Come into a seated posture.
I'm just going to meditate for about 10 minutes or so.
If you can,
Sit upright and relax to the best of your ability.
Allow the eyes to gently close and just come to stillness,
Physical stillness.
And from this vantage point of stillness,
You should notice the breath.
You might notice this in the chest or the abdomen.
You might notice the air coming in and out of the nose.
It doesn't matter where you feel it,
Just tune into it and be with it to the best of your ability.
For a whole in-breath,
The pause and the whole out-breath and the pause.
Not berating yourself when the mind wanders.
That is completely natural.
Now,
See if there's something arising that you'd rather not have.
Some emotion,
Some feeling and just recognize it at the moment.
Maybe even name it.
Perhaps it's frustration at not being able to stay with the breath as much as you'd like to.
Maybe there's aches and pains.
So,
R,
Recognize.
Maybe it's worry and acknowledge it.
Acknowledge the difficulty,
The emotion that is present.
So,
Name it and be aware of its presence within you.
This recognition creates space between you and the emotion.
So,
It allows you to respond more skillfully.
You're not becoming the emotion.
There's a nice gentle distance.
You're watching it,
Feeling it.
But that which is watching and feeling is free from it.
Free from it and now accept.
So,
Embrace this difficulty with radical acceptance.
Avoid resisting it or pushing it away.
Let it in.
Let it be.
Let it live in you even though you don't want it.
So,
Allow it to exist without judgment or self-criticism.
Remind yourself that emotions are impermanent.
They will naturally arise and pass away.
And I investigate,
Explore it with curiosity.
Ask yourself what thoughts and bodily sensations are connected to this emotion.
How is it making itself known?
And try and go a little deeper then.
Just a description of pain or worry.
Sharpen the lens of the microscope and look a little deeper.
And notice perhaps that it's changing.
And different parts of it are coming into being and passing away.
So,
Stay present and watch this as it unfolds.
And then N,
Non-identification.
It's not you.
You're separate from it.
You can observe it.
So,
Remember that you are not your emotions.
They are temporary visitors passing through your consciousness.
Don't let them define your sense of self.
Allow them to come and go like clouds in the sky.
And if something arises again,
Which it will,
Run through RAIN.
Recognize,
Accept,
Investigate,
And non-identification.
And you can do this as you go about your day.
It doesn't have to be limited to meditation.
It's a powerful tool on your journey to liberation.
And know that you do have the strength to hold these emotions and difficult feelings without being overwhelmed.
So,
Coming back to the breath.
Bring in the meditation to a close.
And when you're ready,
Open your eyes.
