Tara Brach - Meditation: The RAIN of Compassion (30 min)

Episode Date: November 21, 2019

Meditation: The RAIN of Compassion (30 min) - The acronym RAIN (Recognize-Allow-Investigate-Nurture) is one of the most powerful tools I know for working with difficult emotions and discovering the freedom of an awake, compassionate presence. The 4-steps of RAIN are: Recognize what is happening; Allow the experience to be there, just as it is; Investigate with interest and care; Nurture with self-compassion. In the moments "After the RAIN," it's important to simply notice your own presence and rest in that open, tender space of awareness. When we are no longer identified with passing states like fear or anger, we begin to realize the vastness and mystery of our natural Being.

The following meditation is led by Tara Brock. To access more of my meditations or join my email list, please visit tarabrock.com. The hard practice, you might just take a moment to feel your own intention or aspiration toward open-hearted awareness. Whatever language resonates for you, to feel your own sincerity

really sets the grounds. It draws your heart mind right to that place of being available. It's the current that carries you home. And the body also can be prepared in a way for heart practice with the simple image and felt sense of the smile. If you'd like to just feel your eyes, let the corners. of the eyes, the outside corners lift a bit, soften the eyes, and a slight smile at the mouth, the inside of the mouth smiling, and sensing inviting a smile to spread through the heart and chest area,

and then just energetically sensing the spirit of the smile, that receptivity and openness, spreading through your whole body, being. So we'll do practice that can help. help to awaken our heart of compassion. The alchemy of compassion, the dynamic, the way it arises is that as we allow ourselves to be touched by suffering, as we have that courage, our availability to suffering, there's a natural tenderness that opens up. That's the tenderness of compassion. And in this process today as we explore it, we'll be using the acronym Rain, be using a version

that's different than has been taught commonly. In this version of Rain, the way it goes is that the R is to recognize the situation, recognize what's going on, and the A of Rain is to allow to let B. just as it is, not to try to fix change, avoid. The eye of rain is to investigate with a gentle attention and primarily the investigation is an inquiry into the felt sense, the body. The end of rain is to then nourish what is experienced with compassion. The key part of the process then is what happens after the activity of

rain, which is to rest in the experience of what unfolds from that nourishing rain. And that aftermath of rain, much like when we have a real rain that nourishes the earth, that flowering is really what's described as the shift or enlargement of our sense of our being from a small egoic self that's in some way struggling, against something or with something to that open-hearted awareness, that which is vast and tender, compassionate presence. Taking some moments to scan your life right now. And by life right now I mean what's going on right here in your life.

Whatever's alive for you and sense if there's some circumstances. some situation that you intuit self-compassion, increasing it, bringing self-compassion to your own heart is really important. It could be a life situation you're in with another person, a conflict or challenging experience, parent or child, friend, partner. It could be something at work. a sense of failure, some place that you're really judging yourself harshly, could be around an addictive behavior, could be some deep disappointment in yourself.

Where would self-compassion soften and open and create more space in your life? And as you focus in on a situation, a set of circumstances, let it be right close in. so that you can sense what it is that you get reactive about, what's the state of emotion, heart, body, mind that gets triggered off. Just be aware of the circumstances you can recognize, okay, this is it, this is where I turn on myself, this is where I get harsh, reactive, closed down, recognize. and then once you've recognized the general place, the experience that needs attention, just consciously allow it to be there.

It's like pausing and saying, okay, this is how it is right now, creating space, who investigating means deepening your attention to what's going on inside you when you're triggered, reactive, turned on yourself. Way of investing, you might sense, well, what's the worst part of this for me? What is it I'm most afraid of, upset about, when I'm feeling stuck, when I'm feeling judgmental, what am I really judging, what am I afraid it's going to happen? And feel into, in your body, where it's coming from. sense in your body and you might feel your throat, your chest, your belly.

What's going on? What's the felt sense, the feelings, the emotions that are strongest right now? What most needs attention? Is there a sense of shame that there's really something wrong with me? That I'll never change, I'll never be who I want to be, I'll never be happy. Is there a sense of unlovable, a sense of feeling? failure, let yourself go right to where there's the strongest sense of vulnerability, of difficulty in your body.

And just notice what it feels like. If it helps to put your hand on your heart or on your belly to keep your attention where emotion is strong, that can be very skillful. You might ask, direct the inquiry right to the point. place in you that's most upset, it's most challenged. And what is this place most need? Does it need to be forgiven? Does it need acceptance? Does it need to be embraced or held? Does it need some reassurance, something particular to trust? sense that in you which is most listening, paying attention, the wisest and most caring part of you

as you move into the end of rain and offer to the place in you that's most vulnerable or hurting what you most sense it needs. And again, the touch on the heart can be very much a way of communicating to your inner life. And let the touch, if you haven't done this before, placing your hand gently on your heart and vary the pressure so that it really communicates care. And since perhaps there's a message to offer inwardly that could be healing, words of wisdom, words of truth,

There may be just an energetic sense of accompanying. Listen in and sense what's needed. It might just be this simple words, I'm sorry, and I love you. That's words that are offered by one Hawaiian healer. Ticknat Han says, darling, I care about this suffering. I sometimes simply say, it's okay, sweetheart. And if it feels that it's hard to offer your own heart or the wounded place care, you might call on whatever person or being that you most trust is loving, caring, that can see you truly.

Could be a person that's alive or not alive. Could be your dog, cat. It could be a spiritual figure, deity, and just feel the place of yearning to be forgiven or held or loved and from that place call on that being and sense that being's care pouring through your hands if your hands are on your heart or just right into your heart, imagine it, visualize it, see if you can allow yourself to feel it and receive it. Warmth, light, love, compassion, flow into your heart, sensing your compassionate presence or the compassionate presence of another that you can merge with that and just hold this vulnerable place with

unconditional care. You might sense your experience of your own being when there is this holding with compassion and relax back and just rest. as that compassionate presence so that whatever's arising is touched with the tenderness of compassion. After a rain, just resting in the aliveness, the healing, the presence that's right here, as being that presence. When we've offered compassion inwardly, it becomes quite natural to be that presence.

to then include others in our awakening heart. So we'll take a few minutes to bring a healing attention to one other person in our lives. So I'd like to invite you to bring to mind someone that you care about that could use your compassion, your prayers, your energy, and let yourself focus in some of you care about. in some and sense the situation or circumstances where that person gets caught in some way, where that person is suffering from feeling down on themselves, at war with themselves, hurt, fearful, estranged, whatever it might be, let yourself register that person's suffering or pain close up and just for the moment, allow, just create the space for it to be as it

is. It's an honest acknowledging of the reality, the actuality, that it's like this. We're bringing rain to this person's experience, recognizing and allowing it, and then deepening our attention by investigating a bit. It's almost like you can step inside that person and sense, well, what's it like? to be you. And you might sense, well, what is it? What is this person believing about the world? Perhaps are themselves, perhaps that they're failing or that they don't belong, that they'll never be who they want to be. They're not lovable, not good, not okay. Maybe the person's had a

great loss, that they can't make it, that they, their life's lost. meaning. Just sense what it is and imagine and sense into that person's body what it would be like to be living with this. So you're investigating and sensing what's it really like to be living with that doubt or that fear or that grief or that hurt. What's the worst part of this for that person? Move to the nourishing with compassion. You might sense that person in your heart that you're holding that person in your heart, sensing what that person most needs and offering it, offering the love, the reassurance, the accompaniment. You might envision yourself holding that person or putting a hand on that person's cheek.

You might send a mental whisper of a message saying the person's name, offering them your prayer of care. And again, after the activity of rain, just sensing your own beingness, who you are when there's this tenderness of compassion, sensing the field of presence, the field of awake, open-hearted awareness that's here. And just resting as that awareness, letting whatever arise be known and touched by love. These verses are from the radiant sutras. There is a place in the heart where everything meets. Go there if you want to find me.

Mind, senses, soul, eternity, all are there. Are you there? Enter the bowl of vastness that is the heart. Give yourself to it with total, abandon. Quiet ecstasy is there and a steady regal sense of resting in a perfect spot. Once you know the way, the nature of attention will call you to return again and again and be saturated with knowing, I belong here. I am at home here. Once you know the way, the nature of attention will call you to return again and again and be saturated with knowing.

I belong here. I am at home here.