IFS Meditations for Self-Discovery

Explore a collection of guided IFS meditations to help you connect with your inner parts, cultivate Self-energy, and support your therapy journey.

This is a collection of meditations and exercises that are based on the Internal Family Systems (IFS) model. They are guided by Dick Schwartz, the developer of IFS. There is no “right way” to use them. You may want to do them in sequence or you might want to just try the same one several times. Some people will just use one over and over and then move to another one. Some meditations are designed to help you get to know a part or change your relationship with it a little bit. Others are designed to help your parts relax and let you embody Self-energy and then some are designed to actually become more aware of parts, so they can be more available to you to then work with.

All meditations are designed to help promote what in IFS is called Self-leadership. That is, to help your parts trust that it's safe to let you lead and stay in your body as you go through life.

💡 If you notice a part that needs deeper attention or feels stuck, you may want to explore working with it further in your own practice—or with the support of a trained therapist.

IFS Meditation: a guided meditation focusing on Trail Heads and how to engage them. Dick guides you to show compassion to your parts and engages with them through compassion and loving energy.

One Part: Dick guides you through the process of getting to know one part at a time. He encourages you to identify one part and focus curiosity and compassion on it. To listen and nurture it, while also holding other parts in loving energy

The Path: In this deeply relaxing meditation, Dick guides you through a journey without your parts in order to learn about Self Leadership. This exercise is designed to create awareness about Self and the needs of parts, both specific and in general.

Embodiment: Identifying Trail Heads and working within the body to soothe parts and give them comfort. Dick encourages you to engage even difficult parts with curiousity, compassion and love.

Heart Meditation: This meditation explores the expansiveness of the heart and the parts that protect it. Dick encourages you to pay attention to, and show appreciation for, the many parts and the roles they play.

Courage: Dick guides you to engage your parts and, together, view a courageous moment from your past. You experience the reactions from your parts and ask for permission to embody the bravery within yourself, sharing the feelings your parts experience as they move through this process.

Fire Drill: Dickguides you through the experience of addressing complicated, and sometimes difficult, relationships. During this meditation, Dick helps you to examine the triggers in those relationships and then get to know your own parts' needs in a safe and supportive manner.

If you find yourself identifying parts that need more care or guidance, we offer online IFS therapy to help you navigate this process. Contact us to explore working with your system in a supportive, structured way.