Make It RAIN
I’m sure that you’ve heard that meditation and mindfulness is “good for you.” But if you’re like me, you might think…
OK, I’m mindful that I need to be mindful, but what the heck do I actually do now?
Good news, I have a tool for you. 🙂
Tara Brach is a meditation teacher and author of a book called Radical Acceptance. She has come up with a nifty little tool called RAIN:
Recognize
Allow
Investigate
Nurture
These are practical steps you can use to actually practice mindfulness. Let’s break down each one:
Recognize - This is about learning to notice your thoughts, feelings, and sensations in your body in the present moment. Simply pause and turn your attention toward your felt experience, gently scan your body and mind, and notice whatever you notice.
Allow - This is about reminding yourself to not fight against what you notice, even if it is uncomfortable or painful. Gently remind yourself to let these things be with you, just as they are.
Investigate - This is about getting curious about your felt experience. Gently ask yourself questions about your thoughts and feelings. What are these things trying to tell me? Did anything happen that might cause these feelings?
Nurture - This is about responding to yourself just like you would a child who is in distress. You might place a hand on your chest, acknowledge your hurt, and lovingly reassure yourself. Whatever feels genuine and loving, we give that back to ourselves.
If you want to become more mindful and self-compassionate make RAIN a consistent practice. Start by taking 5 mins today move through these steps.
You can pretty much practice RAIN anywhere. You don’t need the perfect, quiet environment. The goal isn’t to make yourself more calm. The goal is to be with yourself in a loving way however you are and wherever you are.
Give it a shot! Here’s to making it RAIN.
Happy to be in your corner,
Tom
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