This practice is designed to help you work with overwhelm.
Those moments when multiple parts of you are speaking at once,
Pulling you in different directions,
Or flooding your system with competing needs and emotions.
In IFS,
We recognize that overwhelm isn't something to fix or push away.
It's a signal that many parts of you are asking to be heard.
Today,
We'll practice slowing down,
Creating space,
And meeting those parts with a little curiosity and compassion.
You'll learn to be with your parts rather than being overtaken by them.
Let's begin.
Take a moment to settle into your seat or lying down position.
Allow your body to soften.
Just a little.
Let your hands rest wherever they're comfortable.
Let your jaw relax,
Maybe opening your mouth slightly and gently closing it.
Let your shoulders drop away from your ears.
Let your breath begin to deepen in its own time.
There's nowhere you need to be right now,
Nothing you need to accomplish.
This is simply time to be with yourself.
Begin by simply noticing your breath,
Not trying to change it,
Just meeting it exactly as it is with each inhale and exhale.
Feel the air moving in through your nose or mouth.
Feel your chest or belly rising,
Falling.
Let yourself land in this moment.
Let the sounds around you come and go.
They don't need your attention.
Let your breath rise and fall like gentle waves.
And pause this recording as often as you need to.
With each exhale,
Feel yourself settling a little more deeply into your body,
Into this room,
Into the present moment.
Now bring your attention inward.
Let your awareness scan your internal landscape.
What's here with you today?
Which parts do you notice showing up?
You might hear many voices at once.
You might feel emotion in your chest,
In your belly,
In your throat.
You might feel tension in your shoulders,
Your jaw,
Or your face.
You might feel numbness or emptiness.
You might feel nothing at all.
All of that is welcome.
There's no right or wrong way to experience this.
If you can,
Gently name two or three parts that are present right now.
You don't need to know everything about them.
Just notice who's here.
Maybe there's a part that's anxious or worried.
A part that wants to get everything right.
A part that's exhausted or wants to check out.
A part that's critical or judging.
A part that's sad or lonely.
Just name them like you're saying hello to someone entering a room.
You might say,
Hello anxious part.
Hi tired one.
I see you,
Judgmental part.
Notice how your system responds as you name them.
Do they move closer?
Do they move away?
Do others move away?
Do they stay distant?
Relax a little more.
Get louder.
Whatever happens is okay.
You're just observing.
Now bring your breath to each one,
Slowly and deliberately.
Take one full breath with the anxious part.
Breathing in.
Breathing out.
One breath with the tired part.
One breath with the judging part.
Let them feel the breath.
Feel your presence.
Let them know you're listening.
You're not trying to change them or make them go away.
You're simply acknowledging,
I know you're here.
You might imagine yourself sitting with them in a quiet room or gathered around a small fire.
Or in a peaceful meadow.
There's no rush,
No agenda,
No pressure to fix or solve anything.
Just being together.
Let each part have its own space.
They don't need to agree with each other.
They don't need to be quiet.
They just need to be seen.
Now if it feels right,
Imagine bringing a little self-energy into this space.
It's already there,
Maybe a little clouded out.
But self-energy is that calm,
Curious,
Compassionate presence within you.
The core of you that can hold all these other parts without being overwhelmed.
And even just a percent or two of self-energy is enough.
Even just a glimmer.
Imagine your calmest,
Most spacious self entering the room.
And sitting beside these parts,
Not to fix them,
Not to change them,
Not to make them be quiet.
Simply to be with them,
To offer them.
To offer steady,
Grounded presence.
You might place a gentle hand on your heart or your belly as a physical gesture of self-presence.
Or imagine placing a comforting hand on a part's shoulder.
Or simply sitting nearby with an open,
Accepting energy.
And ask softly,
Without urgency,
What do you need right now?
There's no need to analyze or figure anything out.
Just see what arises.
Listen for whatever comes.
Words,
Images,
Sensations.
Maybe a part wants rest.
Maybe one wants reassurance that you won't abandon it.
Maybe one wants permission to stop trying so hard.
Maybe one wants to be seen and acknowledged.
Maybe one needs you to know how scared it is.
You don't have to respond to every need right now.
You don't have to have all the answers.
Just acknowledging what they need,
Just hearing them,
Is enough.
That alone is healing.
Now,
Offer a thank you to your part.
In other words,
You might say,
Thanks for showing up.
Thanks for trusting me enough to let me see you.
Or simply,
I'll keep checking in with you.
These parts are working so hard to help you even when it doesn't feel that way.
They deserve so much gratitude.
Begin to feel your breath again.
Feel the air moving in and out.
Feel your body and space.
The weight of your body against the chair or floor.
Wiggle your fingers and toes.
Roll your shoulders if that feels good.
Notice your contact with whatever surface is supporting you.
Let yourself come back to the present moment gently.
There's no rush.
Take your time.
Take one more breath in gratitude for your system,
For your parts,
For their willingness to show up,
And for your own willingness to pause and listen.
When you're ready in your own time,
Open your eyes.
Thank you for your courage and practicing today.
You're doing something beautiful and brave for your system.
This work matters.
