Working with emotions using the mindfulness practice RAIN

Oct 7

Written By Katelyn

ripple in a beautifully calm body of water

Tonight I came across an article for working mindfully with difficult emotions using the acronym RAIN. I learned to use RAIN in Mindful Awareness Practices (MAPS) for Mindful Living through UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Centre a few years ago. This is a wonderful tool that helped me to learn to recognize difficult emotions in order to respond, rather than react in an automatic way.

RAIN

R – Recognize – Asking yourself, "what emotion am I feeling (e.g. fear, sadness, joy)?"

A – Allow the experience to be just as it is – Acknowledging that the emotion is here right now. Perhaps bringing some gentle kindness, openness and acceptance ("Ok. This is what is present for me right now.")

I – Investigate – Can you get curious about the emotion? What does it feel like in the body? How do you know the emotion is present? Can you feel it in your chest, or belly, or throat? Does it stay the same or shift/change over time? Does it feel hot or cold? Is it heavy or light? Are there any thoughts present that accompany the sensations or emotions?

N – Nurture with self-compassion – Can you take a step back from the emotion and not be defined by it? For example, noticing that sadness is here right now, rather than saying I am such a sad person. Here we try to get a little space from the emotion - perhaps even open ourselves to compassion and gentle understanding!