Introduction To Parts Work: Mapping Your Inner World

In this gentle IFS-inspired practice you will be guided to turn inwards with curiosity to better understand your inner world. You're invited to notice thoughts, feelings, and sensations as different parts of you, each with something to share. Whether you're brand new to parts work or you're already familiar, this practice offers a simple way to check in with yourself, notice what's present, and build a deeper understanding of your inner world.

You’re invited to move at your own pace, pausing the recording to reflect or make notes as you go. I hope you enjoy.

Transcript

For this practice it can be useful to have a pen and paper so you can write down a few notes about each part as we go. So feel free to pause here and get something to write with if that feels right to you. So just getting yourself nice and comfortable, Finding a position where your body can soften and be supported, Taking a moment to arrive, Perhaps adjusting slightly, Letting your body settle. And when you're ready take a slow steady breath in and a long gentle breath out. Let your shoulders drop, Soften your jaw, Your forehead, Allowing your body to be held by whatever is beneath you. And you can just notice your breath, The natural rhythm of it, Without needing to change it in any way. Just letting it anchor you here. And from this place you can gently begin to turn your attention inside to what's happening inside of you right now. If you like you can place a hand on your heart, Sending a gentle message inwards, Maybe saying I'm here, I'm listening. And knowing that for now you don't need to figure anything out, You don't even need to be sure about what is or isn't a part, You can just get curious and notice whatever shows up inside. No need to go searching, Just noticing what's going on inside of you right now in this moment. And as you turn your attention inwards you might become aware of different thoughts, Feelings, Sensations in your body. They could be images, Memories, You might notice an urge to do something. And whatever you notice, Just see if you can let it be there. You might quietly name it to yourself or write it down. And if you sense lots of things rushing to the surface at once that's okay, It's really normal to have lots of different parts that might be calling your attention. You can try just gently letting them know that you know they're all there. You might even thank them for showing up if that feels right. And let them know that you're here to get to know them, And see if they will take it in turns to get your attention, Letting them know that you'll be able to see and hear them more clearly this way. So as you focus on just one part at a time, See if you can get curious about it. Where do you notice it? How's it showing up for you? What words would you use to describe it? You might even see if it has a message for you. And it might not, And that's okay. Just noticing it is enough. And you can stay with this part, Maybe even jotting these things down, And take as much time as you need here. So you can pause this recording at any point, Staying with this part and pressing play again when you feel ready to continue on. When that feels complete for now, You can come back to the question, What else is here? What else is happening inside right now? And notice the next thing that calls your attention. What is it? Where do you notice it? How's it showing up? Is there anything this one wants you to know? Take your time with this one, Moving at your own pace. When you're ready, Asking again inside, What else is here? How is it showing up? Is there anything it wants to share with me? You can repeat this as many times as you want to. When it feels like there's a natural place to stop, Like you've noticed everything that wants to be seen right now, You can gently start bringing your attention back to your breath. And you might like to imagine all of the parts, The thoughts, Feelings, And sensations that you've noticed gathered together in your awareness. You don't need to see them clearly, Just see if you can get a sense of them being there. And if there are any parts that you didn't have time to get to today, You can imagine them there too. And take a moment to acknowledge them all. You could even offer a little thank you that they showed up and let you begin to notice them. And if there's a part or parts that you feel particularly curious about, You might choose to come back to them another time, Spending a little bit longer, Getting to know them more deeply. And you can use my getting to know one part meditation to guide you with this. But for now, Gently returning your attention to your body, Noticing the feeling of the surface beneath you, The sounds around you and the room that you're in. You can wiggle your fingers, Your toes, Maybe stretch if that feels good to you. Take your time to transition back. And whenever you're ready, You can slowly open your eyes.