How to Practice Mindfulness Meditation with RAIN

If you are experiencing something stressful or merely having a bout of the blues, mindful meditation can be a helpful tool for feeling better. Today we're focusing on the practice known as RAIN.

The acronym RAIN stands for: Recognize, Allow, Investigate and Nurture. These four principles can cultivate mindfulness and and peace of mind.

Here is a great RAIN meditation led by the wonderful Tara Brach

How does meditation work?

Meditation is considered to have multiple benefits including changing parts of your brain and improving other physical systems like heart rate and blood pressure. By

is that you are able to be more present and see yourself and everyone around you from a clearer perspective. Neuroimaging has shown increased grey matter density in the brain after eight weeks of meditation.  Grey matter is the part of the brain that helps regulate emotion, make plans and solve problems. Meditation has also shown to help improve learning and memory. Meditation has been found to actually shrink the amygdala, the part of the brain associated with stress, fear, and anxiety. These changes can rewire the brain and lead to better cognitive function, lowered stress and overall improved emotional states.

What is mindfulness meditation

Mindful meditation is a form of meditation that focuses on awareness and acceptance. These practices have great application for everything from pain management to coping with trauma.