Nourishing Rain! I feel into my love of rain right now. Outside there is a soft gentle drizzle, nourishing the earth, the vegetation and my soul. Rain has always been precious to me. I grew up in Oklahoma, where it rarely rained. (Well, there were some spectacular electrical storms. but that’s not what I mean by Nourishing Rain.)
Because the weather was almost always good, there was a compulsion, in my family, and generally, to get out, to be active, to get exercise. So when the rain came it was, and is, so very welcome. I don’t even mind lots of rain.
When I was teaching Conflict Resolution sometimes I would make a provocative statement, and the students had the opportunity to try out their active listening, open questions and paraphrasing to learn more. One such statement was “I love the rain!”, and the students in the class were really puzzled how anyone in Vancouver could say that. As they asked questions, it began to emerge that for me rain meant I could stay at home, chill, relax, curl up with a cup of tea and a book, and no-one, not even my inner critic would say get up, get out, go DO something! :-).
Apropos Rain, a great aunt of mine, Marian Storm, (quite a gal she was, a journalist, animal rights activist, a patron of local artists. She even still has a book listed on Amazon, Prologue to Mexico), Marianti, as we called her, wrote a poem with a few lines I love: . It’s called Evening Song, and is from her book, Poems of Sun and Snow, and it starts, “All things wet are wonderful.” And “Praise the rains that drench with comfort, Earth where toads make joyous chorus.” :-). “O the wide delightful wetness, Opening new worlds before us.” It’s about toads singing in the evening rain 🙂
On a different note, another kind of nourishing rain can offer us solace, healing, space, relief… in the crazy troubled times we are experiencing. Buddhist teacher Tara Brach, warm and generous, deep and wide contemporary spiritual teacher, has a practice called R.A.I.N. Tara writes:
“In these difficult times, it’s crucial to have practices that help us skillfully navigate the ups and downs that come our way. The acronym RAIN is an easy-to-remember tool for bringing mindfulness and compassion to the challenging parts of our life:
- Recognize what is happening;
- Allow the experience to be there, just as it is;
- Investigate with interest and care;
- Nurture with self-compassion.
After the RAIN… Rest in the presence that has unfolded
In this short video, recorded at a recent online Q&A session, I will lead you through “Light RAIN” meditation, where we will bring nurturing and healing attention to a place of self-judgment or painful feelings of falling short. I hope you will find this helpful…”
In closing, let’s takes some deep breaths, feel into gratitude, and take in the grace of the Irish Blessing. Enjoy the sun, the nourishing rain, and the promise:
Jill Schroder is the author of BECOMING: Journeying Toward Authenticity. BECOMING is an invitation for self-reflection, and to mine our memorable moments for insights, meaning, andgrowth. Check the website for a sample chapter, or see the reviews to get a flavor for the volume. Follow me on Twitter, let’s be friends on Facebook.