R.A.I.N. with Tara Brach

RAIN: Four Steps To Manage Emotions Mindfully

When a difficult emotion arises on or off the cushion, RAIN allows you to decondition your response, and choose to respond mindfully rather than react mindlessly.

• Recognize - Acknowledge what you are feeling. What is happening inside me right now?
• Allow (Acceptance) - Be willing to be present to your experience, no matter how unpleasant. Whatever you notice, let it be. (Tara Brach recommends noting “I consent” or “yes” or “this too”).
• Investigate - Unhook yourself from the object or story, so you can witness the emotion with kindness, and from an unbiased perspective. Mindfulness of body is a great technique here, as is asking yourself “what am I believing to be true?”
• Non-Identification - Recognize you are not this emotion or experience; it is just a temporary event arising. Watch it with an attitude of natural presence.