May the Rain Quench your Soul - Mindful Moment Monday
Hey everyone and welcome to another Mindful Moment (with video) to start off our week.
Take a moment to settle yourself and check in.
Take a few breaths and just feel where you are in this moment. Feel your body, feel the pace of your mind and feel the energy around you.
Now as you take your next inhale, I invite you to envision a gentle rain. Maybe you can see the raindrops landing in water causing a ripple effect across a pond or a lake. Maybe you are listening to the sound of a consistent shower, or even imagine feeling a few drops on your skin as you walk in the rain.
Holding that image, see if you can bring a light smile to your lips. Just lightly lifting the corners of your mouth, a half smile. As your smile rests upon your face, feel if your energy has shifted or changed, notice again the feeling of your body and any emotions or sensations that arise.
Continue to breathe at your natural rhythm, connected to your mental imagery of the rain for the next few minutes and feeling the rise and fall of your chest.
How do you deal with rain that shows up in your Life?
We’ve all had the experience of being frustrated by the rain. It comes at an ‘unfortunate’ time such as your wedding day, your day off that was planned at the beach, that celebration with fireworks, your graduation, or the first day of school. We may find ourselves irritated, frustrated, annoyed, even pissed off. Moving through the rain sometimes we get dampened traveling between car and work or train and next location, our spirits dampen too. We may feel soaked, cold, chilled, or just “yuck”. Cursing the rain and letting it affect our mood and potentially our day.
Feeling into your breath….
Focus on the rain.
And yet, there are times when you are able to be distant from the rain, maybe dry and protected. You are the observer. You are able to listen to the gentle sound as it touches the ground, notice how outside activity slows down, and maybe you notice a calming effect or you feel inclined to slow down a bit yourself and use the rain as an excuse to chill, stay indoors, or shift gears. Maybe you hear the distant rumble of thunder, or a few tweets from our feathered friends as they find shelter, life goes on but with a slightly different feel. You adjust to the new change of plans and move about maybe even with gratitude for the new opportunity the rain presented.
Allow the rain to flow…
Just observe.
Breathe.
Rain isn’t personal, it’s just water falling from the sky. And yet we can have strong emotions towards it. Anger, frustration, irritation, resentment. It’s just rain. It’s part of the water cycle of nature. It soaks the ground and gives necessary hydration to plants, animals, and all living things. It is a requirement for Life. Yes, there can be floods causing damage and challenge in extreme cases, but that too is a part Life. The same is true when ‘rain’ shows up in our lives as situations and circumstances that irritate us. They are just things that happen. It’s not personal. We make it personal. We change the situation into a personal assault and create a story around it. Stuff happens. That’s just a part of Life.
Breathing into acceptance…
It’s just rain.
When your rain shows up, it can be an opportunity to check in with ourselves and see how we feel towards it.
Where can we surrender to this part of nature, this part of Life?
Where can we let go of the story and just observe our reaction?
Let things just be…
Let the rain just fall….
Feeling into your body…
Expressing gratitude for the rain.
Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass, it’s about dancing in the rain- Vivian Greene
When your rain comes the next time, you may stand at the window with a warm mug in your hand and watch the rain fall with grace and ease.
You can pick up your umbrella and take a wander outside.
If you feel so inclined, leave the umbrella inside and go out for an exciting dash of wetness.
Go dance in the rain!
Deep breath in…
Feel the rain on your skin.
Find a puddle to jump in.
And laugh at the miracle of water falling from the sky.
It’s temporary.
And after the rain, comes the rainbow.
Taking a final few breaths together, give thanks for the rain…
For the opportunity to change plans,
For the opportunity to slow down,
And for the opportunity to witness your inner dialogue.
May the rain quench your soul and bring necessary hydration to your Life.
Breath deep and be well my friends!