Somatic IFS: Noticing How You Feel Towards Your Parts

This exercise will guide you to identify a part within you, explore its qualities somatically, and then pay close attention to how you feel towards this part. We will specifically focus on noticing if those feelings come from your core Self, which embodies qualities like Calmness, Curiosity, Clarity, Compassion, Confidence, Courage, Creativity, and Connectedness (the 8 C's), or if they might be coming from another part of you that has blended.

1. FIND a Part Through Somatic Awareness

• Bring your awareness to your body. Find a comfortable position, sitting or lying down.

• Scan your body for any noticeable sensations. This could be tension, warmth, tingling, pressure, or any other physical feeling.

• Notice if any particular sensation seems connected to a feeling, thought, or urge. For example, a tightness in your chest might be linked to anxiety, or a knot in your stomach to worry.

• Identify one sensation that feels present for you right now. Ask yourself, "Where in my body do I feel this?". "How would I describe this sensation?".

2. FOCUS on the Part in Your Body

• Direct your attention to the specific bodily sensation you identified. Stay with this sensation for a few moments.

• Notice what happens as you focus on it. Does the sensation intensify, soften, move, or stay the same?.

• Ask yourself: "What else do I notice as I put my attention here?". "Does this sensation have a quality, like a texture, temperature, or density?".

3. FLESH Out the Potential Part

• Explore the characteristics associated with this bodily sensation. Ask yourself:

  • "If this sensation were a part of me, how would I experience it beyond just the physical feeling? Would it have an image, a color, a shape?".

  • "Does this part seem to have an age or a feeling tone (e.g., young, old, heavy, light)?".

  • "If this part could speak, what might it want to say?". What might its concerns or intentions be?".

  • "What might be the role or job of this part? What is it trying to do for me?".

4. FEEL Towards the Part: Initial Observation

• Now, turn your attention to how you feel towards this part that you have identified and fleshed out. Take a moment and notice the emotional quality of your response.

• Ask yourself: "As I focus on this part, what emotions arise in me towards it?". "Do I feel...? (Notice any judgment, frustration, anger, fear, care, curiosity, etc.)".

5. Checking for Blending: Is This Self or Another Part?

• Review the 8 C's of Self-energy: Calmness, Curiosity, Clarity, Compassion, Confidence, Courage, Creativity, and Connectedness.

• Ask yourself: "Does the way I feel towards this part primarily align with these qualities?". For example, do you feel genuinely curious about the part, or do you feel frustrated by it? Do you feel compassionate towards its potential struggles, or are you critical of its actions?

• If your feeling towards the part is predominantly one of the 8 C's (or a neutral, open stance), this suggests you are likely in Self-energy as you relate to this part.

• If your feeling towards the part is more judgmental, fearful, angry, or critical (anything other than the 8 C's or neutrality), it's likely that another part of you has blended and is holding that feeling towards the target part. This "feeling towards" is not coming directly from your Self.

6. Noticing a Blended Part (If Applicable)

• If you notice a feeling that is not one of the 8 C's, gently shift your focus to that feeling itself and where you feel it in your body.

• Ask yourself about this feeling part: "Where do I feel this feeling of (e.g., frustration) in my body?" "What might this part be concerned about in relation to the first part I identified?" "What is this part trying to protect me from by feeling this way towards the other part?". (We won't fully explore this part now, but simply notice its presence.)

7. Shifting Towards Self-Energy

• Take a few slow, deep breaths, noticing the rise and fall of your chest or belly. This can help you access a more Self-led state.

• Bring a sense of gentle curiosity towards your inner world. Remind yourself that all parts have positive intentions, even if their actions are sometimes challenging.

8. FEEL Towards the Part Again: From Self

• Now, once again bring your attention back to the initial part you identified (the one with the original bodily sensation).

• From this more Self-connected place, notice how you feel towards that part now. Can you access a sense of curiosity about its role? Perhaps a touch of compassion for what it might be carrying?.

• Observe if there is any shift in your feeling towards the part now that you have more access to your Self-energy.

9. Reflection

• Consider these questions:

  • What was the initial feeling you noticed towards the part?

  • Did you identify any instances where you might have been blended with another part that had a feeling towards the target part? What was that like?

  • What was it like to shift your attention and try to connect with the target part from a place of Self-energy (using the 8 C's)?

  • Did you notice a difference in how you felt towards the part when you were potentially blended versus when you felt more Self-led?

  • What does this tell you about the importance of noticing how you feel towards your parts?

This exercise is a starting point for understanding the crucial distinction between relating to your parts from the clarity and compassion of your Self and from the potentially reactive or protective stance of another part. With practice, you can become more skilled at recognizing when blending is occurring and intentionally accessing your Self to foster healing relationships with all aspects of your inner world.