Sitting In The Self: Exploring The 8 C’s Of Internal Family Systems

This course invites you to come home to yourself. Beneath the noise, the roles, and the inner conflict, there’s a place of calm, clarity, and peace. A place that’s always been there. What Internal Family Systems (IFS) calls the Self.

Rooted in the IFS model of therapy, and drawing on elements of Buddhism, Tantra, and habit formation theory, this course offers a practical, compassionate path inward.

Each session focuses on one of the 8 C’s of the Self: Calm, Curiosity, Clarity, Compassion, Connection, Confidence, Courage, and Creativity. Through guided meditations, mindfulness, breathwork, and reflection, you’ll learn how to access these qualities and begin to lead your life from a steadier place.

IFS sees the mind as a system of parts. Some protect. Some carry pain. Some have been buried for a long time. But none of them are bad. They all formed for a reason. Through this model, healing is about building a relationship with them, led by the Self, not through fear or shame.

This process is similar to inner child healing and shadow work. It’s a way of meeting your hidden, hurting, and forgotten parts. No judgment. No fixing. Just presence.

This course will help you find a place of inner sanctuary and strength, offering you the tools to process the past, accept the present, and embrace the future with positivity and purpose.

Lección 1: Introduction To Internal Family Systems & The 8C's

This session introduces you to Internal Family Systems as well as the 8C's of Calm, Curiosity, Clarity, Compassion, Connection, Confidence, Courage, and Creativity. It will provide you with an overview of how to best use this course and what to expect from each session. If you want to get straight into the practice, skip to session two!

Lección 2: Calm Through Breathwork

This session introduces you to the first of the 8 C’s, Calm, through a focused breathwork practice designed to help regulate your nervous system and create a sense of safety within. By cultivating calm, you begin to settle the mind and body, creating the essential foundation for deeper self-exploration and healing. This practice invites you to gently anchor your awareness in the present moment, allowing space for stillness and ease to arise naturally.

Lección 3: Curiosity Through Introspection

This session introduces you to the second of the 8 C’s, Curiosity, through introspective practices that invite you to gently explore your inner world without judgment or expectation. By cultivating curiosity, you learn to meet your thoughts, emotions, and parts with open-mindedness and interest, allowing new insights and understanding to emerge. This session encourages a patient and compassionate attitude toward whatever arises, creating space for discovery and connection within yourself.

Lección 4: Clarity Through Mindfulness

This session introduces you to the third of the 8 C’s, Clarity, through mindfulness practices designed to sharpen your awareness and deepen your understanding of your internal experience. By cultivating clarity, you learn to observe your thoughts, emotions, and bodily sensations with greater precision and less fusion, enabling you to distinguish between the Self and your various parts. This session helps you develop clear, non-reactive insight, creating space to respond from a grounded, centered place.

Lección 5: Compassion Through Loving-Kindness

This session introduces you to the fourth of the 8 C’s, Compassion, through loving-kindness practices that nurture a gentle, caring attitude toward yourself and your inner parts. By cultivating compassion, you open your heart to wounded and protective aspects alike, creating a healing space free from judgment or criticism. This session guides you to embrace all parts of yourself and others with kindness and acceptance, fostering deeper self-love and emotional connection.

Lección 6: Connection To The Self Through Connection To Others

This session introduces you to the fifth of the 8 C’s, Connection, exploring how connecting deeply with others can help you strengthen your connection to the Self. By experiencing empathy, unconditional positive regard, and genuine presence in relationships, you learn to reflect that same kindness inward, building trust, safety, and belonging within yourself. This session invites you to practice both receiving and offering authentic connection as a bridge to your inner wholeness.

Lección 7: Confidence Through Habit Building

This session introduces you to the sixth of the 8 C’s, Confidence, through habit-building practices that support consistent, small steps toward embodying your Self-energy. By cultivating daily routines and committing to manageable actions, you reinforce trust in your inner leadership and your ability to navigate life with steadiness. This session encourages persistence and self-belief, helping you build a solid foundation of confidence that grows over time.

Lección 8: Courage Through Reframing Fear

This session introduces you to the seventh of the 8 C’s, Courage, by guiding you to reframe fear as sensations within the body rather than as overwhelming stories or threats. Through mindful awareness and gentle inquiry, you’ll learn to approach fear with openness and curiosity, allowing you to face it without being controlled by it. This practice helps you build inner bravery and resilience, empowering you to move forward even when discomfort arises.

Lección 9: Creativity As A Way Of Living

This session introduces you to the eighth of the 8 C’s, Creativity, as a way of living a natural expression of the Self in everyday life. When we lead from Self-energy, creativity isn’t limited to art or performance; it shows up in how we think, relate, solve problems, and move through the world. This session invites you to embrace life itself as a creative act, where each choice, insight, and moment of presence becomes a reflection of your inner wholeness.

Reviews

Interesting and something I feel I will revisit in the future.