IFS Meditation To Get To Know A Protector Part Of You

Starts with a gentle relaxation, and then invites an internal family systems meditation to understand a protector part, along with support and guidance on how to connect with parts.

Background Music by Leigh Robinson from Pixabay. Photo by Beto Galetto on Unsplash.

Transcript

Welcome everyone.

My name is Divya Lewis.

I'm a Certified Internal Family Systems Therapist and Registered Psychotherapist in Canada or Turtle Island and I'm currently on Coast Salish Territory.

This meditation is to help you connect to a protector part of you.

For more information or to understand more about internal family systems,

You might check out my podcast where the intro episode really gives a snapshot of what IFS is and also just bringing curiosity and just notice what comes up for you during this meditation,

Allowing whatever it is to be.

As we go through the following prompts to connect with a part of you,

You might notice other parts coming in.

Maybe ones that differ from the first part or judging or aligning with it.

This can look like wandering thoughts,

Discomfort in the body like tension or tightness or other body sensations or you might notice emotion that doesn't feel connected to the part of you that you're originally with.

That's okay.

Just notice the waves of emotions rise and fall.

Notice the thoughts with curiosity and care.

You can just slow down those moments.

Just take a moment.

You can try to reconnect with the way that the original part showed up,

Whether in the body,

Mind,

Visual images or anything else.

If at any time any discomfort feels too strong,

Know that you can find solace in your breath.

Just coming back to the rising and falling of each breath.

Your breath is always in the present moment.

You might try to ask the part of you to give you a little bit of space just so that we can understand it a little bit more.

Just slowing down.

Let's begin by just taking a moment to allow your body to settle into a comfortable position.

Let your body show you or have you feel what needs to happen to invite even 5% more ease into your body.

You can close your eyes or you can keep them open,

Just dropping your gaze softly two feet in front of you,

Allowing the spine to lift,

Your shoulders to soften and just let your hands fall naturally at your side.

Begin by taking a full breath in and a long breath out,

Allowing the breath to settle the body and to settle the mind.

Gently allowing your awareness to drop into your body.

Feel your chest and stomach gently rising and falling with each breath,

Noticing the passage of air through your nostrils or the movement of your chest as you inhale and exhale.

Scanning your body for any tension,

Clenching,

Tightness.

As we settle in,

Just sensing what might need to let go a little bit,

To soften,

To be a little bit more at ease.

You might soften your forehead,

Unhinge your jaw.

You might feel yourself sink deeper into your seat.

Think about a moment when you felt hurt,

Embarrassed,

Angry or activated in some way.

Try to choose a moment that isn't too evocative right now,

Maybe between a three or four out of ten in activation inside.

Nothing overwhelming.

The goal of this exercise is not to feel into the emotions itself,

But to notice how you responded when you were activated.

What did you say to yourself inside?

What did you do?

Did any part of you change the felt sense of the emotion in any way?

For example,

Numb yourself,

Distract yourself.

Choose one of these inner responses and focus on just that.

For example,

If you thought about a moment of hurt and noticed that you turned your head away,

Picked up your phone and opened social media,

Said a defensive comment,

You might just choose one of these to focus on for this exercise,

Knowing you can come back anytime to try this again with another part.

Take a moment just to focus on this one response,

This one part of you,

Just noticing it.

Notice any charge that it has.

Notice any energy that shows up in your body.

Notice the body sensations.

Are they moving or is it still?

Is there a texture to it,

A color,

A density?

How much room does it take up?

Does it change at all as you're noticing and focused on it?

If it shows up in your thoughts,

Notice the tone,

Volume,

Speed.

Notice if this part brings a certain urge to act,

To do guilt.

As you focus,

Just take a moment.

See if you can find just a little bit of space to stay curious.

I like to remind myself that every part has a positive intention.

So can I find even just a little bit of space to give it the benefit of the doubt,

Just to listen openly,

Curiosity.

If you can't find that openness,

That's okay.

Continue to notice all of the other inner reactions.

You might even take a moment to jot down the different complex nuances of what's happening right now.

This just tells me that there is important information that your parts need you to understand about this situation,

About the range of things that are happening.

Just staying open,

Continuing to listen,

Notice.

If you can connect to some curiosity,

Send that to the part of you with the question,

How are you trying to help me?

How are you trying to help me?

What is your job or function in my system?

Let it show you,

Tell you,

Or have you feel anything it wants you to understand about that.

If you are able to get its job or why it does what it does,

If you noticed any increased clarity,

New way of understanding it,

Just take a moment to send that acknowledgement to this part of you.

You might also ask,

What are you concerned will happen if you didn't do your job?

Again,

Just noticing what comes up.

What are you afraid will happen if you didn't do that thing that you do?

Let's see if this part is comfortable to share with you who or what it protects.

If you notice any increased clarity or understanding,

Just taking a moment to acknowledge that.

Don't force it,

But if you notice naturally some gratitude emerge,

Let it receive that.

We're sharing with you for opening up part of itself.

You might notice if it does receive it or what happens when you connect with it.

See if there's more this part wants you to understand about itself.

Parts might communicate through thoughts,

Via their inner voice,

Through visual images or memories,

Or just a felt sense of knowing inside or any other way.

Stay open.

Parts of us might give us a sense of how long they've been doing what they're doing.

How far back it traces.

Or when they really began to take on this job or role.

What was going on at that time that made it really important for them to do this job?

As we get ready to close our practice for today,

Again taking a moment to let this part of you know what you understood from what they shared with you.

You might sense or ask if they would like to spend more time with you and how they'd like to stay connected if they would like that.

Some parts like that and others don't.

There's no pressure either way.

And again,

If it feels accessible,

You might take a moment to extend gratitude for your practice.

Irrespective if you connected with one part or if you attuned to many different parts.

If you learned something new or simply took time to let your body feel you here,

Open,

Curious,

Listening,

Spending time.

You might place a hand over your heart.

There's another way that you honor your practice.

Take three more breaths as we end our practice.

Noticing each breath as it enters and exits our body.

Gently coming back into your body and space that you're in.

When you're ready,

Open your eyes.

You might take a moment here to journal about your experience,

What you learned.

Might just take a moment to hold on to the insights.

A moment longer,

Your awareness,

Just allowing it to integrate inside.

You can come back to this practice to be with any part of you when it feels important and connect with the different parts of you so they feel your presence around.

Deepen the relationship and friendships you have with the different parts of you.

Be well.

Reviews

Thank you for guidance to an unknown part of me.