During this monkey brain psychology of heightened stress, anxiety, and anger, it can be easy to get stuck in a trance. Mindfulness is a powerful practice that can help you break free of this trance. It is a form of meditation that encourages you to focus on your thoughts and emotions while maintaining a nonjudgmental awareness of the present moment. In this Life Kit podcast, we talk with Tara Brach, author of Radical Compassion, about the RAIN mindfulness technique and how it can be used to overcome a range of emotional challenges.

Finding Peace in the Rain: Practicing Mindfulness with Rain

RAIN stands for Recognize, Allow, Investigate, and Non-identification. It was first developed by a mindfulness teacher named Michele McDonald, and it has since been adapted and expanded by many psychologists, including Brach in her book Radical Compassion. Unlike some other mindfulness meditation exercises, RAIN is an active approach, so it is more appropriate for individuals who are interested in overcoming specific emotions like anxiety or anger rather than simply learning to quiet their minds.

The first step of the RAIN process is to recognize your experience. This involves taking a breath and paying attention to the way your body feels and what your thoughts are saying. The second step is to allow your emotions to be what they are. Once you’ve paused and recognized your feelings, the third step is to investigate them with kindness and curiosity. You can also notice where the emotion is affecting your body physically. Finally, the fourth step is to non-identify with your emotions by remembering that they happen to everyone and that they are not personal.