Donna

Kent, UK

Ernesto

Los Angeles, CA, USA

Heather Ruth

Amy Brice

Marc

Natick Mass, USA

Anaïs Skoutariotis

Bali, Indonesia

Turn toward your anxiety with curiosity to validate its concerns and cultivate a compassionate inner bond.

English

This is an Internal Family Systems practice. In this practice, you will be guided in caring for an anxious part. This will facilitate connection and unblending. This is a practice that is suitable for those just starting with parts work and also for those with an established practice. 

It is my hope that you will find this practice beneficial.

IFS Parts Work For Anxiety

Welcome. This is Parts Work for Anxiety. This is a meditation that can be used in any time of overwhelm, anxiety, or worry. It is designed to support you in the event of a medical issue, a relationship issue, a work issue, or just any situation where you find your mind or body racing and you're noticing that there's some reactivity or some activation showing up. So in IFS, Internal Family Systems Therapy, rather than turn away from the anxiety, try to repress it maybe, we turn towards it with curiosity and with compassion. And it can actually be helpful to do this meditation or parts work in the moment that that part is activated. If it isn't, and you're coming back to it, that's okay too. So let's go ahead and get started. And so we're going to begin by just finding a comfortable seat for your body. And that could be sitting down, that could be lying down, that could be standing up. Just do what feels right for your body right now. And just notice. Maybe even taking a moment right now to close those eyes if you haven't already, either partially or fully. What is happening in your body? Is there tightness or looseness, pain, heaviness? Just notice without judgment, taking some time to breathe. Inhaling and exhaling. Breathing. Inhaling and exhaling. And also notice the thoughts that are zipping through your mind right now, paying special attention to how your parts communicate with you. So maybe you're seeing some images or you're getting some words. Just keep breathing. And if it feels all right, you can let your system know that you're here. That you're here to support and care for your parts, whoever's here today, and that all parts are welcome. And breathe. And as you inhale, invite that anxious or worried part to step forward in whatever way makes sense for you. So do you see it or hear it or feel it? Just make contact with that part however you can, just letting it know that you're here to listen. And see if it notices you and how it responds to you. And notice also how you feel towards it. Keep breathing. Using the breath to send some self-energy to this part that's been carrying something. And if any other parts, thoughts, feelings, or sensations show up, you could ask them to maybe stay and witness or to hang back a bit. If it feels like a lot to them, right, they have choice just as you have choice. And let them know, right, I'm here. Self is here. And since our focus right now is on that target part, that anxiety, we're going to go back to it. And if you find that there are any parts that are not all right with that, that are not okay with that, you can choose to stay with them a little bit longer. So just invite this anxious part to share with you its worry. Listen to these concerns. What has this part been going through? Why? Why does it show up like this? What's it afraid is going to happen if it doesn't get you to do something? And see if you can offer it some validation if that feels right. What makes sense to you from what this part is sharing with you, from what you're hearing or what you're feeling? What do you really get about what it's saying? And then just notice this part in response to you. How long has it been doing this? And see if it will share with you how hard it's been working. And all the time, just keep sending it that compassion, that curiosity, and that connection. And I'll be quiet now for just a little while. I want to give you space to really connect with this part. What does this part need from you in this moment or overall? And see if you can meet that need from self or if you want to offer it. And also check and see, are you getting the part? Is this part feeling understood by you? If not, you can ask it to keep sharing with you. You can let it know how curious you are and how open you are to supporting it. And if it really is feeling understood by you right now, maybe sending some gratitude for the gift of connection and reciprocity. And in a bit, we're going to end. But before we do, just stay with the part some more, offering it your presence. And if it feels right, offering it an ongoing relationship with you. This practice doesn't have to be the end. And maybe sending some gratitude to the parts that witnessed or stepped back. Something like a thank you for allowing some space. A thank you for supporting that internal connection. Appreciation for trusting you to step in. And if you plan on checking in again with this part, where does it want to be until then? What does it want to happen between now and then? So just as before, coming into a cooperative agreement with this part about what that's going to look like, where it's going to hang out, or what it'll need between now and then. So once you have that, go ahead and send some love into your system, whatever that looks like for you. So it can be images, it can be sensations, it can be feeling. Just connecting and sending love. And we're going to come on back as we started through the power of the breath. Inhaling and exhaling. Breathing. Inhaling and exhaling. And that concludes the practice. Please feel free to map out, to draw or journal any part of your experience today. Thank you.