Radical Compassion

Learning to Love Yourself and Your World with the Practice of RAIN

By: Tara Brach

Narrated by: Tara Brach

One of the most beloved and trusted mindfulness teachers in America offers a lifeline for difficult times: the RAIN meditation, which awakens our courage and heart

Tara Brach is an in-the-trenches teacher whose work counters today's ever-increasing onslaught of news, conflict, demands, and anxieties--stresses that leave us rushing around on auto-pilot and cut off from the presence and creativity that give our lives meaning.

In this heartfelt and deeply practical book, she offers an antidote: an easy-to-learn four-step meditation that quickly loosens the grip of difficult emotions and limiting beliefs. Each step in the meditation practice (Recognize, Allow, Investigate, Nurture) is brought to life by memorable stories shared by Tara and her students as they deal with feelings of overwhelm, loss, and self-aversion, with painful relationships, and past trauma--and as they discover step-by-step the sources of love, forgiveness, compassion, and deep wisdom alive within all of us.

Critic reviews

Praise for Radical Compassion

“Illuminating…Anyone hoping to gain a deeper understanding of themselves and advice for easing the burden of negative emotions will find this to be a helpful resource.” —Publishers Weekly

“Tara Brach’s four-step RAIN meditation can be an integral part of anyone’s mindfulness practice. RAIN helps us uncover the states of love, self-care, forgiveness, compassion, and tenderness we each are capable of. It is a useful and elegant system, and Radical Compassion is a beautifully written book.”
—Sharon Salzberg, New York Times bestselling author of Real Happiness and Lovingkindness

“Radical Compassion lays out a path of straightforward, accessible practices grounded in both modern brain science and ancient wisdom—with the soul and depth you’d expect from a world-class meditation teacher and psychologist. A masterpiece.”
—Rick Hanson, PhD, author of Resilient: How to Grow an Unshakable Core of Calm, Strength, and Happiness

“A powerful book that will free you from shame, fear, and negative self-beliefs. You will feel wiser, happier, and kinder after reading it.”
—Haemin Sunim, author of Love for Imperfect Things and The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down

“Tara Brach has an uncanny ability to home in precisely on what we need in the moment, so we can meet that need from within. She teaches a simple but life-changing practice to bring presence and compassion to any moment of shame or longing or struggle, transforming our pain into love. This book is a treasure from one of the most important spiritual teachers of our time.”
—Kristin Neff, PhD, author of Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself

“In this magnificent synthesis of her important teachings in cultivating compassion in our everyday lives, Tara Brach offers us a life-changing tool to open our awareness with love and healing. This important book is as practical as it is profound, a deep and
lasting gift for us all.”
—Daniel J. Siegel, MD, New York Times bestselling author of Aware: The Science and Practice of Presence and Mind: A Journey to the Heart of Being Human

RAIN and Radical Compassion

This book was fantastic. Thank you Tara for furthering the explanation and use of the important tool RAIN. I found the examples and stories highly useful and highly recommend this book.

Medicine we desperately need.

Listen, Re-listen and then listen again. “Radical Compassion” is deeply healing medicine for the gnawing internal judgements, criticisms and self-hatred so carefully cultivated by capitalism, patriarchy and Calvinist influences. My experience as a survivor is that the practices in this book begin a process of actually healing from childhood trauma. Using R.A.I.N. and some of Tara’s other suggestions I’ve been able to truly generate and receive love in a way I’ve never had access to before and I’ve been on the path of healing for some 20 years now. I am so grateful I invested time in this book and Tara’s other resources. Warmly, S.

Recovery response

You are incredible Tara and THANK YOU
The R A I N Method and your expertise are invaluable to me.
namaste

Life changing!!!

In one week I start the MMTCP with Tara & Jack. I can relate so much! I'm where I need to be here and now. WOW!!! So excited!!!

tara being tara

tara has never made something i didn’t like. her works are all so heartfelt. and i love listening to authors read their own work. it’s so special having this as an audio book because the meditations in the chapters serve as guided audio meditations. such good work, and so important. has kept me good company during SIP and i look forward to revisiting.