Everything IFS Blog

Internal Family Systems

Still life with a glowing crystal sphere resting on layered stone slabs, surrounded by rolled scrolls, old books, smooth stones, a lotus ornament, and an incense burner releasing smoke, arranged on draped fabric in warm, mystical light.

Chapter 21 – Tao Te Ching

An IFS-informed exploration of Tao Te Ching Chapter 21, revealing virtue as alignment with the Tao, the felt-sense of Self, and the subtle truth beneath form, shape, and essence.

Tao Te Ching

5 min read

Still life with a sword resting across an old book, a white lily in the foreground, scattered coins and stones, a warrior’s helmet in the background, and an incense burner releasing smoke, arranged on draped fabric in warm, subdued light.

Chapter 31 – Tao Te Ching

An IFS-informed reading of Tao Te Ching Chapter 31, exploring violence, power, and restraint through the lens of Self-energy, inner protectors, and the cost of domination without sorrow.

Tao Te Ching

4 min read

Still life with four smooth stones stacked in balance on a stone base, surrounded by rolled scrolls, dried grasses, lotus blossoms, scattered pebbles, and an incense burner releasing smoke, arranged on draped fabric in warm, tranquil light.

Chapter 22 – Tao Te Ching

An IFS-informed exploration of Tao Te Ching Chapter 22, revealing why bending leads to wholeness, yielding restores integrity, and Self-led presence heals what force never can.

Tao Te Ching

7 min read

A symbolic still life showing two stacks of stones on cloth. On the left, uneven stones strain to support an ornate golden crown, creating an unstable, tilted balance. On the right, a simple stack of smooth stones sits evenly and grounded, unadorned. The contrast suggests excess and striving versus natural balance and steadiness.

Chapter 24 – Tao Te Ching

An IFS-informed reading of Tao Te Ching Chapter 24, exploring how egoic striving, self-promotion, and overreaching destabilize the system, while grounded Self-led presence restores balance and endurance.

Tao Te Ching

5 min read

A serene still life with a glowing crystal sphere resting on layered stone platforms, surrounded by smooth pebbles, an antique incense burner releasing smoke, a lotus flower, and old books on draped fabric, bathed in warm, contemplative light.

Chapter 25 – Tao Te Ching

An IFS-informed reading of Tao Te Ching Chapter 25, exploring the formless Source behind all things, the rhythm of expansion and return, and how Self-led living aligns with the deepest natural order.

Tao Te Ching

5 min read

A contemplative still life featuring a lit candle in a bronze bowl atop stacked antique books, smooth balancing stones, a rolled parchment, wooden prayer beads, two ornate miniature golden chariots, and a leather travel bag, arranged on stone slabs and draped fabric in warm, muted light.

Chapter 26 – Tao Te Ching

An IFS-informed reading of Tao Te Ching Chapter 26, exploring inner gravity, stillness as leadership, and how Self becomes the stabilizing root beneath movement, ambition, and stimulation.

Tao Te Ching

4 min read

A quiet still life showing a rough wooden block resting on stone slabs, surrounded by carving tools, wood shavings, smooth stacked stones, a lotus flower, a coiled rope, and a yin-yang stone sphere, arranged on draped fabric in soft, earthy light.

Chapter 28 – Tao Te Ching

An IFS-informed reading of Tao Te Ching Chapter 28, exploring polarity, humility, the uncarved block, and how Self holds opposites without becoming trapped in roles, identities, or coping strategies.

Tao Te Ching

4 min read

A tranquil still life featuring a bonsai tree in a shallow bowl, an antique hourglass filled with sand, a smoking incense burner, stacked old books, smooth stones, prayer beads, and a rolled parchment, arranged on stone slabs and draped fabric in warm, meditative light.

Chapter 23 – Tao Te Ching

An IFS-informed reading of Tao Te Ching Chapter 23, exploring natural rhythms, emotional storms, alignment, trust, and why Self-led presence is the only sustainable way to live.

Tao Te Ching

5 min read

A symbolic still life showing a bronze hand cradling a glowing lotus candle beside coiled rope, keys, a padlock resting on stacked old books, rolled parchment, and smooth stones, arranged on stone slabs and draped fabric in warm, contemplative light.

Chapter 27 – Tao Te Ching

An IFS-informed reading of this Tao Te Ching chapter, revealing mastery without force, compassion without judgment, and how Self-led presence leaves no inner harm, no abandoned parts, and no wasted experience.

Tao Te Ching

5 min read

A contemplative still life featuring a human skull resting on stacked antique books, reflected in a small round mirror, with a lit candle, hourglass, rolled parchment, keys, beads, coins, and smooth stones arranged on stone slabs under warm, subdued light.

Chapter 33 – Tao Te Ching

An IFS-informed reading of Tao Te Ching Chapter 33, exploring inner wisdom, Self-mastery, enoughness, and how centered presence creates a form of longevity that endures beyond control, achievement, or force.

Tao Te Ching

3 min read

A warm, antique still life showing an old globe resting on stacked leather-bound books, with a smoking incense burner, rolled parchment, ceremonial knife, keys, beads, shallow bowl of sand, and smooth stones arranged on stone slabs beneath soft, golden light.

Chapter 29 – Tao Te Ching

An IFS-informed reading of Tao Te Ching Chapter 29, exploring why force and control fracture harmony, and how Self-led presence honors natural rhythms instead of trying to dominate them.

Tao Te Ching

4 min read

A warm, medieval-style still life featuring a weathered warrior’s helmet and an ornate sword resting across an old leather-bound book, with rolled parchment, dried wheat stalks, scattered coins, a shallow bowl of grain, and a lit candle arranged on stone slabs under soft, amber light.

Chapter 30 – Tao Te Ching

An IFS-informed reading of Tao Te Ching Chapter 30, exploring why force and domination create resistance, and how Self-led alignment offers a quieter, more enduring form of power.

Tao Te Ching

4 min read

A symbolic still life of three ornate medieval crowns displayed on stone slabs one golden, one dark and weathered, and one holding a human skull arranged beside a lit candle, old books, scattered keys, parchment, and straw on a linen-covered table in warm, muted light.

Chapter 17 – Tao Te Ching

An IFS-informed reading of Tao Te Ching Chapter 17, exploring quiet leadership, trust, and how Self-led guidance empowers inner parts without control, fear, or the need for recognition.

Tao Te Ching

6 min read

A contemplative still life featuring a cracked stone block, a sword resting across stacked old books, a lit candle, a glowing lotus-shaped candle holder, rolled parchment, and scattered cards on a linen-covered table, arranged in warm, subdued light with a textured backdrop.

Chapter 18 – Tao Te Ching

An IFS-informed reading of Tao Te Ching Chapter 18, revealing how forced morality, performative goodness, and rigid loyalty arise when Self-energy is obscured, and how natural alignment restores effortless compassion.

Tao Te Ching

4 min read

A traditional Daoist ink painting showing an elderly sage seated beside a quiet river, surrounded by mountains, pines, and lotus flowers. The sage gazes toward a floating yin-yang symbol, representing the unity of the nameless source and the ten thousand things.

Chapter 1 – Tao Te Ching

Chapter One of the Tao Te Ching reveals the heart of Taoist wisdom: the difference between the nameless Source beneath all things and the named world of forms. This commentary blends ancient Taoist insight with IFS clarity, showing how the Mystery mirrors Self-energy and how desire, grasping, and naming shape our perception of reality.

Tao Te Ching

5 min read

A solitary woman walks along a winding dirt path through a barren landscape beneath a dramatic sky filled with dark clouds and filtered sunlight. Along the path stand a series of weathered wooden signposts labeled Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance, marking different stages of the emotional journey. The path gradually climbs a hill toward a distant cemetery, where numerous headstones and a prominent monument are clearly visible on the horizon. A leafless tree stands near the graveyard, adding to the contemplative atmosphere. The woman is seen from behind, continuing forward despite the uncertainty ahead. The image serves as a visual metaphor for the Five Stages of Dying, portraying death not as a single moment but as a journey through a range of emotional experiences.

The Five Stages of Dying Course

A free IFS Academy course on the five stages of dying from the Death and Dying Series: the framework Elisabeth Kübler-Ross drew from her interviews with dying patients, each stage taught in its own full lesson, a bonus lesson on anxiety, the stage she never named, and a closing lesson on the stages in motion. Every lesson ends with an IFS and parts work exercise so you can begin working with what you learn.

Everything IFS

A very thin, physically frail man sits on the edge of an unmade bed in a dark bedroom during the early hours of the morning. His elbows rest on his knees while both hands grip the sides of his head, fingers buried in his hair. His eyes are wide open and fixed on the floor, conveying exhaustion, fear, and relentless racing thoughts. Prominent cheekbones, a gaunt face, and visible weight loss suggest serious illness. Beside him on a nightstand, a glowing digital alarm clock clearly reads 3:00 AM, emphasizing another sleepless night. Medication bottles and a glass of water sit nearby, while soft moonlight and a bedside lamp cast gentle shadows across the room. The image captures the restless, consuming anxiety that can accompany a life-limiting illness, when worries about death make it impossible to sleep or find peace.

Bonus Module — Anxiety, the Missing Stage | The Five Stages of Dying Course

A free IFS Academy course on anxiety, the missing stage of dying, from the Death and Dying Series: why anxiety never made the list of five, the distinct fears that only look like one, fear of dying versus fear of death, the waves and the 3 a.m. shift, the proximity finding, and what genuinely settles each fear. Every lesson ends with an IFS and parts work exercise so you can begin working with what you learn.

Everything IFS

A woman wearing a headscarf sits comfortably in a cushioned armchair beside a bright window, wrapped in a soft blanket and holding a warm mug in both hands. Gentle daylight illuminates her face as she gazes quietly out the window with a calm, reflective expression. Family photographs, a candle, and cozy home furnishings surround her, creating a peaceful and familiar atmosphere. There is no visible distress, struggle, or urgency in her posture. Instead, the image conveys a sense of stillness, acceptance, and emotional peace. The scene represents the acceptance stage of the Five Stages of Dying, where a person acknowledges the reality of death and rests in the present moment with a sense of quiet understanding.

Module 7 — Acceptance | The Five Stages of Dying Course

A free IFS Academy course on acceptance, the final stage of dying, from the Death and Dying Series: her actual description of the stage as nearly void of feeling, the line between acceptance and resignation, the lengthening sleep and shrinking circle, decathexis and the held hand, why families arrive later than the dying, and fighting to the end as a valid way to die. Every lesson ends with an IFS and parts work exercise so you can begin working with what you learn.

Everything IFS