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Guided Meditations, Other Meditations, RAIN, Videos

RAIN on Blame: A Guided Meditation (14:40 min.)

When we are stuck in blame or resentment we are in a trance – the other person becomes an unreal bad other, and our own sense of being contracts into a victimized self, an angry self, a righteous self. Using the acronym RAIN, this practice guides us in bringing mindfulness and compassion to our inner experience, and then to viewing the other with a more open and clear heart.  By awakening from the trance of blame, we are able to respond with intelligence and care to the unmet needs that underlie all conflict.

From the conclusion of Belonging to Each Other – Part 2. Listen to the full talk here.

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Desire, Guided Meditations, Other Meditations, Reflection

Reflection: Pausing and Deepening Attention in the Face of Attachment (10:48 min.)

In this short reflection, we explore how we can bring mindfulness and self-compassion to the habits of obsessing, over-consuming and hurting ourselves and others that keep us from true happiness, connectedness and peace.

The happiness we seek is available in the moments when there is really no clinging, there is simply openness and presence and ease.

Listen to the full talk, “The Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Working with Attachments and Addictions.”

Without desire everything is sufficient.
With seeking myriad things are impoverished.
Plain vegetables can soothe hunger.
A patched robe is enough to cover this bent old body.
Alone I hike with the deer.
Cheerfully I sing with village children.
The stream under the cliff cleanses my ears.
The pine on the mountain top fits my heart

Zen Poet, Ryokan

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Guided Meditations, Other Meditations, RAIN, Reflection

Meditation: RAIN on Self-Blame (9:45 min.)

One of the greatest roots of suffering is being at war with ourselves. This meditation, based on the acronym RAIN (recognize-allow-investigate-nurture), guides us in releasing the armoring of blame, and relating to our inner life with greater understanding and compassion.

“Letting yourself sense the space of kindness and presence that can arise that can hold what’s there. And you might ask yourself, “Who would you be if you trusted your goodness? Who would you be if you sensed there is nothing really wrong? How would your life be if you were without anxiety about non-perfection, if you basically trusted okayness?”

Listen to the full talk here: Forgiveness: Releasing Ourselves and Others from Aversive Blame – Part 1

More Resources on RAIN here.

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Guided Meditations, Meditations that Free the Heart, Other Meditations

Meditation: Awakening the Heart – Giving and Receiving Loving Blessings (11:07 min.)

Our hearts awaken as we express and receive love in an embodied, conscious way. This guided practice brings our attention to dear ones in our life, and explores how we discover deep communion through offering and letting in love.

NOTE: This meditation is a favorite from the archives – from the end of the talk, “Bodhichitta – The Awakened Heart – Part 2.”

“To love someone is to learn the song in their heart and sing it to them when they have forgotten.” Arne Garborg

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Guided Meditations, Other Meditations, Reflection

Reflection: Learning to Stay (4:41 min.)

We open the door to healing by bringing a mindful and kind attention to inner vulnerability and fear…

“Learning to stay opens up the space that gives us our life. That’s when it becomes real with our inner life… with others. Let’s do a brief reflection on this.

Closing your eyes and just to take a pause together. Notice what’s right here. What is happening inside me right now? That question… and… Can I let it be? Can I let it be just as it is?

One sage asked, “What have we been unwilling to feel?” You might sense and scan your life a little, and sense… What’s going on that you’ve been in some way not wanting to feel? What vulnerability? What fear? What sorrow?

For these moments let your intention be just to stay a bit… to offer that attention that can truly transform.

You might deepen your attention a little and feel where whatever might be vulnerable… might be scared… might be sad… is living in your body.

Just for these few moments, offer a genuinely kind attention. And that means that if you’d like to also offer a gesture of kindness – that can be a really powerful part of staying – simply putting your hand in your heart… two hands on your heart so that you are really communicating inwardly, I’m here right now. I’m here and attending. I’m with you.

Notice what changes… in just a few moments of offering attention to something that you might habitually pull away from.

Rumi says, “Keep your gaze on the wounded place. This is where the light enters.”

Sensing what happens as you offer your presence, and perhaps noticing more of what I sometimes call heart space… that you’re resting in a more open, tender awareness.

This is the first pathway. Learning to stay begins to open us to our secret beauty… to that tenderness… that compassion… or as Thomas Merton says, “To the divine that shines through.”

Now as you like, you can relax your hands down if your hands have been on your heart and open your eyes if you’d like.”

Listen and watch the full talk: “Secret Beauty – Seeing the Goodness” – Solstice Evening

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Guided Meditations, Meditations that Free the Heart, Other Meditations

Meditation: Blessings of Love (11:28 min)

A blessing is whatever reminds us of the sacred loving presence that shines through all of us. This meditation is a transformational practice in receiving and offering blessings. First we connect with the vulnerable tender place within us that longs to feel loved, and call on loving presence to bless us. By imagining and allowing ourselves to receive love, our hearts become open and filled with light. We then bring that inner loving presence fully alive as we offer blessings to other beings. The image of receiving a kiss on the brow, and offering one, is suggested as a powerful channel for the blessings that awaken our heart. (from the end of Bodhichitta – the Awakened Heart – Part 1 talk on same evening)

“…being loved into being more who we are is a moment of blessing. What is a blessing? A blessing is a reminder or homecoming into more realness – more love. We’re blessed when we remember.”

“Part of what keeps us from realness – in that small self identity – is the avoiding of what’s here.”

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Embodiment, Guided Meditations, Other Meditations, Pain, Reflection, TaraTalks

Tara Talks: Guided Reflection on Inhabiting This Body (12:50 min)

When we are not inhabiting our bodies, we are not experiencing our full aliveness. When pain arises, how much can you open to it and let it be as it is? Just like waves in the ocean, pain and unpleasant sensations are part of the larger space of our lived experience. Loving presence arises when we can say, “This belongs.”

For Tara’s full talk, go to: Awakening Our Body’s Awareness – Part 2 – (Working with Pain)

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Happiness, Other Meditations, TaraTalks

Tara Talks – Reflection: The Practice of Savoring As a Gateway to Happiness (5:53 min.)

It is radical and transformative to pause and sense the goodness that is right here in this moment. When we experience gladness for simple things, we know we really can be happy for no reason.

I hope you enjoy this short reflection on how savoring our moments can help decondition the brain’s negativity bias and lead to a greater sense of happiness and well-being.

Listen to and watch the full talk: Happiness Is Possible: De-conditioning the Negativity Bias – Part 2

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Guided Meditations, Other Meditations

Meditation: “Yes” to Life (13 min.)

This guided practice awakens a relaxed and friendly attention that rests in the breath and opens to whatever is arising. We deepen that presence with the intention to truly say “Yes” to experience, allowing life to be just as it is.

photo: Suzanne Kulperger

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Fear, Guided Meditations, Other Meditations

Meditation: Transforming Fear (11:19 min.)

This guided practice invites us to identify a situation where we habitually become anxious or fearful, and then to explore bringing mindfulness and self-compassion to where we feel most vulnerable. By engaging fear with an embodied and caring presence, we discover the fearless heart that includes but is not contracted by fear.

NOTE: this meditation is from the end of the talk Awakening the Trance of Fear – Part 1.

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