Happiness Break: Radical Acceptance, With Tara Brach
The Science of Happiness
Practicing the 'Light Rain' Meditation for Difficult Emotions
Tara Brach introduces the 'light rain' meditation practice to cultivate mindfulness and compassion towards difficult emotions.
A meditation in meeting our most difficult emotions — like anger, disappointment, or fear — with mindfulness and gentle care.
Link to episode transcript: http://tinyurl.com/48jas955
How to Do This Practice:
When you come up against something challenging – you’re angry or frustrated or feeling any way about yourself, another person, or a situation, move through these steps. It might be helpful to sit somewhere you feel comfortable closing your eyes for a few moments, and begin by taking a few deep, intentional breaths, to help settle the mind.
Recognize what’s happening. For example, “I am getting caught up in anger right now.”
Allow the emotion you recognize to be there: Accept that you are feeling the way you’re feeling. You may go a step further and forgive yourself for it, for example by saying to yourself, “Anger forgiven.”
Investigate what’s underneath whatever you’re feeling by directing a gentle curiosity towards it. For example, where there is anger, there is something we care deeply about.
Nurture: Send yourself a message of kindness. You might put your hand on your heart, for example, and remind yourself that everyone experiences reactivity, and send yourself a message of kindness and understanding.
Today’s Happiness Break host:
Tara Brach is a psychologist and leading voice in contemporary meditative practices and the author of numerous popular books on contemplative practice.
Read Tara’s seminal book, Radical Acceptance: Embracing Your Life With the Heart of the Buddha: http://tinyurl.com/4csarvmf
Learn more about Tara’s work: https://www.tarabrach.com/
Find classes taught by Dr. Neff: https://www.tarabrach.com/online-courses/
Follow Tara on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tarabrach/
Follow Tara on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tarabrach
More resources from The Greater Good Science Center:
How to Go Through Life with Love in Your Heart, A Q&A with Tara Brach: http://tinyurl.com/2ne65wed
The Mindfulness Skill That Is Crucial for Stress: http://tinyurl.com/3xmnekw2
How Self-Compassion Beats Rumination: http://tinyurl.com/yc7phxsc
Want to Change Your Life? Try Self-Compassion: http://tinyurl.com/2y2ryc6m
Overcoming Objections to Self-Compassion: http://tinyurl.com/yc2wvusr
Self-Compassion Could Help You Be More Tolerant of Others: http://tinyurl.com/3kwrm88h
We love hearing from you! Tell us about your experience with the Light RAIN practice. Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod.
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We're living through a mental health crisis. Between the stress, anxiety, depression, loneliness, burnout — we all could use a break to feel better. That's where Happiness Break comes in. In each biweekly podcast episode, instructors guide you through research-backed practices and meditations that you can do in real-time. These relaxing and uplifting practices have been shown in a lab to help you cultivate calm, compassion, connection, mindfulness, and more — what the latest science says will directly support your well-being. All in less than ten minutes. A little break in your day.
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