In today's fast-paced world, it's easy to get overwhelmed by stress and worries. Whether it's work, relationships, or personal challenges, it's important to find ways to calm the mind and regain a sense of peace. One effective technique for doing just that is the R.A.I.N. Method.

R.A.I.N. stands for:

• Recognize what is happening
• Allow the experience to be there, just as it is
• Investigate with interest and care
• Nurture with self-compassion

You can take your time and explore RAIN as a stand-alone practice or move through the steps whenever challenging feelings arise.

R—Recognize what’s going on 

Recognizing means consciously acknowledging or naming the thoughts, feelings, and behaviours that are affecting you. This can be a done with a simple mental whisper, noting what you are most aware of. Is there sadness? Worry? Anger? Check out the nature of your thoughts, is there busyness? Moving fast? Label these thoughts with this simple statement “I’m noticing I’m having the thought that …”

A—Allow the experience to be there without trying to change it

Allowing means letting the thoughts, emotions, feelings, or sensations you have recognized to simply be there, without trying to fix or avoid anything. Allowing creates a pause that makes it possible to deepen attention. You might recognize fear and allow it by mentally whispering “it’s okay to feel this” or “this is a part of being human”. 

I—Investigate with Interest and Care

To investigate, call on your natural curiosity—the desire to know truth—and direct a more focused attention to your bodily sensations. Scan your body: do you notice tension anywhere – in your neck or shoulders, maybe a tight jaw? Bring your attention to the felt-sense in your body. Scan your beliefs: “What beliefs are attached to this feeling?”

N—Nurture with Self-Compassion

Self-compassion begins to naturally arise in the moments that you recognize you are suffering. It comes into fullness as you intentionally offer kindness to yourself. Start by asking yourself “what doI need right now?”. Does it need a message of reassurance? Of forgiveness?Some space? Of love?

·     Offer self-compassion: treat yourself with same kindness you’d offer a friend.

·     Positive self-talk: Remind yourself of your worth and strength.

·     Reassurance: Your emotions are temporary and that you have the tools to navigate them.

·     Physical touch: Oftentimes it can be helpful to place your hand on your heart and take a few breaths.

Experiment and see which intentional gesture of kindness most helps to comfort or ease your worries.

After the RAIN

When you’ve completed the steps of RAIN, it’s important to checkin and notice what your experience is like now versus when you started the exercise.

The fruit of RAIN is realizing that you are able to accept and move through difficult emotions and thoughts.

Reference: Burch, T. (2020). RAIN: A practice of radical compassion. Tara Brach, 1.