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This week, we’re diving into the power of self-compassion with renowned psychotherapist and Buddhist meditation teacher Tara Brach. Tara, the author of Radical Acceptance: Embracing Your Life With the Heart of a Buddha and Radical Compassion: Learning to Love Yourself and Your World with the Practice of RAIN, has shared her wisdom on mindfulness and meditation in hundreds of talks. Her podcast also enjoys over 1.5 million downloads every month.
In this episode, Tara introduces the RAIN practice—Recognize, Allow, Investigate, and Nurture—and explains how it can help us overcome self-criticism and nurture a deeper sense of self-worth.
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This Week’s Episode Highlights
Insights from the Tara Brach Interview
On recognizing her own need for self-compassion:
There was a moment when I realized, “Wow, I am really caught in shame and feeling bad about myself.” I practiced RAIN, where I first acknowledged, “Okay, I am angry, irritable, and critical of myself.” I allowed those feelings to exist without resistance. When I dug deeper, I discovered a profound sense of shame, this belief that I am fundamentally not okay. I could feel the emptiness, the pain, and the fear that came with it. I saw how this feeling had shaped many of my life’s moments—keeping me from connecting with others, from being creative, and from just being present. Turning inwards takes so much energy. That was a moment of clarity, where the suffering was so tangible that I started to feel a deep tenderness for myself. That’s when true nurturing really took root.
On the significance of maintaining a daily mindfulness practice:
I strongly encourage people to incorporate a daily meditation or a practice that helps them stay present. In my own life, I was committed to this during my years in a spiritual community. But after moving out and having my son, my practice became inconsistent. At one point, I realized that being present each day was at the very heart of how I could navigate the day with an open heart. So, I made a vow to meditate every day, no matter what, with the understanding that it didn’t matter how long the session was. Most days, I sit for 30 to 45 minutes, but there are times when I can’t find the time. On those days, I’ll sit, take three deep breaths, and offer a prayer for all beings to be happy—and just like that, I’m back on the cushion. What I’m suggesting is that the key to making RAIN work, to process difficult emotions, and to truly love ourselves through healing, is grounding ourselves with a daily practice. As Rumi beautifully said, “Do you make regular visits to yourself?”
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