IFS Meditations for Self-Discovery

Explore IFS meditations with IFS developer Dick Schwartz to help you connect with your inner parts, cultivate Self-energy, and support your therapy journey.

This is a collection of meditations and exercises based on the Internal Family Systems (IFS) model, guided by Dr. Richard Schwartz, the developer of IFS.

These audio meditations are designed to support you in accessing Self-energy—a calm, clear, and compassionate inner state - another way of describing a Mindful State that can lead the therapeutic process.

There’s no “right way” to use them. You might choose to explore them in sequence or return to one that resonates with you. Some people find one meditation they return to again and again.

  • Some meditations are designed to help you get to know a part or shift your relationship with it.

  • Others aim to help parts relax and unblend, so you can better embody your Self.

  • A few are focused on increasing awareness of parts, so they become more available for inner work.

All of them support what IFS calls Self-leadership—helping the parts in your system feel safe enough to trust that you, your core Self, can lead with compassion and clarity.

If you discover a part that needs deeper attention or feels stuck, you may want to explore it further—either by focussing on the part in your own practice or with the support of an IFS-informed therapist.
👉 Learn more about IFS Therapy here.

Click on the below images, which will take you to Insight Timer site for full meditation. Arrow will Only Play a preview.

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.

💬 When Support from a Therapist Might Be Helpful on Your IFS Journey

While many people find these meditations deeply meaningful and use them to discover and begin relating to previously unknown parts of themselves and reconnect with Self in everyday life, there can be times when additional support is wise.

If you're noticing strong internal conflicts, difficulty getting close to or sensing parts clearly, or if exiled parts begin to surface and feel overwhelming, it may be more effective to explore these experiences gently with a trained therapist.

We offer online therapy for those who want to deepen their inner work with compassionate guidance, at a pace that feels right.