IFS-Inspired Meditation For Depressive Episodes

Welcome to this IFS inspired meditation to help you to deal with your depressive episode.

First of all I want to let you know that you are not alone.

Everybody faces times of hardship,

Times of feeling heavy or feeling sad and that can feel very lonely and you can feel very helpless.

I want to let you know that so many people on this planet in this very moment are experiencing the very same emotions.

You are not alone with this and I would like to give you some hope and some ideas on how to make a little island of peace within your inner system right now.

Although it may feel that these parts of you which take over,

Which numb everything and which are just so present and telling you the story of why things are hard and bad and challenging,

They're so strong and feel like you feel overwhelmed by them.

So this meditation is really designed to welcome all aspects and to help you to find a little island of relief and of peace.

So for that I welcome you to really sink into your position,

Find a comfortable space and take a few more deep breaths.

Complete inhalation and exhale.

Two more times inhalation and exhale.

Last time even deeper and exhale and let go of your body tension and rest into the space you are in and just witness for a moment how does your body feel right now.

Maybe you sense some tension somewhere in your body and you want to relax that area in your body a little bit more,

A little bit more and a little bit more.

Wonderful.

The more you relax,

The more you let go,

The more you let go,

The more you relax.

And from here very likely you can witness these parts of you,

These voices of you which are very present,

Uncomfortable and telling you whatever story they are telling you at the moment.

I want you to find just a sense of curiosity and gratitude for them to show up.

Just to be grateful for anything that is showing up right now that gives you the opportunity to observe and to learn a little bit more about your inner system.

So in whatever shape or thought these parts show up,

I want to ensure you these are still just parts taking over out of fear and your true,

Lightful,

Calm,

Relaxed state of self is always available beneath,

Even if you can't feel it that much in this moment.

So all we can do here is welcome all those parts which are blending and taking over your body right now and to just be with them for a moment.

Knowing that this,

Just like a thunderstorm,

Like bad weather,

Sooner or later will also change and make space for your sun to shine.

So you really want to send some curiosity and gratitude,

Even if it's just a tiny bit,

To those parts which are present,

Which might feel you numb and hopeless,

And try to welcome them as good as you can.

And underneath this pain and heaviness you know that all parts are trying to help you in some way,

Even if it doesn't feel like it all the time.

Even those parts which are coming in with trying to protect your system by numbing it,

By seemingly destructive and unproductive thoughts,

They do have an important message for your system.

So see if you can expand your curiosity and gratefulness for those parts with their messages just a little bit more and how it is to just be with that part for now.

Maybe you can sense that instead of pushing this part away and just being with it,

That that part is calming down just a little bit more.

And the more it calms down,

You might notice that your whole system is calming down a bit more.

So all you want to do is be with this part and with curiosity and as much of an open heart as you can in this moment,

Allow this part to just be present.

Pain in its essence can be a very powerful and healing emotion.

So maybe you can even find some relief in acknowledging the rawness of your pain in this very moment.

And as you know that those parts also act out of love to you,

Maybe you can sense the intention of this part it has.

Bottom line,

It wants to help you even with these extreme emotions and roles it's playing right now.

It's possible that this part sees this as its last resort to deliver its message of its importance of message that there is a change necessary in some way in your life.

So maybe you can send some gratitude towards this part for its loving intention of trying to help your system,

Even if that part is extreme in how it is doing it.

Maybe you can witness that that part is sensing your welcoming and sensing your curiosity.

And maybe that part relaxes back a little bit more for that reason,

Because it's not pushed away in this very moment and is relieved that you actually listen and are sitting with it.

And then you can sense into your system,

Very possible,

There is a part of you which really tries to push away those negative,

Depressive acting parts.

It's a very common thing.

It's such an unpleasant feeling.

Nobody wants to be in a depressive state.

So it's very natural that there is parts on the other side,

Which are very judgmental and very active in trying to push away everything that is heavy and negative.

And sense into your system how those parts are showing up.

How do you sense them in or around your body?

Maybe it's a managing part,

A part that really wants to achieve things and feels all this negativity and heaviness is just in the way of functioning,

Of accomplishing things.

And see if you can lovingly welcome that part as well and witness its good intentions of trying to help you by pushing away everything that is negative and heavy,

Because it really wants you and your system to feel good.

So there's really strong good intentions there.

And see if you can just be with that part in a loving way and appreciating its intention of trying to help by pushing away all those dark,

Depressive acting parts.

And maybe you can sense your whole system relaxing more and more.

The more you accept and acknowledge that all parts in this game are just being parts and are trying to help in your situation right now to the best of their ability.

And for that,

Maybe you can send some more gratitude and curiosity to all those parts which are trying to help you.

And there might be more parts involved.

So sense into your system what other parts,

Besides those dark,

Heavy parts and possibly a part which tries to push that away,

Maybe there is judgmental parts.

Maybe there's childlike parts or any other emotions and internal pictures that are coming up.

And whatever voices and parts are showing themselves,

Send them gratitude,

Calmness and curiosity.

And let them feel and know that they are all welcome.

And maybe you can even sense their loving intention.

As you know,

All parts are here to help you.

They are trying to help you to the best of their ability with a loving intention of supporting your system.

So maybe you can sense beyond the actual action of your parts into the intention of your parts,

Into the loving intention of trying to help you.

And maybe you can sense this loving intention from all those different parts coming into your heart,

Feeling a connection between those parts and your heart and the loving way how they're trying to help your system.

And how you feel that the intention from your whole system is actually to help you.

Maybe you can sense in your heart how this support,

This loving support from your part is expanding your capacity for gratefulness,

Curiosity,

Compassion,

Calmness.

And how this connection and calmness is spreading through your body,

Through your system and is connected with all your parts in this very moment.

And maybe you can even sense how your whole inner team,

Which is composed of all of your parts,

Are having the same intention of helping you and are aligned in that vision of helping to create harmony in your system.

Maybe you can sense the helplessness and how they are trying to achieve this beyond their loving intention.

And maybe you can feel compassion for how those parts are acting in this very moment to try to help you.

Once our parts really feel understood in what they do and how they do it,

Very often they really like to soften back and relax a little bit because they got your attention.

They understand that you understand them.

And this mutual understanding of we are all trying to help,

Trying to create harmony in the system,

Actually creates a bit of harmony in the system.

And from here you can sense into your heart and just investigate.

There's maybe even courage and calmness,

Curiosity,

Compassion expanding more and more towards all the parts in your system right now.

From this loving space of compassion and connection,

Feel free to send any message to any part that requires your attention right now.

And also there is space for any part in your system to share what needs to be shared in this space of acceptance or of being with each other.

And from here you can find your way of closing your internal dialogue,

Knowing that the work you are doing right now and the times of hardship,

Actually the times when our parts are blending and being challenged are the biggest opportunity and the times for the biggest growth for your internal system.

The times when parts of you blend and you feel helpless and you can still witness and trust in your system,

In yourself,

That this is only temporary and the Sun will come back once the clouds and the thunderstorm is over,

Which always happens.

So in your way start to say goodbye for your parts for now,

Lovingly and with compassion and gratefulness,

Thanking them sincerely for showing up and delivering those important messages for your system.

And then in your way you can start moving your body,

Taking a big breath,

Maybe take a stretch and come to an end of this meditation in the way that suits you or stay a little bit longer,

Whatever feels right for your system.

Thank you very much and may the Sun shine for all of us.