Making Rain is an experiential exercise in which participants play the role of a small orchestra and together, with you as the conductor, create the sound of a rainstorm building and receding. If you haven't ever seen or done this, google the phrase 'orchestra making rain' to view a professional example; this is definitely a case in which a video is worth ten thousand words.

Have participants stand in two rows, in a semicircle facing you. Ask them to close their eyes, feel the stillness, and listen to the quiet and sounds in the room. Then invite them to open their eyes and copy your movements as you spread each movement from left to right. I usually offer the instruction 'When I point to your section, please copy my movement and keep doing the same movement until I give your section a new movement.' Begin by facing the section of the orchestra to your left, pointing to that section, and making the first movement: rubbing your palms together. Slowly swivel to the right, spreading the movement from left to right. Then, with a conductor's raised eyebrows and smile, turn back to the leftmost section, point to that section, and make the second movement: snapping your fingers. Proceed in the same way through the entire sequence outlined below, spreading each movement from left to right and indicating when each section of the orchestra is to begin that movement:

• Stillness

• Rubbing palms together

• Snapping fingers

• Slapping thighs

• Jumping and landing

• Slapping thighs

• Snapping fingers

• Rubbing hands together

• Stillness

As you conclude, encourage participants to close their eyes again, feel the stillness, listen to the quiet and the sounds in the room, and notice their thoughts and feelings. This exercise may be offered as is, as a brief, simple, fun movement practice, or you may use it to remind participants that like natural storms, mental and emotional storms may appear on the horizon, last as long as they last, and eventually pass.

Amy Saltzman in A Still Quiet Place