Tracking Your Parts - Parts in Retrograde

When a part encounters a similar event that mirrors it's original activation it can become re-activated to react in a similar manner in which it was originally engaged. This would be contrary to work already accomplished with this part to relieve it of its original burden and to respond in a new way in the present. We can become confused because of a misunderstanding of the part's emotional stability, leading to  opportunity for this part to become more dysfunctionally reactive and troublesome. 

After all your hard work with this part to bring it to the present and in line with the Self what made the part retrograde to its past ways of behavior. We can find the answer in an old Buddhist teaching called 'propensity'.

In her book, How We Live Is How We Die, Pema Chodron describes the concept of propensity as follows, "When we do something once, we're likely to do it again. When we react to a situation in a certain way, we're like;y to react the same way the next time that situation comes up. This is how propensities develop."

In IFS terms, if a part encounters a similar situation to what were the origins of its original protective response it will have a tendency to fall back into its old pattern. Parts have propensities based in deep mental, emotional and physical reactions. Parts reeducation must be ongoing and not a one time event.

So when a situation arises in the present and we react in an old pattern of behavior it's not the time to beat up a part for acting in the old pattern of behavior. This will only reinforce the old behavior. What we need to do is come from Self with love and compassion and work with that part to become reoriented to the new way of managing the situation in partnership with Self.

In doing our work it is important to understand that the life of our 'internal family of parts' is dynamic and always changing. This makes it important that we stay in touch with all our parts and to help, not punish them, when propensities arise.