Tara Brach - Meditation: Awakening Self-Compassion (2021-11-10)

Episode Date: November 11, 2021

Meditation: Awakening Self-Compassion (2021-11-10) - This RAIN meditation helps us explore pathways to nurturing ourselves in a way that brings profound transformation and healing.

The following meditation is led by Tara Brock. To access more of my meditations or join my email list, please visit tarabrock.com. Namaste, welcome. Let's get yourself in whatever position you feel will be most conducive to bringing your attention inward in a truly kind way. So take some moments and listen to. to your body. Let yourself come into stillness. Let your attention go inward. Maybe the gaze downcast or closing your eyes, whatever feels safe and comfortable. Let's breathe a little together. A few full breaths, inhaling deeply, filling the chest and the lungs. And slow out breath

and sense the letting go of whatever is ready to be released. And again, breathing, feeling your body breathing. You might take a few moments to allow the breath in its natural rhythm now and just scan through your body and more intentionally to see if there's any places of tension or tightness that want to relax and let go. Now, widen your attention a bit and scan your life. and bring to mind a current situation where you feel you're getting emotionally stuck, one that elicits a difficult reaction such as self-judgment or such as anger or anxiety.

So it could be something that has to do with a conflict with somebody else, perhaps It's a family member, a colleague. Could be something to do with your own health. Might be something that feels challenging at work, a feeling of failure, feeling of frustration. It might be the pain of an addictive behavior that you're watching in yourself. Maybe it's a conversation you regret. For the purposes of this practice, I wouldn't pick something that's really a conversation. deeply painful, the triggers perhaps trauma. It won't serve you so well. And if any point

you feel overwhelmed as we're doing this, if the feelings feel like too much, just shift your attention away from this practice and go to what's most comforting to you. It could be a meta practice. You could even walk some, have some tea. But take good care of yourself. having a situation that you want to work with and sense into that situation. By that I mean, visualize the scene. There's a person there with you, see that person's face, remember words that are spoken. In other words, sense right into where it's distressing with whatever's going on where you find that you're reactive, anxious, angry, ashamed, fearful.

And remind yourself of the worst part of this, maybe what you're afraid of or distressed by, what's really bothering you? The more fully you get in touch with the charge or the essence of what's going on, the more deeply the rain practice will go, the self-compassion will go. reminding yourself what's upsetting about this? And then as you do, you're beginning rain as you ask yourself, what's happening inside me right now? What do you recognize?

That's the R of rain. And let your attention go to whatever emotions are strongest. What's most asking for your attention. When you notice what emotion's strong, note it with a soft mental whisper. For example, you might say anger, anger, or guilt or fear. And after you recognize the next part of this awakening process is to allow. And allow means letting life be just as it is. So see if you can find in yourself that willingness to pause and say, okay, this is what's

here right now. I like to say the words, this belongs, because it's like these are the waves of the moment just to let them belong, they're the reality that's here. You can say let be or yes. Yes doesn't mean you like it, just means you're willing to experience the realness of the moment. So at this point in reign you're simply recognizing what's true and allowing, just intending not to judge or push away or control the moment.

anything you find. So now let's begin to explore with the eye of rain, the investigate, which is a deepening of mindfulness. You're exploring your experience more closely, calling on interest, calling on your curiosity and bringing a lot of gentleness to this because nurturing is really throughout. It's a kindness throughout. And you might ask yourself what's really asking for my attention, my acceptance right now. What's here? And then feel into your body to sense what's energetically and as sensations and as feelings most calling you? You might check your throat, your chest, your belly. Where is the fear or the shame? Where is the anger? whatever you're feeling. And as you start to locate in your body, it can be helpful to put

your hand on your heart, or if you'd prefer your throat or your belly, and sense that you're accompanying yourself, that you're bringing a kind and interested attention to right where the experience is. And with whatever you're feeling, fear, anger, you might ask, well, what is this part of me believing? Is it believing that you're failing in some way? That you're really flawed? That you're not lovable? That someone will reject you? That if somebody's acting that way they couldn't care about you? With whatever you notice, what's important is to discover when you're believing this, how does that feel in your body? If you're believing you're flawed, What's that like in your body?

What's the felt sense? And you might as you feel what feels most vulnerable inside you, explore expressing it through your face, through your posture. If you haven't done this before, it's a powerful way to deepen intimacy with vulnerability. So if you're feeling fear, let your face show it. Let your body show it. If it's anger, the same, if it's shame. This is embodying the somatic experience and really inviting it forward and see how much you can

go right into the center of the vulnerability. Notice the sensations there. Is it aching, twisting, burning, squeezing? And as you contact, continue as before to allow. this belongs, let be. It can help to breathe with your experience. Long, deep breath. So you're both supporting yourself with the touch of your hand and with your breath to lean in, to go inside the vulnerability. And now ask the place of most difficulty. What do you need? How do you want me to be with you?

Does this suffering part of you want understanding? Acceptance, company, forgiveness, reassurance, love. What does that place need? Still listening and attending, connecting with the vulnerability, you might shift your posture, your facial expression in a way that lets you actually call in and attend from your most awake and wise heart. So call on that. Call on your wisdom, call on your compassion, your true nature.

This is the N of rain, nurture, nurturing from as compassionate space as you can. And even more than perhaps before, allow the touch of your hand at your heart to become really tender and caring. You might just adjust the pressure so it really is communicating care like I'm really here with you. And as you sense what's needed, notice how your heart wants to respond. What is the most vulnerable place inside need to remember or experience or trust? You might offer yourself a wise message. That's one way. of self-compassion as just offering a very wise, comforting message. Could be something like I'm sorry and I love you.

Or it could be, as I mentioned, trust your goodness, trust the gold. Or maybe it's okay sweetheart. Or I'm here and I'm not leaving. Or if it's fear, thank you for trying to protect me. I'm okay right now. And if you find it difficult to offer compassion from what you sense is part of your own being, you might bring to mind another source of loving. Perhaps there's a person you trust who cares about you that comes to mind.

Spontaneously, it could be a person that's no longer alive or someone living. Maybe a healer, therapist, teacher, a pet. Maybe it's a formless presence. ever the source of loving. Let your intention be to let it in. Give yourself that gift. Let your intention be to allow nurturing loving energy to bathe you. See if you can visualize and feel that compassion, washing through you, maybe like a warm, light-filled field of tenderness. Really suffusing that vulnerability and your entire being. Just as after a real rain, life can begin flowering. The phase of after the

rain is when we sense what's unfolding. Take some moments to become aware now of the quality of presence that's here. The quality of presence. Do you notice more of a sense of spaciousness? of tenderness, of clarity, with what's ever here, including remaining streams of difficulty, continue to regard with a kind presence and allowing presence. And whether it's a small or a large shift from when you started, notice what has shifted. Perhaps starting as an angry self or in a shame self or a fearful self, to this field of presence. And can you sense how who you are is not as identified with or hitched to any particular wave?

You might sense like an ocean with waves on the surface just to feel yourself as that tender, wakeful openness that can include this changing life and sense the possibility of relaxing back and being this awareness. getting familiar with your natural awareness, knowing this natural awareness as the innermost truths of what you are. The most potent medicine is this ancient commitment to never abandon yourself, to discover wholeness in the whole mess, to be a loving mother to your insides, hold the broken bits in open awareness to illuminate the sore places with the light of love. It's a way of closing.

You might ask yourself, who would I be if I didn't believe something was wrong with me? Who would I be if I trusted the goodness, the light of love that lives through this life in all lives. Who would I be for the next couple of minutes just resting in the awareness that's here? Do we each trust our goodness? And may that trust, that self-compassion ripple out so that we're part of that field that helps all beings dissolving the separation, realizing our belonging. Namaste, thank you.