The RAIN acronym taught by Tara Brach in Tara Talks – Guided Meditation: The RAIN of Self Compassion – Tara Brach

is a four-step mindfulness and self-compassion practice designed to work through difficult emotions and self-judgment:

• R – Recognize[00:02:55]: Notice and acknowledge what is happening within you in the present moment. This involves identifying the specific thoughts, emotions, or bodily sensations—such as feeling “at war” with yourself or caught in a feeling of unworthiness—without pushing them away.
• A – Allow[00:03:14]: Let the experience be there just as it is without trying to fix, avoid, or resist it. Allowing creates mental space and pause by accepting the present reality before reacting.
• I – Investigate[00:03:34]: Explore your experience with gentleness, curiosity, and non-judgment. Connect directly with the physical sensations in your body [00:04:46] (e.g., tension in the throat, chest, or stomach) and ask what this vulnerable part of you needs most [00:05:06].
• N – Nourish[00:06:01]: Offer care, love, and compassion inward to the parts of you that are hurting. This can take the form of placing a hand on your heart [00:05:50], offering reassuring phrases (such as “I care about this suffering”), or simply directing warm kindness toward yourself.

After completing these steps, the practice concludes by resting in the open, spacious awareness of simply being present rather than identified with the difficulty [00:08:29].