So welcome.

We'll do a guided meditation

together, what I call a light RAIN of

self-compassion, a really sweet practice.

So please come sitting comfortably,

find a way, a posture that lets you

be at ease and also alert, awake.

You might close your eyes.

Scanning and sensing your life and

what might want a healing attention.

Perhaps somewhere where you've

turned against yourself.

Somewhere that you've been

judging or blaming yourself.

Or somewhere you're having a hard time.

Wherever you're feeling some difficulty

in your life, kind of bring it close

in now as you can sense the situation.

Or maybe it's something you're

anticipating is going to happen.

And just with some bravery, kind

of go close into that situation

and sense what's most disturbing.

What ways you feel like you've been

failing or something's going to go wrong?

With the R of RAIN, let mindfulness

recognize whatever's predominant.

Whatever emotion or mood is strongest.

It might be blame or judgment,

or it might be fear or anxiety.

It might be anger, irritation.

With a mental whisper, just name

whatever you're most aware of right now.

And with the A, allow.

Really let it be here.

And this, this again takes some

courage to just pause with it.

Let it belong like a wave in the ocean.

It's okay.

Just let it be here.

Not to add any judgment, not

to try to fix it or ignore it.

Letting be.

With the I of RAIN, a simple

investigating into the body.

Check your throat, your chest, your belly.

Gently placing a hand wherever you feel

the most agitation or the most emotion.

Let the touch help you to breeze

with and be with what's right here.

And you might sense what you're

believing, what's going to go

wrong, what's wrong with you.

And then deepen attention to where

that belief lives in your body.

Often it's the throat or chest or belly.

And again, it takes courage, but to

directly contact that sense it has a

vulnerable place inside you that you're

willingly paying attention to right now.

The feeling of failure, of fear,

perhaps of isolation, sadness, anger.

You might sense the most vulnerable

part of this experience and where

that vulnerability is strongest.

And then asking, what

does this place need?

What's the flavor of

nurturing it mostly is?

Is it acceptance?

Forgiveness?

Understanding?

Love?

Compassionate embrace?

Belonging?

And as you attend, sense the, the witness

right now, that most compassionate place

in your being and how that awake heart

part of you can offer something right now.

Some kindness to this

place of vulnerability.

Now really be tender to communicate care.

Let there be some message to this place.

Some reminder that you can trust

your goodness, trust you belong

to love, that truly it's okay.

And see if you can let in the

nurturing that's sometimes

the most challenging of all.

Just to sense that love, light,

warmth is coming into you,

perhaps from your own awake heart.

Or if it's easier to sense the message

and love coming from some being that

you trust - spiritual figure or healer,

teacher, grandmother, therapist, friend.

That's okay, too.

Just let it in.

And then taking some moments to

sense the presence that's right here.

To notice the shift, whether it's small

or large, from the sense of self when you

started, the failing self or the anxious

self to some more degree of presence and

compassion, to the HeartSpace that's here.

And know that this opening into

HeartSpace, this loving presence,

has more of the truth of who

you are than any story of self.

And let that knowing deepen your

trust in your basic goodness.

From the teachings of an Indian master,

Bapuji, "Break your heart no longer.

Each time you judge yourself,

you break your heart.

You pull away from the love that

is the wellspring of your being.

Now the time has come, your time to live

and to trust the goodness that you are.

There is no evil, no wrong in you.

Your true essence is pure

awareness, aliveness and love.

Let no one, no thing, no

idea obscure this truth.

If one comes, forgive

it for it's unknowing.

Do not fight it, just let go and

breathe into the goodness that you are."