Internal Family Systems
Explore these curated IFS guided meditations that help us understand and heal our inner system. Get to know parts and protectors, connect with the self, and explore specific issues and topics through an Internal Family Systems lens.
Classic IFS guided meditations: approaching self and protectors
These are classic IFS meditations recorded by Dick Schwartz the founder of Internal Family System Therapy.
If you don’t quite connect with these, no worries, just scroll down for more options on the same topics.
The path meditation for connecting with self
In this guided meditation, we are invited to find space around parts of our inner system so we can get a better sense of what self and self-energy might feel like for us.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWEoHSe1zGw
Exploring your reactions to someone who triggers you
In this embodied meditation, we get to know the parts and protectors that come up in our inner system when we are in presence of a person who triggers us.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQ91WpwODWo
Getting to know our inner system
Finding and getting to know the parts that need your attention
In this IFS meditation, we let parts who need our attention arise in consciousness and we start building a relationship with them. We share our care for them and listen to what they might want to share with us.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Je70aHlZakQ
A morning IFS meditation to check in with parts
This meditation is focused on the body and starts by a guided body relaxation. It then invites us to explore parts that might be present in the body and to get to know them in a more traditional IFS way.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34SQJKefY0w
Developing the relationship between part and self
This IFS meditation highlights the relational dimension of IFS. After a mindful exploration of body and mind, we are invited to connect with a part and to focus on mindfully stepping back to develop a genuine relationship between self and the part through the IFS process of unblending. This IFS meditation is guided by Dick Schwartz.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MmZff1Q-go
IFS meditations to deal with anxiety, prejudices, the inner critic, and other topics
Meeting our organizers parts: life scheduler, task master, procrastinator
In this IFS meditation, we are meeting the parts of ourselves who work hard to organize our daily life and make sure we accomplish things. We also meet the parts they might have a negative impact on. Meditation starts at 4.55.
Meeting prejudiced parts and protectors
This meditation is focused on gently bringing to consciousness parts that might hold racial prejudices. By welcoming them and accepting them, we are encouraged to explore their fears so we can heal the prejudices we might have internalized. This video is guided by Loch Kelly.
IFS meditation for anxiety
Here, we connect with our anxious part to learn about its current concerns and its fears for the future. The IFS meditation starts at 12.49.
Understanding your inner critic
Bringing to consciousness our critic or critics parts to get to know them better. Meditation starts at 9.05.
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IFS and meditations from contemplative traditions
Sending loving-kindness to our parts using a Buddhist meditation technique
In this first practice, we are invited to approach our parts as we do in IFS and then offer them love and care using a classical Buddhist guided practice of loving kindness.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omxMhlc7o6Q
IFS meditations to connect with the spacious awareness of self
We are invited to investigate our perception of awareness in this meditation that blends IFS and pure awareness practices influenced by the Buddhist contemplative traditions. This meditation is offered by Lock Kelly, the guided practice starts at 3.12.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElAp2ikK4Yo
Guided practices for people experienced with IFS
Here you will find guided meditations that require some experience with or knowledge of IFS.
Getting to know a protector fear a more direct approach
In this guided practice we get to know a protector, explore its fears and what other role it would like to play, and what it might need from us in the future.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56Px9qaxAkY
IFS meditation quick check-ins
Here we are checking in with all sensations and emotions that are present, and connect with parts they are associated with. You are invited to write down the parts you identify, if you would like do that be sure to prepare everything you need beforehand. Meditation starts at 3 minutes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RoBvoQ5jle8
Meditation to sense whether we are in a self-like part or truly in Self
We are invited to explore self-like parts, such as the perceiver, to try to unblend from them and connect with a deeper sense of self. The practice starts at 39:30.
https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/xwNxK01BfHM?start=2380
IFS workshop and guided practice to work with shame
This a 3-part series, in fact a whole workshop, with the guided IFS meditation offered in the last session. I would encourage you to watch the whole series, as there are a lot of benefits to do so before you follow the last guided practice. This is especially true if you do not have experience with IFS. It is offered by Derek Scott; the guided practice is accessible through a form available in the description of the second video.
Part 1:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SPfiTld_Js
Part 2:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Isy3jWEyhQ
Do you know of IFS meditations which you think should be included, or have questions or comments? Please get in touch.
Meditations for purchase
A few IFS therapy practitioners offer their own meditations for purchase on their websites. Here are my personal recommendations for more advanced IFS meditations:
Daily parts meditations for clients by Michelle Glass
A series of meditations for people who are already working with an Internal Family System practitioner and wish to reconnect with their parts regularly as part of the work. Available for purchase on her website.
Meditations for Self by Richard Schwartz
A series of 8 meditations by the discoverer of the IFS therapy model available on the IFS institute online store.
