The beloved Winnie The Pooh character Eeyore wisely said, The nicest thing about the rain is that it always stops. Eventually.” You can almost hear his slow baritone voice in the word, Eventually. This past year has presented so many challenges and affected a multitude of people in a myriad of ways. The aftermath and recovery of the pandemic has yielded an immensely destructive trail that we are still sifting through. Yet, despite the toll this stormy pandemic has taken on so many, there is a way to skillfully maneuver through any catastrophic storm. What is this magical technique you ask?
Well, let’s start with Tara Brach, a renowned psychologist, meditation teacher, and author of the book Radical Compassion who popularized the strategy called R.A.I.N. R.A.I.N stands for Recognize, Allow, Investigate, and Nurture. This four step technique provides an easy to follow checklist you can access whenever you feel that stressy tightness in your body.
Recognize: that something needs your attention. When you can name the emotion, it activates the prefrontal cortex which is the C.E.O of our brain. This part of the brain manages our ability to plan, make decisions, and access our short-term memory to name a few.
Allow: Instead of fixing or judging the emotion, allow it to be there and remind yourself that these are the waves in the ocean right now.
Investigate: Observe the emotion you are feeling with curiosity rather than judgement.
Nurture: You can do this by bringing your hands to your heart to connect, breathe, and feel. Finally, send a kind message to yourself and trust in the moment.
When we are unwilling to feel our emotions, we miss out on the amazing moments in life. When the mind shifts into auto-pilot, the mind disconnects from the body and heart where emotions reside. When this happens, there is a tendency to preoccupy our mind with needing to be busy and get more done. I know you’re probably thinking, but aren’t thoughts necessary to get you through life? The answer is yes and no. As you are reading this article, how many times did your mind wander or get distracted? As you reflect on your day, how many moments did you actually feel yourself breathing, or even observe the sights and sounds around you? How many moments did you find your mind surfing through channels of the past and future? According to Brach, this distraction of the mind keeps us from asking the real question, what am I unwilling to feel?
When you can incorporate the practice of R.A.I.N. into your life you will notice yourself feeling confident in your ability to charter through the most difficult seas with clarity, focus, connection and inner wisdom in knowing that the rain always stops, Eventually.