Checking In With Your Inside Team

What Is Your Inside Team?

If you've seen Inside Out, you already know — Riley has a whole team of emotions living inside her, each one showing up when she needs them. As it turns out, according to IFS we all have an "inside team." And just like Riley's, ours can get loud, get quiet, take over, or go missing when things get hard. This meditation is an invitation to slow down, get curious, and say hello to whoever is showing up for you today.

Setting an Intention

You don't have to fix anything here. You don't have to make a feeling go away or figure out why it showed up. All you're doing is noticing. Think of it like checking in with a friend — you're not solving their problems, you're just letting them know you see them. That's it.

How It Shows Up in the Body

Feelings don't just live in our heads — they live in our bodies too. A tight chest. A heavy stomach. A lump in the throat. Part of what we do in this meditation is get curious about where a feeling is living in your body right now. Kids are often surprisingly good at this. Adults sometimes need a little more practice. Practice this one with a kid in your life, or, do it just for you, I won't tell.

Making Space for Every Part

Here's something true that's easy to forget: even the hard feelings — the angry ones, the loud ones, the ones that got you in trouble — are trying to help. They show up because something hurts and they don't know what else to do. This meditation won't make them go away. But it might help you sit with them a little more gently.

LINK TO INSIGHT TIMER

Click here to listen to the meditation.

Below the paywall are a free PDF worksheet to accompany the meditation, breath prayers, journal questions, and further resources to learn more about IFS for kids and adults.