Morning IFS Parts Check-In

Good morning my friend and welcome to Move Toward with Jenna,

An approach based on internal family systems model where we learn to move toward all parts of ourselves with curiosity and compassion.

In today's meditation,

We will do a morning parts check-in.

So taking just a moment to settle in,

Deepening your breath and grounding down as you connect with the chair or the earth below you.

Taking a couple of deep,

Slow cleansing breaths and coming into awareness of your inner experience,

How you are showing up in this moment.

And as you do so,

Really begin to notice that all parts of you are welcome here.

All parts of you are allowed to be here and have an honored seat at the table.

All parts,

Feelings,

Perspectives,

Preferences,

Beliefs can be honored here today with you.

So as you settle into that beautiful awareness,

Begin to breathe in open-heartedness or loving kindness to each and every part of you.

Even those parts of you that may be holding painful emotions or behaving in ways that might even cause suffering.

With the awareness that when parts of us carry pain or painful behaviors,

It's because they're hurting in some way and they need our help and love and support.

So when you're ready,

Extend an open invitation into your inner experience for the part of you that most needs time with you today to come forward in some way.

You might get an image of it in your mind's eye or you might begin to feel some emotion or notice some thoughts or a physical sensation may arise.

However this part of you makes itself known,

See if you can simply welcome it with no agenda to shift it or change it or figure it out in any way.

Just welcoming it,

Really allowing it to be here exactly the way it is.

And notice how your welcoming spirit is experienced by this part of you.

And as you connect in with some open heartedness toward this part of you that may be in some pain or maybe behaving in a way that is creating challenges.

Then invite this part of you to let you know anything about itself that it would like to share with you.

You may want to invite it to let you understand why it became triggered or why it takes you over when it does.

You might ask this part of you when in your life it first learned how to feel what it's feeling or to try to help you in the way that it's trying to help you,

Even if that behavior is not particularly helpful.

And just notice if any earlier memories begin to spring into your mind.

You can ask this part of you if there's anything it needs from you right now to feel just a little bit more comforted,

A little less activated.

And if anything comes to mind that this part of you needs,

See if you can set an intention to provide that now or at a future time.

Notice how this part of you is feeling now that it's had a chance to share its perspective and its needs with you.

You can thank it for coming forward to spend time with you today.

And then as you continue to turn your attention inward,

You can,

If you'd like,

Invite a second part of you that may be hurting or may be stuck in some difficult ways of behaving to come forward and make itself known.

Again,

You may notice that you get an image in your mind's eye of the second part of you or you may notice some emotions,

Some thoughts or a behavioral impulse,

Maybe a body sensation.

Again,

However this part of you makes itself known,

See if you can simply notice it with an open heart,

With a sense of welcome.

You might ask the second part of you what it wants you to know.

Noticing if it wants to share where in your life it first learned how to feel what it's feeling or behave in the way that it's behaving.

Ask this part of you if there's anything it needs from you to feel just a little more comforted,

A little less activated and see what you notice.

And again,

If there's something that comes to mind that this second part of you might need from you now or at a future time,

Set an intention if that feels right to provide that and notice how this part is feeling now.

And as this second part begins to fade in your inner experience,

If you'd like to,

You're welcome to invite a third part of you to come up.

If there is another part that needs some attention,

Some love or care from you today.

And again,

Just noticing anything that you're aware of,

You may notice a physical sensation,

An image in your mind's eye,

Feelings,

Thoughts,

Welcoming whatever you become aware of.

Knowing that this feeling,

This emotion,

This behavior is not who you are,

It's just a part of you that's activated in this moment.

See if you can welcome it.

And again,

With this third part,

Asking it what it wants you to know about itself,

How it came to be,

Feeling or doing what it's feeling and doing.

Perhaps what triggered it in this moment.

And if you have a sense of how this third part of you came to be and why it feels activated,

You can ask it if there's anything it needs from you right now to feel a little bit better.

And as with the other two parts,

If you get an impression or an idea of something that this third part needs from you,

You can provide that or set an intention to provide that at a time in the near future.

And feel free to pause or rewind this meditation to invite as many parts to come forward and have time with you as would like.

But when that feels complete for now,

Turning your attention to each of the parts of you that have come forward today,

Sending your loving kindness to them and letting them know that you are here to take care of them now.

You in your loving,

Calm,

Clear minded,

Compassionate core essence are here to help them and they do not have to worry about taking you over and having to feel or do in such difficult,

Exhausting ways as they have always done.

And when you're ready,

Extending whatever appreciation,

Kindness,

Love or gratitude feels congruent for you to each of these parts of yourself.

Allowing this inner visualization to relax back in your mind's eye and bringing your awareness back to your external environment,

Connecting in and grounding down into your core,

Authentic,

Loving,

Compassionate,

Wise,

Calm self.

Until we meet again next time,

May our hearts move toward,

May our words move toward,

May our thoughts move toward.

Namaste,

My friend,

The God image in me sees and honors the God image in you.