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Walks ยท one sitting, about 3 min

The part that wants to do this right

For the part that wants this done well. Check for hurry, plans, going through the motions, and a part that says it is you, then ask whether your calm is open or numb.

7 steps, drawn from 8 books on IFS.

A draft: every passage it quotes is in its book, but its own wording has not yet been checked against them.

Read every step first
  1. Doing it right is a part too. A part that wants this done well can feel exactly like you. It can run the whole show and call it Self. This walk checks for it, kindly. It is not a problem unless it gets in the way.
  2. Settle. Sit or lie however suits you, eyes open or closed. If breathing helps today, breathe slowly into your belly a few times, then let it be. If not, skip it.
  3. Which of these is here? Check for the usual ones. Pick the closest.
  4. The one in a hurry. Tell it you can see it wants to get on and heal. That is a good thing to want. Then remind it that the fastest way is to respect every part and follow the flow.
  5. Calm, or numb? Check what your calm is made of. Calm that is Self has room in it: open, easy, the body not clamped. Calm that is a part can feel like fog, a cosy blanket, a heavy or sleepy feeling. A kind tone can also carry a judgment you did not notice.
  6. Good enough Self. You do not have to be in Self all the time. Some of the time is enough. When a part takes over, notice it and let it ease back. You can do that silently, in the moment.
  7. Before you go. Thank any part that came forward or made room, if that feels true. If you mean to come back, tell them so. When you are ready, come back to the room: feel your feet and look around.
  8. The one with a plan. Notice where you think this should go. That is a part holding a plan. Ask it to let the sitting go where it goes. If something else seems more important, follow that.
  9. The one that says it is you. Some parts run the show nearly all the time, and a part may feel like all of you. You do not have to argue with it. Get to know it a little, and as it begins to trust you it may step aside.
  10. A calm that dulls. Some parts bring a heavy, sleepy calm that looks like Self. It can make it hard to keep talking with a part that hurts. Thank it for what it is doing. You do not have to go near anything hard today.
  11. A judging edge. Parts are very sensitive to how you feel toward them, and they can tell when a judging part has taken over, even if you did not notice. So if it is there, say hello to it, and ask it to step back a little.
  12. The one going through the motions. A part can try to do it perfectly by faking bits of the sitting. If that is you right now, you are not in trouble. Say so, and name what is actually there: a block, a blank, a part that does not want this. Nothing needs to be faked.