I would like to offer you an IFS-based meditation designed to help you get to know one of your protectors.
As I extend questions for you to ask your protector part,
I encourage you to allow the part to speak to you in its own unique way.
Instead of thinking the answers that make logical sense to you,
Simply sit with an open heart and be curious about what arises.
Meditation may come in the form of words,
Images or memories,
Or as colors or textures,
Or song lyrics,
Or any other number of ways.
Try not to figure anything out or to judge what shows up.
There's no right or wrong way to do this work,
And it doesn't have to come neatly together right now.
Often we have to sit more than once to really get to know our parts.
When we drop our ideas,
Agendas and attachments to specific outcomes,
We create a space that is safe and that fosters better and more sincere connections with our deepest inner needs.
And that is where the magic lies.
Let's start by grounding ourselves in the present moment.
Begin by taking some deep,
Slow breaths and relaxing into the body,
Noticing your weight against whatever is beneath you,
Safely held by gravity,
Relaxing the shoulders,
Unclenching the jaw,
Softening the brow.
You might imagine as if your eyebrows could float apart towards your ears,
And bringing awareness to the space between your body and the room around you.
Notice if you are thinking or in any way trying to analyze or figure something out,
And invite that part of you to relax right now,
And to just allow whatever arises to do so on its own terms.
Consider dropping from thinking and into resting into the heart,
If it helps,
Placing your attention on the heart space,
Feeling the heartbeat,
And offering reassurance to yourself that you are safe right now.
Then gently scanning the body and allowing your attention to focus on any sensations in or around your body that stand out for you.
If any distractions arise,
Simply acknowledge them and then allow them to fall away.
And continue to fine tune your attention on whatever area of your body is calling for your attention.
As you focus,
The sensation may intensify,
And that's okay.
If that happens,
See if you can relax any urges to fight it or to repress it,
And instead breathe into the space around it,
And allow it to exist and to be seen,
Not doing anything with it,
Just noticing.
Now noticing how you feel towards this sensation.
Do you want it to go away?
Are you clinging to it?
Do you feel curious about it?
If you feel anything other than curious or open,
Ask those parts or feelings if they would step aside for right now,
So that you can get a better understanding of this sensation or part that is seeking your attention.
And then check again to see if you feel anything other than open and curious about the sensation that is showing up for you.
If the feelings that are not open and curious won't budge,
Then just use the remainder of this meditation to focus on those thoughts or feelings.
And if you do feel open and curious about the sensation you're focusing on,
Direct your questions to that part as we continue.
Again,
Bringing your attention to the sensation that's asking for your attention.
And then asking the sensation if there's anything it would like you to know.
And then asking it to share how it is trying to help you,
Or what it is trying to protect you from.
And then asking this part,
What is it afraid would happen if it didn't work so hard?
And now holding what this part has expressed with openness and compassion,
Let this part know that its feelings are valid,
And that they make sense based on its experience.
And then asking this part,
What does it need from you right now,
Or in the future,
To feel safe?
And after it has expressed what it needs from you,
Let it know how you intend to honor those needs.
How will you show up for this part as you move forward?
And asking the part how it feels about what you have offered to do for it,
And if it needs anything else from you to feel safe,
Invite it to express that need right now.
And now allowing this part to have some time to express anything else it wants you to know.
And then taking a moment to express sincere appreciation for how hard this part has been working in the past and currently,
And for being willing to trust you and share its experiences and concerns with you today.
And also let it know that you're not going to leave it alone.
You will come back to talk to it again soon.
As we prepare to end,
I invite you to hold this part tenderly in your awareness as you move throughout your day.
Notice if it continues to speak to you in the form of words or memories,
Body sensations or emotions.
Pay attention to what situations seem to bring it out and remember what it asked for as reassurance and what you offered to do for it.
Honoring the interactions you have with your parts and returning to them to validate and reassure them will facilitate healing by establishing and building the trust between the part and self energy.
Trust that you can and will show up for these vulnerable and tender parts within you and that they don't need to work so hard anymore.
When your parts trust you to show up for them,
They may still show up,
But they will relax when attended to and they will allow you to live more and more in a place of balance instead of reactivity.
Thank you so much for doing this work with me today.
Sharing this space,
Even when it's virtual,
Is sacred.
It's a privilege that I hold sincerely and tenderly within my own heart.
And it's an honor to be invited into your inner world.
From my heart to yours,
Light and love.
