TODAY’S LESSON
Recognize what’s going on. Label the Experience.

Jump to: Weekly Meditation | Journal Prompt | Affirmation

Today’s lesson you’ll learn:

  • Through meditation and mindful self awareness – we are learning to more compassionately relate to our inner experience.
  • To go from Notice to Acknowledgement, we need to Recognize what is happening, by putting a non-judgmental label on it.

To go from Notice to Acknowledgement, we need to Recognize what is happening, by putting a label on it. A non-judgmental label.

We’re so quick to want to change our negative emotions and experiences. We try to resist them, numb them, ignore them or change them even before we’re ready.

Through Acknowledgment, we learn acceptance, resilience, compassion and forgiveness – by learning how to allow ourselves to process uncomfortable emotions, ideas or sensations in a healthy way, instead of trying to run away from the experience.

Tara Brach – world renowned psychologist known for blending Western psychology and Eastern spiritual practices – talks about the RAIN technique to practice this mindful self awareness and compassion.

RAIN stands for:

  • Recognize what is happening;
  • Allow the experience to be there, just as it is;
  • Investigate with interest and care;
  • Non-identification
  • S (I like the version that has an S at the end for Self-compassion)

So in today’s lesson, we focus on the R in the Rain technique to Recognize what is going on.

Today – Using today’s sky metaphor, Notice the clouds (aka, your thoughts, emotions and sensations) and practice labeling them as they arise (anger, sadness, nervous, happy, curious, bored, pain, comfort). Recognize if you are trying to change, ignore, numb or run away from this feeling or thought. Acknowledge if this feeling is driving your behavior.

Practice Today’s Lesson While Listening to this Week’s Meditation

Guided Acknowledge and Acceptance Meditation

You can use this guided meditation or any guided meditation, or even practice without a guide

Daily Journal Prompt


Which emotion(s) am I trying to avoid right now? Why am I trying to hide from this emotion? What does this emotion need from me?

Daily Affirmation

I relax, allow, and release.

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