“Joy is an act of resistance” (and into every life a little RAIN must fall)

In 2020 I happened upon a group called the Resistance Revival Chorus and they have been on steady repeat in my playlists ever since. At the end of one of their songs, they share that the poet Toi Derricotte says “Joy is an act of resistance”.

I have said that many times since then, and I agree with it, but in the past few days I have wished I could feel it on a cellular level. I am “pandemic good” (i.e. good all things considered) but so weary of so many things. I feel burnt out in so many ways and have a hard time remembering what even brings me joy. I feel unvalued and unworthy and did I mention exhausted. I had both rage and tears, all before 7:30 this morning. It was a dark beginning.

And I do believe that to be able to choose joy in these moments is an amazing act of resistance. But I didn’t have any pool of joy to pull from. Enter RAIN.

I am not a woo-woo person, and sometimes when people talk about mind/body connections I just don’t get it. I see the importance of it but I don’t get it. I don’t like to meditate in a traditional sense. I am not really good at practicing mindfulness but I am working on it.

So…about a year ago I learned this RAIN method of tuning in to what I am feeling and sensing what it is I need. As I mentioned, I am still learning to practice this and learning it is okay to feel my feelings, the whole range of them. You can learn more about it here and practice the technique with a guided recording as well: https://www.mindful.org/investigate-anxiety-with-tara-brachs-rain-practice/

R—Recognize What Is Happening

A—Allow Life to Be Just as It Is

I—Investigate ­with a Gentle, Curious Attention

N—Nurture with Loving Presence

I have practiced this a couple of times today alone. (As I mentioned, it has been a day.) And there was a space in between where I had a chance to choose joy, and I did. And it felt good.

As Victor Frankl noted: “Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.”

Here’s to recognizing more spaces.