# Getting to Know a Protector[^1] --- [[On Tools, Skills, and Practices...]] Type: [[🧘 IFS Meditations]] Use: [[🕯️ Unblending|unblending]] > [!Notice] This meditation has been edited from its original source First we get comfortable and take a few [[💨 Elongated Exhalation]]s. If it feels safe, we do a short [[🧘 Body Scan]]. As we do the scan, we stay open to noticing any [[💡 Trailheads]] and note whether one of our [[💡 Parts]] seems to want our attention. If one does, we rest our attention on them and try to locate them in or around our body. If we can't find the part in our body, that's okay. Whether we have or not, we can explore our relationship with them and ask ourselves: How do we feel toward them? Do we like or dislike them? Are we annoyed? Do we feel afraid and want them to go away? Are they afraid? Do we rely on them? If we feel anything besides a kind of openness or curiosity toward it, we kindly ask the parts who hold these feelings to relax and give us a little space to get to know this part on our own. If they feel resistant, we let them know they can watch and step in if they feel the need, that they aren't being rejected or sent away. If they still say no, that’s okay. We can spend this time talking with these parts about their fears around letting you interact with the other. If they are willing, and if we're able to tap into openness and curiosity, it's now safe to interact with and get to know the part. We again rest our attention on them and notice where they are in our body. Then, without thinking about the answer, we can ask if there’s anything they want us to know and we just listen. There's no rush, just wait silently with your focus on that place in our body until an answer comes. If we don't get an answer, that’s okay. If we get an answer, we can ask: What are they afraid will happen if they stopped working inside us like this? If we get an answer, we'll have learned something about how this part trying to protect us. Whether we get an answer or not, we extend our gratitude to them for at least trying to keep you safe and see how they react. Then we can ask this part what they need from us in the future. When we are ready to re-enter the external world, we first thank our parts for their presence and their time and we let them know we'll be returning soon to continue getting to know them. Then we slowly [[Transition out of meditation]]. [^1]: [[📖 🟢 No Bad Parts - Healing Trauma and Restoring Wholeness with the Internal Family Systems Model]] - Exercise: Getting to Know a Protector