Tami Simon puts something honest to Tara Brach. When people turn toward the tender place, what they often find is not tenderness but pain, and many of them can say, with good reason, I have every reason to armour my heart. So how does anyone actually work with their own armouring? Tara begins by refusing to make it simple. There is a reason we armour, and the reason is fear. Our deepest longing is to feel connected and to belong, and our deepest fear is to be rejected, humiliated, pushed away. The armour is protection. A great part of the courage on this path, she says, is simply the willingness to feel it and stay present to it. She has a question she puts to it: what are you trying to do for me? The answer is always some version of, to protect you from being hurt. And she is clear about pace. Some of us have been wounded more deeply, there is trauma, and those people have to go really, really slowly, within what is called the window of tolerance. The intention is to meet the fear with as much care as you can. Ultimately, to love it. Though at first, she admits, it does not feel like that at all. This is why she teaches RAIN. Recognise the fear and name it. Allow it, which means not fighting that it is there, saying simply, this belongs, the way a wave belongs to the sea. Investigate, gently, by sensing where it lives in your body. And nurture, holding whatever vulnerability is there with real kindness. She puts her hand on her heart as she says it. Because if you can bring care to the fear, you become the loving presence that is holding it, rather than being caught inside the wave. That, she says, is the radical shift in healing that actually frees us. Want to go deeper with Tara Brach? Join Sounds True One for more teachings like this. Get your first month FREE at https://bit.ly/4ctecMn Subscribe to Sounds True's YouTube Channel ► https://bit.ly/SubscribeSTYT Sounds True is a mission-driven learning and media company, and a recognized leader in wellbeing, personal growth, and spiritual transformation. Partnering with the world’s foremost wisdom teachers and best-selling authors, the company reaches millions worldwide with its unique programs, digital learning experiences, and worldwide events. The company also features a variety of original series, weekly shows, and live online experiences on Sounds True One, its global platform and community with members across more than 125 countries. Sounds True is a Public Benefit Corporation and also the home of the Sounds True Foundation. Connect with us: ▪️Facebook: http://bit.ly/2XFIIeE ▪️Instagram: http://bit.ly/2UlEoiH ▪️Website: http://bit.ly/2tOl02d