rain acronym

Learned this incredibly useful acronym recently:

RAIN

Recognize

Allow

Investigate (with kindness)

Nurture / Non Identification

On days when you’re feeling particularly stressed or upset, this is a GREAT way to check in with yourself in a mindful way.

First, you Recognize whatever is happening by naming it kindly.

For me, today I recognized fear. So I greeted it, “hello fear, I see you”.

Next up, Allow it. Allow any and every aspect of your human experience. Don’t shy away from it, allow. And don’t be surprised if your allowing it means you’ve essentially given the emotion permission to grow stronger for a bit. It may require full expression before it can pass. Trust yourself to be ok through this.

“I see you fear, it’s ok that you’re here.”

Then, Investigate with kindness. No judgement, no shame. Explore what this feels like in your body, where this emotional state lives and how it feels to you. Explore the thoughts that surface alongside it.

For me, today the fear was arising as a result of my latest decision to change my approach on Fanhouse. I recognize that this timing is potentially not ideal, as money was already tight, but I’m also trying to trust the timing of the universe and believe I will find another way to grow my income again so I don’t have to worry about rent.

I could feel the fear of potentially not making rent this month in my throat and chest the most. I could sense my brow, furrowed, my jaw, tense. I let this be too. I did take a few deep breaths  and send that air to those spaces, but not with the expectation of it immediately changing the experience. I trusted this fear to arise and leave in its own time, especially if i wasn’t avoiding it, clinging to it or trying to pretend it wasn’t there.

The final letter in RAIN is for Nurturing or Non Identification. It’s not MY fear. It’s just fear. A naturally occurring experience for any human. I trusted that it would pass eventually, and while it was here I placed a hand on my chest and offered myself AND the fear some love.

That fear is here for a reason. To protect me. I thanked it for showing me something that I was concerned about. I thanked it for trying to protect me. I placed that hand over my heart and sent as much compassion to myself as I could.

As I did this, I remembered that a lot of my financial insecurity issues and scarcity mindset comes from childhood. I sent love to the child version of me, working wild hours and going to school at the age of 13, trying desperately to not be a burden to my family.

This exercise was painful and emotional, but also freeing. Instead of spending my morning captivated by fear, I was able to step back from being UNDER the waterfall of the emotion and instead watch it from a slight distance. I can feel the fear slowly dissipating from my body now, too.

I think had i not stopped to do this RAIN meditation, I would likely have started my day out with a great deal of tension and fear touching everything I did.

We need to go grocery shopping today, if I hadn’t addressed this fear, I would have probably been nervous and upset over every item we purchased at the store.

Instead, I intend to go grocery shopping mindfully. To watch for fear to resurface so I can offer it some love and compassion in those moments too.

I am choosing to trust myself and the universe to make this work.

I am choosing to believe in abundance and continue to do what I can to remain in alignment as I move through life.

If you have any questions about RAIN or about anything I’ve shared, let me know.

Appreciate y’all, have a beautiful Sunday.