RAIN Meditation For Working With Challenging Emotions

So find a position that's comfortable.

Just making sure your back is upright,

Self-supporting.

And we're finding that centered space where your body is self-supporting and balanced.

So you're not having to make any physical effort more than necessary.

And just like we're gonna center our mind,

We start with centering our body.

And allowing your body find its natural breath rhythm,

So just settling into the breathing.

And settling into this comforting side of your breath.

So just if it's possible,

Finding what's comfortable,

Comforting,

Pleasant in the breath.

And allowing that pleasant sensation to just draw you in.

And give yourself permission to just let go of the rest of the world,

Let go of anything that you don't need.

And just let go of the rest of the world,

Let go of anything that you don't need.

Even your hopes and fears about others,

Hopes and fears about yourself.

And just staying with your breathing body right now.

Maybe noticing the weight of your body in the chair.

Noticing the space that you take up.

So connecting with your breathing and the general sense of your body.

Maybe noticing any area in your body that feels slightly more pleasant.

Might be clothing on your skin or certain position that you're holding that feels good.

Certain part of your body that's more relaxed.

Just noticing,

Shining the light of attention on that part.

Now scanning your body for maybe a part that's a little uncomfortable or a little unpleasant.

Might be a muscle that's a little stiff or an itch or something else.

And just noticing what it might feel like to open to that and bring your attention to that discomfort as best you can.

Noticing maybe any desire for it not to be there,

For it to go away.

Maybe finding a neutral space,

So a place you don't normally pay attention to in your body.

Like the back of your arm or your ear.

And seeing what happens when you actually shine the light of attention on it.

Maybe it shifts,

Maybe not.

Now letting go of that neutral aspect and turning your awareness towards the mind itself.

Turning your awareness towards your own awareness.

So the part of you that is observing.

So might help to just create the analogy of as if you were sifting through or walking through a thick forest.

And that would be all your thoughts and emotions.

And you just keep walking through until you get to a big beautiful clearing.

A vast space.

And as best you can moving towards that spacious field of awareness.

So letting all of the surface thoughts and emotions kind of float away.

And deepening into the space where there's just quiet and peace.

So it's almost as if you're letting all of the habitual stuff of your mind float away like clouds would float by in the sky.

And you're clearing a space.

So maybe even clearing a space in that sky or in that clearing in the woods.

As if you could make your mind a laboratory or a workspace.

And bringing to mind in that workspace maybe a mirror of yourself.

So allowing the more subjective part of you to appear.

That inner part that feels,

So it might be a more younger more sensitive you.

And also trying to engage or look at or regard that sensitive you from the wiser caring and capable you.

So almost greeting your sensitive child as you the capable adult.

And smiling and really showing your care for that sensitive subjective self.

And watch yourself receive and take in that care.

Maybe feeling a little bit less alone and unseen you can invite them to bring to mind whatever's in their heart whatever situation or difficulties on their mind.

And just listening for whatever situation you'd like to work with whatever they're having difficulty with.

And recognizing what's there so maybe that person says I'm feeling this way or this is what happened and they're telling you what happened or how you feel.

And as best you can name naming and recognizing it for what it is so it might be you know I have a difficult time with this person or I got angry yesterday whatever it is.

And let your witnessing self take in what you hear as if you were a strong and wise parent listening to a child.

With some utmost care and concern.

And send out that care towards your child self or your subjective self as you're listening.

And maybe reassuring them sending a message to affirm that you hear them and you know maybe I'm sorry to hear that you're feeling frustrated or angry.

Allow them to know that you understand them and that it's okay to feel that way.

It's just natural to feel irritation or shame or to be bothered.

Those are part of all of our experience as human beings.

So as you share these words with your sensitive self just noticing maybe how they feel a little bit less distressed and alone about it.

And so just working with that acceptance of what's there,

What feeling or emotion might be present and allowing it to be there.

Unhooking our natural reaction to push all that away and allowing whatever might come up to be there.

And now invite your big self,

Your adult mature self to inquire,

To investigate what might be really going on here.

So maybe as you bring to mind this situation or person,

Noticing if there's any feelings that show up in the body.

It may or may not show up.

It may or may not make sense.

There's no right or wrong.

But as you bring to mind the emotion and the situation,

What does your body have to say?

And whether you can notice it in your body or not,

Maybe just sitting with whatever it is and describing it a little bit.

So maybe if it had a color,

What color would it have?

And perhaps it has a shape.

So is it something that's soft and amoeba-like or maybe something hard or geometric or kind of shape would it have connecting with this emotion and situation?

And what texture?

Is it an airy texture or hard texture?

Is it heavy?

So investigating it from this distance,

Kind of forming almost a physical description of this situation.

What would it look like and feel like?

Where might it be in your body?

And if it's difficult to be with that,

Just breathing into that space,

Always having the breath as a place to go.

And inviting your observing self,

Your inquiring self,

To investigate the core beliefs that may be related to the situation.

So what might your subjective self be thinking or believing about the situation or themself?

Maybe there's shame or blame,

Maybe negative thoughts.

Just listening for whatever core beliefs arise.

And as you hear them,

Taking them into the wiser mind and more caring heart.

So allowing some feelings of compassion for yourself to surface.

And sharing with your inner child or your subjective self that they really are not to blame if there's blame and there's no shame in feeling what they feel and there's no shame in anything that they are in relation to this situation.

Allowing them to let that go if it's possible.

Maybe allowing any criticisms to let go.

So really not identifying with feeling bad,

Just accepting it as part of our common humanity.

This is just part of the truth of who we are.

So letting your wise and caring words be like light to the sensitive you,

Like maybe like a nectar or a balsam that soothes and bringing clarity that can see through the beliefs of shame or blame or inadequacy or any other beliefs that might be present.

And just recognizing them as a worst-case nightmare.

It's not really who you are.

It's just a welled-up fear.

So if possible,

Even maybe taking that physical object or that physical sensation and breathing into it and somehow allowing it to float away or disappear.

Recognizing that that spacious sky that you are and not that thing,

Not that feeling,

It's just visiting you.

So allowing it to float away if possible and if not that's okay too.

And now looking at your subjective self and asking them what more can I do to help nourish and nurture you now?

What do you need?

Just listening carefully for whatever words or actions come about.

And maybe giving them a virtual hug or some sort of comfort and thanking them for what they're offering,

What they have to say today.

And maybe seeing your sensitive self feeling a little bit of relief and care and inviting them back into your being.

Maybe reflecting on how much less stressful your life could be if you could stay connected to that sensitive self and bring your mature self-compassion,

Bring your adult who sees as much and as often as possible to heal and reparent this child.

And maybe committing to be there for your sensitive self always,

No matter how strained or stressful life can get.

And when you're ready,

Slowly returning back to the sensations of your breath.

Finding your breath again and feeling your way back into your body.

Maybe noticing the shape of your physical form or the weight of your body where you're sitting or the temperature in the room.

And then as you're ready,

Opening your eyes,

But also making this commitment to bring more self-compassion whenever you need it in any interactions that you may face throughout your daily life.