Recorded by Dr.
Adele Stewart at Winona,
December 2022.
Taking a little time to get comfortable,
Sitting or lying down,
Maybe taking about three nice,
Big,
Easy breaths,
Perhaps feeling the body settle.
For a little while,
Just noticing a part of your body that you can perhaps use as a safe anchor,
Maybe the sensation of your feet touching the floor or your hands in your lap,
The sensations in your hands or the sense of gravity and contact with the chair or floor or perhaps the breath.
When you're ready,
Gently bringing your focus inside,
Taking some time in your internal world and noticing what parts are around for you,
Perhaps parts that are present around a particular difficult situation or issue in your life.
Maybe there's certain parts that are really calling you,
You've got some curiosity about,
Just inviting the parts to be present.
When you're ready,
Just taking some time to notice the part that perhaps feels the strongest or most easy to notice or stands out the most.
Really noticing how does this part show itself?
How do you notice it?
Can you feel sensations in your body or around your body?
Do you notice changes in your breath,
Your posture or the tension in the body?
Maybe there's even a difference in the way the body moves or a visual image that comes with the part.
Taking particular note if the part has or is communicating difficult emotions.
Like notice that the part has particular thoughts,
Holds certain beliefs,
Perhaps even has a particular tone to its thoughts or beliefs.
And notice that there's also a part of you which we might call self with a capital S.
That is your wise and compassionate self.
May not always be easy to notice,
But it's always there somewhere.
Perhaps noticing if you have a sense of where this wise and compassionate self is in relation to the part that you're working with.
Noticing your wise and compassionate self's connection to the part.
And if there's other parts that are open to it,
You could ask them to step aside while you really allow this wise and compassionate self to see if it can connect to the part that we're working with.
And if there's enough kindness,
Curiosity,
Perhaps compassion towards this part now,
You could ask it to step aside and you could ask it some questions.
Just gently,
Does this part have a particular role in your life?
Does it have a message for you?
Does it want something for you?
With these questions,
There's no need to think of an answer.
Just allowing the question to drop into the part and seeing what emerges.
Maybe nothing.
If you have the sense that the part that you're working with is protecting you in some way,
Perhaps asking it what is it concerned would happen if it didn't keep on showing up this way or keep on with its usual role.
Is there anything else the part wants to share with you?
Does this part need anything from you,
From your wise and compassionate self perhaps?
Noticing if there's another part or parts that are responding to this first part that might also need some work,
In which case you could gently let them know that you'll do some work at another meditation.
Or if you have the time and energy,
You could go back to the beginning of this meditation.
Very gently noticing if there's any perhaps young,
Vulnerable,
Tender parts that we might call exiled parts.
Very,
Very gently noticing this part's feelings,
Noticing where your wise and compassionate self is in relation to this part.
Perhaps making a mental note of it.
Perhaps making a mental note that the exiled part might need some more work,
Perhaps one-on-one with a therapist.
When you're ready,
Pausing and appreciating what you've gathered so far.
As best you can,
Inviting your wise and compassionate self energy to be present towards any of the parts that have arisen today.
Feels possible,
Perhaps sending curiosity,
Kindness,
Care and compassion to these parts.
And if it feels authentic,
Taking the time to thank all the parts for their willingness to be present and connect with you as best they could today.
And you may even be able to thank them for everything they've done for you and your system.
Doing their best.
And when you're ready,
Gently bringing your awareness back into the present.
