rain on the window mindfulness

About this practice

Use this when you need a calm pause before bedtime. A guided session of about 15 minutes, suited to beginners. Nothing is recorded and no account is needed.

What happens, minute by minute

1. 0:00Sit on the edge of your chair, feet flat on the floor.
2. 0:30Close your eyes gently and notice the weight of your eyelids.
3. 1:00Take a slow breath in, feeling the air fill your chest.
4. 1:30Exhale fully, letting the sound of the breath leave your throat.
5. 2:00Listen to the hum of the refrigerator in the kitchen.
6. 2:30Feel the texture of the cushion against the back of your thighs.
7. 3:00Notice the rise and fall of your belly with each breath.
8. 3:30Turn your attention to the ticking of the wall clock.
9. 4:00Imagine a kettle beginning to boil on the stove, steam curling.
10. 4:30Observe a dog across the room sighing as it settles.
11. 5:00Shift your focus to the sound of rain against the window.
12. 6:12Count each drop that lands, one, two, three, without trying to keep perfect rhythm.
13. 7:24Bring your awareness back to the breath, noticing the coolness at the nostrils.
14. 8:36Allow any thoughts that appear to float by like leaves on a pond.
15. 9:48Return to the feeling of your feet touching the floor, the pressure steady.
16. 11:00Expand the space in your chest a little, as if you were opening a window.
17. 12:12Sense the subtle shift in temperature as the room settles.
18. 13:24Stay with this quiet for as long as you like, then gently open your eyes.

Meditation is a practice, not a treatment. If you are dealing with ongoing distress, please also reach out to a professional.