Clearing Limiting Beliefs with Compassion

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I (like many) used to berate myself for my blocks, the limiting beliefs I have about myself and anything that is ‘in my control’ that has been holding me back as a person.

With this attitude, my relationship with myself was one of judgement, pressure and frankly it was unkind.

How I handle myself when addressing self-made blocks has been one of the major focuses of my self-development journey over the past few years. Like with any part of my life I am ‘working on’, there are certain lessons that take a while to learn and some which click into place instantly.

The Internal Family Systems (IFS) Model was one of those concepts that clicked instantly for me.

What is IFS?

IFS is a therapy that looks at an individual as a team of people, whose number one priority is keeping that individual safe and alive. My understanding is that the model teaches that over our lifetime we will create beliefs, codes, or blocks as a response to our experiences (often these are traumatic.)

How to understand it?

For example, if 8-year-old Marina stood at the front of her classroom to present something and felt uncomfortable by the reaction of her classmates she might create the belief that it does not feel ‘safe’ to speak out loud to a group of people. 8-year-old Marina makes a note of this feeling and creates the intention of avoiding similar situations in the future. This 8-year-old Marina then lives within grown up Marina, reminding her of this belief and therefore making public speaking something to be feared by grown up Marina.

Now, I wouldn’t berate my 8-year-old self for feeling fearful of public speaking. I would speak to her with compassion, calm understanding, and reassure her that she is safe. I may show her how public speaking can be a fun experience and ways in which to build confidence around visibility.

Understanding how IFS works, when I uncover a limiting belief I have about either myself, others or the world I no longer berate myself for holding this belief. I acknowledge the belief as something created by myself as a form of keeping myself ‘safe’, a form of self-protection. I thank myself, reassure myself that I am indeed safe and then choose a better feeling belief.

How to use it?

Here is a directory of IFS Certified Therapists. There are people all over the world, with the majority available for online sessions too.

How I use it

I have created my own practice inspired by IFS. Please see the step-by-step below:

  • Notice an uncomfortable block, thought or limiting belief

  • Acknowledge the feeling

  • Acknowledge that it has come with the intention of self-protection

  • Thank the version of myself that has created it for having my best interests in mind

  • Reassure this version of myself and current me that I am safe in this moment, and that I am safe to think, feel or believe in something else

  • Intentionally choose a better / more empowering thought or belief

Going deeper

IFS has also been an amazing model to study in relation to working with the Akashic Records. Similarly to the IFS teachings that experiences in this lifetime can affect how we are in the world, in the Akashic Records we can see how experiences in past lifetimes affect us today too.

This understanding gives us greater power to unblock, clear and transform our patterns and beliefs to allow us to step into greater alignment with who we are, what we want and how to create it.

Questions about the Akashic Records? Check out this page.

Further questions? Send me an email or drop into my insta DMs. I’d love to chat with you.

Hey, I’m Marina

I combine the practical & spiritual to create clear, exciting direction to support my clients in accelerating towards fulfilment & happiness.

My mission is to make it easier for you to know how amazing & magical you are so you can show it to the world.

I look forward to connecting with you! ✨