Today,
I'll be guiding you through a meditation using the mindfulness tool of RAIN,
Focusing on the emotions of sadness or depression.
RAIN is an acronym that stands for Recognize,
Allow,
Investigate,
And Nurture.
RAIN is a tool that can be used to work with any emotion,
Any physical pain,
Or any thought process.
It is a powerful yet gentle way to help us be more mindfully present with any difficulty and over time,
Builds our capacity for presence,
Insight,
And compassion.
It is a dynamic,
Non-linear process,
Meaning we can move through the various steps of RAIN in different ways.
For example,
We can proceed through each step of the acronym,
Or just do the Recognize and Nurture,
Especially when we don't have time for a longer practice.
Whenever we work with strong emotions,
Thoughts,
Or physical sensations,
It is important to pace ourselves so that the experience doesn't become overwhelming.
We can do this by attending to our experience for small increments of time while holding an attitude of curiosity and kindness.
Honor your own process and take your time.
So let's begin.
You can do this meditation in any posture,
Sitting,
Standing,
Or lying down.
Your eyes may be open or closed.
Let your attention scan through your body to find an area that is feeling neutral to positive right now as we begin this practice.
This could be a body area that is functioning well,
Feels relatively relaxed,
Has little or no pain,
Or a place in your body that is feeling solid,
Grounded,
Or alive.
Find a few words that describe the sensations you're noticing,
Soft,
Open,
Spacious,
Present,
Settled,
Heavy,
Pulsating,
Vibrant,
And take a moment to enjoy this gift from your body.
These sensations can become an oasis for you today,
One that you can return to anytime during this practice if you need to rest.
Now recognize or bring to mind a recent mild experience of sadness or depression that you're struggling with.
You may notice a bit of the storyline,
The event,
The interactions.
Then ask yourself if you can allow this experience to be present in your awareness for just a bit of time,
Just as it is,
Without the need to change it.
If the answer is yes,
You can proceed to the investigate step.
However,
If you're unable to allow this experience right now,
That is very important to know.
Thank yourself for being so clear about what is best for you right now.
You can move directly into the nurture step and ask yourself,
What do I need right now that would be helpful or nourishing to me?
Perhaps it may be focusing on your breath,
Looking around the room,
Or returning your attention to the neutral and positive sensation you explored earlier in this practice.
Now we'll proceed to the process of investigate,
Turning your attention to your felt body sensations that are a part of this sad,
Depressed feeling.
When you pose one of the questions to yourself,
See if you can allow the response to naturally arise rather than working hard with your mind to figure it all out.
As I recognize and allow this feeling,
What sensations am I experiencing that I label sad or depressed?
Where are the sensations located in my body,
My chest,
Belly,
Jaw,
Face,
Or other area?
Can I be aware of these sensations for just a bit of time?
If yes,
What happens to them as I stay curious about them?
Do they stay the same or change?
Is the storyline of my experience dominating my attention right now?
If so,
What might happen if I step back from the story just a bit or notice how my body reacts to this storyline?
Do I notice any thoughts or other emotions getting triggered?
Perhaps self-judgment,
Shame,
Or criticism?
What does my body sense of these thoughts or emotions?
You may come up with your own set of questions for this investigation process.
Whatever seems relevant to you,
Ask yourself.
As we move into the nurture phase,
You may wish to place a hand on your heart,
Asking,
What do I need right now?
How can I nurture,
Embrace,
Or reassure this place inside of me?
Call up the wise,
Kind,
And gentle part of yourself to be present with this difficult experience.
Let the touch of your hand convey caring.
Listen to yourself and sense what you might need to hear right now.
Words like,
Of course you feel this way,
I care about you,
This is so hard,
Isn't it?
It's okay,
I love you,
I'm right here with you,
You don't have to do this alone.
If these types of statements are hard to say to yourself,
Bring to mind another person,
Animal,
Or being that could say the compassionate words that could be helpful to you right now.
Allow yourself some time to be in this nurturing space,
Like the earth receiving the beneficial nutrients of actual rain.
Feel yourself absorbing your own kindness,
Letting it soak into your body,
Your mind,
And your heart.
Repeat again with curiosity your sensations of sadness and depression.
Do they feel different or the same?
Are you finding a bit more ease being present with these feelings as they are right now?
Shift again into nurture,
Checking in with yourself to see how you're doing right now with this practice.
This nurturing or nourishing of yourself may be a very new experience,
It can be hard to stay with.
Other thoughts,
Feelings,
Or sensations may arise,
That's okay.
Just recognize them,
Knowing that you can come back to this practice again and again.
You don't have to process or feel everything all at once.
Over time,
Your ability to be insightful,
Compassionate,
Tender,
And present with any of your feelings will grow and flourish.
As we finish this rain practice for today,
Thank yourself for your willingness to turn towards these emotions that can be so challenging.
And I thank you deeply for practicing with me today.
Be well.
