mindfulness is the act of being present in the moment without judgement. while attractive to those of us burned out by the distracted, reactive nature of modern life, mindfulness can seem vague and difficult to implement. this concise framework makes it easier to teach and practice mindfulness. mindfulness is a state of mind marked by calm, non-judgmental awareness. as he explains it, “mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally.” although mindfulness is an innate ability in all of us, it requires practice to cultivate. mindfulness meditation, specifically, has even been shown to reduce stress and anxiety. it’s relatively straightforward to learn these mindfulness techniques, particularly with the abundance of apps and free guided instruction. developed several decades ago by michele mcdonald, rain is a tool for practicing mindfulness when we feel overwhelmed by our thoughts and emotions.
here is a breakdown of the four-step process and examples of how i use it when feeling anxious: as an easy to remember acronym, rain’s four steps offer a framework to work through difficult thoughts and emotions. this process can be followed virtually anytime, anywhere and in a relatively short amount of time. for those living with anxiety, rain is a mindfulness practice that can bring focus back to the present moment and ease discomfort. melissa describes an episode in which she used rain to alleviate anxiety and help her live in the moment. melissa lewis-duarte, ph.d. writes about living with anxiety and practicing mindfulness in real life. currently, she lives with her husband in scottsdale, az, managing their chaotic life, three young boys, and a barking dog. you can follow her on facebook, instagram, and twitter! please note: adaa is not a direct service organization.
this story is adapted from an episode of life kit, npr’s podcast with tools to help you get it together. if you reflect on your life, brach asks, how often can you sense that the fear of failing or not being good enough “was in some way dampening or contracting or pulling you away from real intimacy or spontaneity or enjoying a sunset?” we step out of our thoughts about the past and the future, and we actually start occupying a space of presence that is bigger than the particular emotions or thoughts that are going on. so instead of reacting, we can actually respond from more intelligence, more kindness. and it might be we simply say ‘upset’ or ‘confused’ or ‘angry’ or ‘hurt’. that’s the space we’re creating that gives you the power and the freedom. and if i can identify it consciously, it doesn’t affect me as much. the single most valuable finale with investigating is to ask the part of you that feels most vulnerable: ‘so what do you need?’ this step is all about learning to be kind to yourself and offering yourself what is needed.
the way i often do it is i put my hand on my heart and i’ll say, “it’s okay sweetheart.” we sense the quality of presence that’s opened up from where we started to now. for those of us not in the habit of nurturing ourselves, this can be a challenging step in the process. and that’s the thing with rain, it doesn’t get rid of the waves of experience. it makes you more ocean-like. so many of us are taught from a young age to be ambitious and aim high. what’s interesting is that people have a fear that if they’re mindful and present, they’ll lose their motivation, that they won’t be able to be so successful in the ways you’re describing. it just allows us to be more centered and respond from our natural intelligence. we start trusting the love and the awareness. if we can trust the goodness, then we can help to bring it out in ourselves and each other.
the rain of self-compassion is not a one-shot meditation, nor is the realization of our natural awareness necessarily full, stable, or enduring. insight meditation teacher michele mcdonald introduced the rain practice about 20 years ago, as a way to expand the common view that mindfulness rain is an acronym for a practice specifically geared to ease emotional confusion and suffering. when a negative or thorny feeling comes up,, rain mindfulness worksheet, rain mindfulness worksheet, rain mindfulness pdf, rain meditation script, rain technique for anxiety.
the acronym rain is an easy-to-remember tool for practicing mindfulness and compassion using the following four steps: you can take your time and explore rain rain is a process that was developed by michelle mcdonald as part of the mindfulness movement, which is characterized by an emphasis on .n. is a four-step process for using mindfulness in difficult times, on dealing with intense and difficult emotions., rain method, rain method for panic attacks, rain meditation for grief, michele mcdonald rain.
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