This week has been inspired by Tara Brach, a wonderful teacher of meditation, compassion, and the RAIN practice. RAIN stands for Recognizing what’s going on inside of you, Allowing it to be there, Investigating and being curious about the feeling, and Nurturing what you most need right now. And then she suggests to take a minute afterwards to just be, and rest in that awareness. Her book inspired me to reflect on what I consciously want to practice more.
As I am describing in this week’s video (https://youtu.be/RCpwS4gSnRc), we can cultivate feeling good and make it a practice – whatever we practice, we get better at. So maybe this is a practice you would like to cultivate?
Are you willing to give yourself a minute to try this out? Think of someone who is dear to you, who you have a positive relationship with, nothing complicated. Think of a time you spent together that you really enjoyed, and let that situation well up in you. Remember details and what it felt like until that feeling is really strong. Now stay with that feeling and let the situation fade into the background. Keep feeling that positive feeling and soak it up in your bones, let it imprint deeply in your body’s memory. The more intensely you feel the joy, contentment, happiness, love, care, companionship, safety, beauty, play, wisdom – whatever positive emotion came up for you – the better it gets stored in our body, and the easier it will be to recall that feeling in the future.
(If it fades too quickly, just return to the situation’s memory for a moment, feel the feeling, then keep focusing on that feeling and let it amplify for one more round.)
Soak it up and breathe deeply with it. Rest here for a bit.
How do you feel now? Any difference? Let me know ?
Have a wonderful week!
Blessings and love,
Birgit