Build Trust In Self-Leadership: An IFS Meditation Course

This lesson introduces the basic IFS concept of multiplicity–the idea that the mind is actually made up of many parts each with their own thoughts, feelings and perspectives. This first lesson is an opportunity to notice and welcome your own internal family of parts while also experiencing Self as your an innate capacity for compassionate witnessing.

This lesson introduces the IFS concepts of blending and unblending and guides you through an experience of how the simple tool of asking yourself how you feel towards a part can help differentiate parts from Self and create a Self-to-part relationship. A metaphor of the Sun behind a cloud is used to illustrate how even when we are struggling to access Self-energy, it is still there.

This lesson introduces the core IFS tenet that, regardless of how our parts appear on the surface, their behavior is always driven by a good intention. Through this lesson, you will experience how approaching your parts with curiosity and open-mindedness can lead to a deeper understanding and appreciation for how your parts protect you.

This lesson introduces the group of proactive protective parts known as the managers–the parts that help us with day-to-day tasks and keep our lives feeling in control. This lesson is an opportunity to meet one of your managers, establish a Self-to-part relationship, and get to know the deeper motivation behind the behavior.

This lesson introduces the group of reactive protective parts known as the firefighters–the parts that are the first to respond when a painful emotion or core negative belief gets triggered. This lesson is an opportunity to gently meet one of your firefighters and begin the process of building trust in Self as the innate healer of your system.

This lesson builds on previous lessons and provides an opportunity to continue building trust in Self-leadership with one of your parts through curiosity, compassion, consistency, and respect. You will be guided to explore with your part what kind of support it would like from you and how the relationship can continue to grow.

This final lesson in the series is a chance to reflect on the work you have done with your protective system, to reconnect with the parts that showed up over the course of the week, and offer them gratitude and appreciation for being willing to let you get to know them better. You will be guided to create a practical intention for continuing to practice the tools you have learned.