Welcome back to IFS Meditations and Insights.
I'm Tim Fortescue,
Your guide on this journey toward wholeness through the lens of internal family systems.
Together,
We're creating a sacred space to explore,
Accept,
And love all parts of ourselves.
As we do this work,
We open ourselves to experiencing divine love and living more authentically.
Let's begin.
Today we're talking about something simple,
Yet meaningful.
The daily practice of checking in with your parts.
Just five minutes can make a difference.
Think of it like a tuning fork for an instrument before playing.
Those small adjustments create harmony.
For the whole day,
Parts often operate in the background,
Some pushing you forward,
Some holding you back.
Without awareness,
You might feel pulled in different directions without knowing why.
A five-minute check-in allows you to pause,
Notice who's here,
And bring compassion to the moment.
You don't need anything elaborate.
Just ask these simple questions.
If you have parts that struggle with doing things consistently or for sure daily,
Know I get it,
And so let those parts know that you see them.
But it doesn't have to take a lot.
It could just be these three simple questions.
Who's here?
And then notice,
How do I feel toward them?
And then,
What do you need?
What do you want?
These three questions are enough to open the door to curiosity,
Which is the foundation of self-leadership.
Let me share an example.
Just this week,
I do a weekly live on Insight Timer,
And I noticed myself feeling tense before joining.
Actually,
I was having some plumbing issues.
Needed to get on a live to lead a meditation.
Parts show up then.
Can you believe it?
And just taking a moment to pause really helped,
And I realized my inner achiever was pushing me to perform,
While another younger part feared being judged.
And they were likely protecting even younger,
More tender parts in me.
Simply noticing them shifted.
Lots.
Some would say everything.
I could thank the achiever for wanting me to succeed,
And I could reassure the younger part that I was present and capable,
And that they didn't have to work so hard to protect.
They weren't alone.
There was an inner team,
And they were a big part of it.
But they didn't have to work so hard.
And the tension eased a little,
And I was able to present with more clarity instead of pressure.
Here are a few ways you can build this into your rhythm.
See if any of them feel right,
And add your own too.
But a morning ritual.
Check in with your parts as you sip your coffee.
Journaling.
You have any parts that react to journaling?
I know I do.
But it doesn't have to be a lot.
Just jotting down a quick note about who showed up helps our parts feel seen,
Takes the pressure off us to remember of who to come back to,
And you begin to develop a parts map and understand your inner system more.
Parts mapping doesn't have to be a big thing either.
You hear a lot of that too.
But just jot down what comes up over and over again.
See what forms.
And then a breath pause.
Stop midday.
Take three deep breaths.
And ask those prompts.
Who's here?
How do I feel toward them?
What do they need or want?
Consistency isn't about perfection.
It's about creating small openings of awareness that ripple through your day.
So here's the invitation.
Try a daily parts check-in today.
Just once.
No pressure.
No perfection required.
Even one moment of awareness can soften the way you move through your day.
