RAFT stands for Remembering to be Aware of Feelings in Your Body and Trust Your Experience. I created this guided meditation to help in the process of integration. The meditation is designed specifically to support people who have had psychedelic experiences that they would like to revisit and work with, but it can also be used to revisit other intense or meaningful life experiences. I have incorporated various techniques I have learned over 10 years of training in Buddhist meditation, as well as novel components that I believe can help individuals come into more direct, embodied contact with their powerful past experiences.
This may go without saying, but the practice is designed to be done while sober; you may be surprised to see what comes up! You can set an intention to work with a specific memory or past experience, or you can trust in the deep wisdom and compassion of your mind and body to bring up the memories that may be most helpful to you at this point in your process of integration.
The recording can be used toward the beginning of a group meeting (e.g., psychedelic integration circle), with a small group of friends, or on your own. If you are practicing on your own, please remember that some of the memories, emotions, thoughts and bodily sensations that may arise spontaneously during the meditation can be quite strong. Please be sure that you have a trusted person you can reach out to, to process and talk about the experience if you need to.
I wish you safe and illuminating journeys!
If you would like to access the RAFT meditation for professional or group work, please click the button below. For only $5, you will be able to view and download two high-quality videos of this 16-minute guided meditation (one with background music and one without).
If you would like to access the RAFT meditation for personal use, you may view for free on my Youtube channel (click here).
STORY WATER
A story is like water
that you heat for your bath.
It takes messages between the fire
and your skin. It lets them meet,
and it cleans you!
Very few can sit down
in the middle of the fire itself
like a salamander or Abraham.
We need intermediaries.
A feeling of fullness comes,
but usually it takes some bread
to bring it.
Beauty surrounds us,
but usually we need to be walking
in a garden to know it.
The body itself is a screen
to shield and partially reveal
the light that's blazing
inside your presence.
Water, stories, the body,
all the things we do, are mediums
that hide and show what's hidden.
Study them,
and enjoy this being washed
with a secret we sometimes know,
and then not.
RUMI