Ending The War With Yourself: A Full-Day Experiential Retreat and Workshop

A part of you desperately wants to rest, while another part feels guilty whenever you’re not being productive. A part of you is afraid to express yourself, while another really wants to share your truth. These inner conflicts can feel like a war with yourself. And trying to force yourself to change can become another part of that struggle. What if, instead of fighting these parts, you could understand what they’re protecting and begin to make peace with yourself? Join us for Ending the War with Yourself , a full-day workshop and retreat at Koyama Garden to explore your inner landscape through the framework of “parts.” Parts work is one of the most powerful tools I’ve found for understanding yourself, working with recurring patterns, and moving toward lasting behavioral change. I’ve personally used it over the last few years, and it has been transformational in my life and relationships, and also an unexpected bridge into deeper meditation. IFS (Internal Family Systems) suggests that we have many different “parts,” each with its own feelings, needs, and ways of seeing the world. Many of them formed when we were young as ways of protecting us and helping us navigate the world. Parts often conflict with each other, creating inner polarizations that can lead to indecision, repeating thought loops, and living from fear-driven patterns rather than our deeper wisdom. A central idea in IFS is that all of our parts have positive intentions—they are trying to help us in some way, even when their strategies cause pain or keep us stuck. There is a wisdom in holding on, and understanding that wisdom can help us find a way forward. Parts work is the practice of learning to listen and dialogue with these parts rather than fighting them. We learn to understand, value, and even love them without conditions. When parts begin to feel heard and seen, they can start to relax, soften, and change in their own time. During this retreat/workshop, we’ll explore several of our own parts through guided meditation, reflection, drawing, movement, conversation, and pair practices. One day is short, of course :) But it’s enough to get a real glimpse of this work and learn some powerful tools you can continue using at home, in meditation, and in your relationships. 📍 Details Date & Time: Sunday October 11th, from 10:30 am - 6:30pm (please arrive at 10:15 am to sign in) Location: Koyama Garden, Toshimaen Max 8 people 👁️ Schedule 10:30 — Opening meditation + introduction to parts 11:00 — Understanding your inner system + mapping your parts 12:00 — Meeting and dialoguing with a protector part 1:00 — Lunch 2:00 — Partner parts-work practice + live demonstration 3:30 — Exploring inner conflicts and polarizations 4:30 — Meeting the more vulnerable/hurt parts beneath our protectors 5:30 — Beyond parts: Self, awareness and deeper presence 6:10 — Integration + closing circle 6:30 — Finish We’ll take short breaks throughout the day. 🎒 What to Bring A picture of you when you were a kid (printed out) Comfortable clothes Water bottle Journal and pen Your own bento lunch (there’s also a konbini nearby) 📝 Liability Waiver By attending this event, you agree to the Tokyo Mindfulness liability waiver here. 💳 Cancellation Cancellation policy: You can receive a full refund up to 24 hours before the event starts. 🫶 Watch Beforehand It’s helpful to learn a bit about parts-work before the workshop. Here are some recommended videos and readings you can check out (optional!): Introduction to Internal Family Systems — Richard Schwartz https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdZZ7sTX840 What is IFS? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNA5qTTxFFA&t=2s Book: No Bad Parts — Richard Schwartz. A very accessible introduction to IFS and the idea that even our most difficult parts are trying to help us. 🌱 About Your Guide Misha Yurchenko is a Tokyo-based certified, trauma-informed meditation teacher with 10+ years of experience. He has spent time on retreat around the world and practiced a range of techniques, including a 2-year training with Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach and a parts-work integrated approach with Aletheia. After experiencing extreme burnout from his venture-funded startup, he founded Tokyo Mindfulness to help people slow down, reconnect with themselves, and work with the deeper patterns beneath stress, striving, and self-judgment. He is the author of Beyond Calm and lives in Nerima with his family. 💌 Stay Connected Join our Substack to get updated with new events, talk to other members and get access to exclusive content. Connect with us via our Whatsapp Community to talk to other members interested in healing, personal growth and spirituality.