Welcome to IFS Meditations and Insights,
A podcast on personal growth through internal family systems.
I'm Tim Fortescue,
Your guide,
A trained IFS practitioner focused on spiritual wholeness.
Here we explore self-discovery and embracing all parts of ourselves with love.
This allows us to receive divine love and share it with others.
These episodes aim to bring you inner peace and a stronger connection to the sacred.
In this episode,
I'm going to lead you in a simple meditation to help you check in with your parts.
So settle in,
Open up your heart and mind,
And let's begin with as much curiosity and compassion as we can.
Let's begin the meditation.
Find a quiet and comfortable place to sit or lie down.
Close your eyes if you'd like to.
If that's uncomfortable or awkward,
Just let your eyes and your gaze rest softly in front of you.
And know that I encourage you to pause this recording as often as you need to,
To give your system the time that it needs.
Take a few deep breaths,
Inhaling slowly through your nose,
Exhaling through your mouth.
As you breathe,
Try to let go of any tension in your body.
Notice if there are areas that may be experiencing more discomfort than others,
And see if you can release some of that tension and begin to focus on your internal world.
Take a couple breaths at your own pace and just continue to notice what comes up.
Remember that as you're noticing,
That parts can surface as thoughts,
Feelings,
Actions,
Impulses,
Even bodily sensations or deep seated beliefs.
So just spend a little more time internally with that in mind and notice what's happening.
And as parts or aspects of your inner world arise,
Just notice how they're reacting.
See if they'd like to come closer or some may want to keep their distance.
Just notice that and there's no right or wrong,
There's no agenda,
But just kind of notice how your parts are reacting.
How much trust or distrust do they have?
If it feels right,
Invite parts that may want to come a little closer.
Some may want to keep their distance.
Some may even want to tap out and go play for a bit.
Let them know they can do that,
But if there's some parts that want to come closer,
Just let them know that they can do that.
And check in and see if there's one part that may want some particular focus and attention right now.
Let that part know that you see it.
Before we turn our attention to that part that is most noticeable,
Check in with the other parts and see if there are any fears or concerns that they may have for this part getting the attention.
Let those parts that may have some fears and concern,
And maybe they're in that inner circle,
Maybe they're parts that are off in the distance,
That if it feels right for you,
That they can have some time and space too,
But for now,
Would they be willing to soften back and give us some space and witness engaging with this part that wants a little attention during this time?
Then turn your attention,
Take two,
And then turn your attention to the part that is up the most right now.
See how that part is doing?
Check in and see where you're noticing it.
Maybe it's a sensation in the body,
Like a tingling in the lips or a sensation in the forehead.
Maybe it's an image or a color.
How do you know that this part is up the most right now?
Just sense into where you're noticing this part for a bit.
How do you feel toward this part?
Are you feeling some of those Cs that we talk about of courage,
Compassion,
Curiosity,
Connection,
Calm,
Or is it something else?
And know that likely if it's something that is different from things like curiosity and calmness,
That it's likely another part.
Just check in with that part and let it know that you see it.
See if it could soften back with the others,
Knowing that it can have a time to have some focus too,
If it would like that.
Then focus back on this part that is up the most and see if you can extend it just a drop of curiosity,
A sense of wanting to connect with it.
If it's able to take that in just a bit,
Just kind of take a minute and settle,
Just the two of you with others witnessing,
But just you and this part that is up the most right now.
See what it may want to share with you.
Maybe it has questions.
What do you want to share with it?
Spend a bit with this part of yourself.
Chances are that this part is doing some hard work.
Maybe it wants to share with you some about its job or the work that it does or its intention for you.
See if it wants to share any about that and just acknowledge,
If it feels right,
How hard this part is working.
It's doing the best that it can.
Maybe this part has some fears or concerns that it wants to share with you.
Maybe there's some little ones underneath that it's trying to protect.
See if it wants to give you just a little insight into that.
Let the part know that we're going to begin to wrap up for now,
But see if there's anything else that it wants to share with you.
Maybe you don't even know its name or how to refer to it.
See if it has a name.
Then make sure that it knows that you are there.
There any last things that you want to share with the part?
Thank this part for its courage.
It took a big step today.
So thank it for as much or as little as it was able to share.
Let it know this doesn't have to be the last time.
If it feels right for you and this part likes spending time with you,
Let it know that you'd like to do this again.
And now check in with the parts that have witnessed this.
How are they doing?
Just thank them for their willingness to soften back,
But let them know that they can have a chance to have a voice too.
Maybe contract with your parts and let them know when you can check in again,
This one that was up the most today,
As well as those who witnessed.
Then when it feels complete for now,
You can bring your attention back to the present moment.
Take a couple deep cleansing breaths at your own pace,
Open your eyes if they were closed and see if you can take some of this feeling of maybe calmness and curiosity into the world around you.
But thanks so much to you and to all your parts for joining me for this meditation.
