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."