how every lesson builds off the previous lesson and how Thor always invites the you to check in with yourself throughout each lesson. Additionally, Thor always provides actionable steps for you to implement, which I really appreciate as it helps me to practice applying what I’ve learned. Also, the ABCs are so simple and yet powerful. This course has helped me to further develop my awareness and practice being skillful when it comes to whatever I’m experiencing. I also really appreciate Thor’s compassion. I’ve learned so much from this course, and I’m so grateful for it! Thank you Thor for creating it!

Tatyana

June 13, 2024

Beautiful course , very effecting in helping to deal with overwhelming emotions . Love your reminder that it is always helpful to be more curious than critical ! Much love and gratitude to you for creating this course and sharing this amazing information with IT community . ❤️🙏🕊️🌸

Heidi

July 23, 2023

Brilliant!

Wren

July 3, 2023

I’ve been meditating for about six years using a different app and I’ve found it super helpful for learning to be with myself BUT this course taught me so much. I feel like there’s a whole bunch of theory and practical application that pulls together to create inter-connected understanding of how my experiences fit together and how I can be kinder and gentler with myself, based on my new knowledge of the physiology of my reactions. Thanks Thor. Look forward to doing more of your meditations/courses. Wren.

Caroline

December 13, 2022

“It is more helpful to be curious than critical” is a wise phrase that I will be writing on a piece of paper and affixing to my bedroom wall above my work desk. This course deeply touched me and I think it will help me move through a feeling of being stuck in a moment of life, career, and health changes. I’m about to start the course over again but change my practice; the first time I was simply listening, but now I will take handwritten notes in my journal to remember Thor’s poetic words. The course is offered in a loving spirit and is worth more than one listen.

LorieAnn

October 17, 2022

I loved this course & Thor’s approach to feelings with very helpful insights and tools! 🙏✨🦋✨🌀

Bev

August 17, 2022

This is the second time I have followed the course. I find it enriching, calming and very very helpful. There are so many insights and tools that are supporting my recovery from an accident and trauma in a way that speaks perfectly to the way I work. Lovely. 🙏🏻🪴☀️

Judy

June 12, 2022

Brilliant course!

Charlotte

May 17, 2022

Enjoyed finding a way of exploring what I’m feeling and how to cope with some of the overwhelming emotions 🙏🏻 thanks

Donna

August 24, 2021

Very helpful. I will listen again as it will help me to continue and stay on the path.

Lynda

August 24, 2021

This is one of the best courses uhave experienced. It is a unique blend of the spiritual and physical body using a healthy scoop of common sense to ensure the ingredients combine smoothly. I will use this course again and again and cant recommend it highly enough as an effective way forward. It is life changing . Thank you so much Thor xxx

Nelson

May 30, 2021

Gracias.

Joanne

May 5, 2021

Very helpful and enjoyable course, I loved the pace and found your voice very soothing to listen to, thank you so much 🙏

Jules

May 1, 2021

Thor’s calming voice is a balm to the soul.

Betsy

April 27, 2021

Those was a really great course to remind you that you are in control of your reactions and feelings, and listed some solid strategies to put the focus back on you.

Julie

April 18, 2021

Good reminders as well as new information. I love the notion of being curious rather than critical. Soothing voice. The short loud bell startled me every time. If you are someone with PTSD, maybe just be aware of that. I felt the information and presentation valuable and so stuck with it and am glad that I did.

Caroline

March 19, 2021

Fantastic

Rita

March 12, 2021

Thank you 🤍

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