Hello,
My name is Danisha Dunn and I'm a teacher here on Insight Timer.
Today we're going to do an ABC practice.
Some folks may be familiar with the practice of RAIN and in today's practice it is similar in that this is how we might use the acronym to meet challenging moments or emotions.
So the ABC acronym can be used as a reminder of how to meet each moment and that can be from the pleasant and joyful ones to those that give us a sense of uneasiness or discomfort,
Just unpleasant.
So let's begin the practice right now with the letter A and that is to accept.
Accept does not mean that you like it,
It means that you acknowledge whatever is happening right now that it is so,
Whether we like it or not.
But meeting that acknowledgement also with a sense of kindness towards yourself and a sense of opening and care.
So starting with where you are right now.
Are you in a room?
Are you outside?
What's around you right now?
Notice any sounds?
What do you see?
Acknowledge whatever is here.
Is it pleasant or unpleasant?
Neutral?
Practice yourself,
Finding yourself in a posture where you can be still for a moment while we do this practice.
Notice the weight of the body settling into the earth.
And now take this opportunity to soften the gaze.
You might focus the gaze at a point on the floor or the ground in front of you.
And if it feels comfortable,
Close the eyes and bring your attention towards yourself.
Acknowledge whatever state of mind you may be in right now.
And you may take this opportunity as well to acknowledge a circumstance that gives you some discomfort.
Acknowledge a sense of unpleasantness.
Recall is it a conflict with someone?
Is it a life circumstance or a health concern?
What's the story?
And if you could acknowledge that story in a sentence or two,
What would you say?
You might softly say it to yourself or whisper it.
What's the feeling associated with it?
Is it anger or grief or fear?
Can you name it?
Or maybe you're not sure,
But you sense that you feel something.
And that brings us to B in the acronym.
Let this sense of something breathe and just be with it right now.
Letting go of the story now and bringing awareness to the felt sense of this and the body.
Acknowledging the experience and the body again with a sense of care and kindness towards yourself.
You might be curious.
Is this what jealousy feels like or fear or grief?
Is it in the chest?
Is it in the belly,
The neck?
Is it an aching or a twisting or hollow feeling?
Is it hot?
See if you can describe whatever this experience is.
And meeting it with C,
Curiosity and compassion.
As you notice what the felt sense of this is in the body.
Allow the feeling to be a gateway.
As you meet this,
Whatever it is,
It might invite you to open into another story or another feeling.
Being curious,
You might ask yourself,
What is it that I don't want to feel right now?
And meet that with a sense of curiosity,
Opening and allowing.
You might find that anger,
Allowing yourself to experience it as big as it is within yourself.
Meeting it with care and compassion for yourself.
You might find that anger moving through that and all the sensations in the body.
The experience opens into grief or fear of uncertainty or guilt or shame.
And if you meet something new or a new story,
Acknowledge it with kindness.
And let that invite you to another cycle of ABC,
Breathing with it.
And allow yourself to be with it just as it is,
What is the felt sense of it in the body?
Meeting it with curiosity and compassion.
You might ask yourself,
What is needed right now?
If I were being a friend,
What would I offer?
And allow yourself to receive what is needed.
Is it trust?
Is it forgiveness?
Love?
You might imagine yourself offering this care.
You might offer a wish.
May I be well.
May I be free from this suffering.
May I live with ease.
You might imagine what it looks like for yourself to be receiving care and support with the idea that you're surrounded by love and support,
Allowing yourself to rest.
What does that image look like?
And as you continue in this sense of acknowledging,
Breathing and being with what is here,
With curiosity and with compassion,
Allowing yourself to rest in this loving awareness.
Take a moment to practice the last part of this ABC practice and that is contentment in the midst of what is actually so.
Acknowledging,
Breathing and resting in the care that you are offering and receiving.
What is something that you're grateful for in the midst of this experience?
And it could be something in the circumstance or a person or your own capacity.
And certainly,
Remembering,
Acknowledging where you are right now.
It might be gratitude for this breath,
For this time,
Something about the space that you're in.
Allow yourself to continue to be present in this loving awareness.
Resting in it,
Breathing.
And whenever you're ready,
You may open the eyes.
