Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Hi, friends.
[00:00:02] On this episode of the Breathe in a release podcast, I'd like to offer a meditation using a mindfulness practice to bring self compassion towards difficult feelings during difficult times.
[00:00:18] The mindfulness practice is called rain, which stands for recognize, allow, investigate, and nurture.
[00:00:27] And mindfulness is really all about bringing present moment awareness to whatever it is that you're feeling, whether that's perceived as positive or negative.
[00:00:38] The mind wants to shove negative feelings or emotions away, but when we do so, they really just stay in the body and it builds up and up and up and up until we implode or we explode. I'm speaking from personal experience here, and so the intention with this practice of rain is to zoom in, to feel it, to really research or investigate what's going on in my body right now, and then bring a sort of loving kindness or compassion towards that feeling, whether it is coming up as physical or mental or emotional.
[00:01:25] So in my own life, this practice has been incredibly healing. I've used it throughout the years and it's come up again for me lately. I think with just such immense suffering in the world, I've been feeling a lot of guilt for feeling like I should be doing more, like it's not enough. This sort of feeling of stuck helplessness.
[00:01:49] And this practice of rain has helped me a lot. And so I'd like to offer this to you, and I hope it helps you along your own healing journey.
[00:02:02] So without further ado, let's go ahead and get started.
[00:02:27] We'll begin our meditation in a seated position.
[00:02:32] So bringing yourself into a place that's comfortable for you.
[00:02:42] Closing down the eyes, arriving into this body, finding stillness.
[00:02:58] And just begin by bringing attention to the movement of breath.
[00:03:07] Sensing the possibility of relaxing with the breath.
[00:03:18] The in breath like a balloon of receiving this healing life energy.
[00:03:31] And the out breath, a releasing inhale. Receiving exhale. Releasing.
[00:03:48] Letting go of the shoulders.
[00:03:53] Softening the hands, arms are heavy.
[00:04:00] Relaxing the belly, relaxing the heart, relaxing. Open the whole body with the movement of breath.
[00:04:24] The senses are awake, aware, coming into present moment awareness.
[00:04:47] And it's from this wakeful presence that you can begin to scan your life now to see if there's a place of difficulty that's bringing up hard emotions.
[00:05:09] Something that's triggering feelings of self judgment, shame, hurt or criticism.
[00:05:24] Something that's bringing up a reactive emotion that you'd like to find more peace or balance when in the middle of.
[00:05:48] And let yourself bring to mind the situation where this feeling gets triggered.
[00:06:06] Starting to visualize the situation before you.
[00:06:15] What's going on here and then freezing the frame, starting to realize or acknowledge whatever is the most strong feeling inside of you.
[00:06:42] Maybe it's a feeling in the body, or you can name it as an emotion.
[00:06:56] Maybe you're feeling anger or anxiety or sadness or hurt.
[00:07:06] Just naming it to yourself without the need to psychoanalyze.
[00:07:15] Naming whatever you're most aware of, recognizing.
[00:07:42] And then from that recognition, we move to allowing.
[00:07:51] So just pause.
[00:07:53] Just pause and make space for what is.
[00:08:00] Can you allow yourself to be with the difficult feeling?
[00:08:08] Allowing doesn't mean that it's pleasant or that you accept it, but it means that you acknowledge what is here and you're letting it be there right now.
[00:08:33] Only when we zoom in can we allow something to move through.
[00:08:55] We are so programmed in our lives to get over difficult feelings or emotions or situations and just move on.
[00:09:08] But it stays in the body.
[00:09:10] And so sitting with it, this is where the healing starts.
[00:09:16] Allowing it to be there.
[00:09:23] And then from allowing, we move to investigating.
[00:09:31] So you might start to ponder what's the most difficult part of this or what most wants attention, what's going on?
[00:09:59] If you're feeling into the place of shame or fear or anxiety, you can maybe help to ask yourself, what am I believing when this is happening?
[00:10:19] Do I believe or do I feel that I'm not enough?
[00:10:24] That I'm not understood, that I'm not lovable?
[00:10:31] Can you sense if there is some sort of a.
[00:10:35] A pattern or a belief or a thought going on here?
[00:11:06] Sensing how whatever you're believing is felt in the body, paying attention to your shoulders, your throat, heart, belly, jaw, is there emotion that's felt in the body?
[00:11:36] What's the felt sense?
[00:11:40] Is there a sort of rawness or a clenching or a aching?
[00:11:53] You can even let your face take on the expression of what's being triggered.
[00:11:59] Maybe the hands want to come into fists.
[00:12:08] Just allowing the body in the face to express what might be happening.
[00:12:25] What do you notice?
[00:12:32] And if that vulnerable place in you could communicate, what would it want you to know?
[00:13:00] And then from the investigation, we move towards nurturing.
[00:13:08] When you ask that vulnerable place, what does this place most need right now? What do you need?
[00:13:21] How do you want me to be with you?
[00:13:30] Does it want to hear something or know something or feel something responding to this place inside of you from the most wise, the most loving part within you?
[00:14:21] Taking a few deep breaths now and adjusting your posture, assuming the facial expression that allows you to embody your higher self, your wiser self, your future self, but still staying in contact with the vulnerability as you listen and feel what does this place most need?
[00:15:25] Summoning all your wisdom and your love right now sensing that you can offer what's needed you have that ability to heal already within you.
[00:15:55] You already know.
[00:16:01] Maybe bringing a hand to the heart offering a soft and tender touch maybe the beginning of something radical a shift starting to regard our inner life with compassion with loving awareness energy flowing to the place of vulnerability what words or message does this inner part most need to hear?
[00:17:05] It could be something like I care about the suffering or I love you or I'm sorry just finding one simple message and repeating it to yourself internally over and over again.
[00:18:14] Rumi says don't turn away keep your gaze on the bandaged place.
[00:18:24] That's where the light enters you.
[00:18:31] Take a deep breath in letting in love letting in healing letting in light and exhale as you release a softening a letting go.
[00:19:04] Whenever you're ready blink your eyes open and come back.
[00:19:15] It.
