Carolina Perez Sanz

Some things are unpleasant, that’s a fact. But until we master the art of being able to be with them, we’ll do whatever it takes to avoid them – i.e., not to be present with them. The desire to avoid that which we can’t be with keeps us on high alert, the opposite of peace, all the time.

So, how can we guarantee we’re at peace all the time?

By cultivating our capacity to be present with all aspects of life, even the unpleasant ones. The capacity to:

• be with any emotion that arises, in ourselves and others
• witness anything without being triggered
• feel safe in any (non-physically threatening) situation, no matter how others look or speak to us.

And how do we reach that state of presence?

It starts with becoming aware of the things that make us want to run away. But how?

Through self-investigation: we get curious about what’s going on inside of us.

The RAIN meditation is a helpful tool:

• Recognize: what am I feeling?
• Allow: can I be with it?
• Investigate: what is really going on inside? What part of me wants to resist that feeling, memory, idea, experience?
• Nurture: what does this part of me (often a younger self) need from my inner leader, the part of me that can handle anything?

What’s something that you’re not now and you’re curious about? (For example, I’m not patient and I’m curious about how I could change if I were patient)

Love,

Carolina

More resources to increase awareness:

• Dr. Dan Siegel’s wheel of awareness
• Arny Mindell’s Primary/Secondary/Edge model, in the book, Working On Yourself Alone
• Tara Brach’s podcast, RAIN meditations, and book, Radical Acceptance