Hello friend,
Take a moment to arrive,
Let your eyes soften,
Your breath slow,
Feel the heat of your body,
Grounded.
There's a practice,
A gentle unfolding,
Called rain.
It's a way to meet life's storms,
Not with fear,
But with presence.
We'll move through it slowly,
Like watching rain soaking into the earth,
Until something new quietly blooms.
We will begin by simply recognizing,
By simply noticing,
What's here,
Inside you,
Right now.
Perhaps a sensation,
Or ease.
No need to change,
Just recognize.
Simply keeping it within view,
But slightly out of reach.
Noticing the surface details,
As if you're looking at a piece of art on a wall.
Let awareness touch this moment.
Whatever's here,
No resistance,
No fixing,
Just permission.
Like rain falling,
Without asking why.
Even discomfort,
Even longing,
Is welcome.
Simply feel the softening that comes,
When you stop pushing life away.
Invite it,
As if you are welcoming a friend that needs a place to stay.
It does not mean that you agree.
It does not mean that you take action.
Simply create the space,
For whatever emotions arise,
To be there.
Gently,
With curiosity,
Turn toward what's present,
And begin investigating.
There is no rush.
The heart reveals itself in stillness.
And ask yourself,
Where in my body,
Do these emotions reside?
Is this a pattern in my life,
Or is it something new?
And deeply listen to the vulnerable message this part of you is telling you.
As if you are an adult,
Listening to a child that wants to be heard.
Let yourself be tender,
Open.
As if you are holding something precious,
Because you are.
Now nurture.
Offer yourself,
The same kindness that you offer a friend.
What does this most vulnerable part of you need,
To feel nurtured?
Seen?
Perhaps it's a whispered truth.
An acknowledgement that I'm here.
Perhaps a touch of compassion.
You are enough.
Let this care seep into every cell.
Like the earth drinking in the rain.
And now feel the space inside of you.
Clearer.
Softer.
For after the rain,
The air is different.
Who might you be?
You are not holding on to this.
Not as the storm,
But as the growth that follows.
And as we bring your practice to a close,
Remind yourself.
When storms have passed,
And skies are new,
The earth is soft.
And so are you.
For the rain may fall,
But every storm,
My friend,
May remind you.
May your mind,
Your body,
And your spirit be abundant with peace.
Today,
And every day.
