Do you ever have trouble explaining your reactiveness? Do your emotions feel a bit indescribable, perhaps a bit out of reach? Have you ever surprised yourself with your emotional response?
Beloved, what you feel is not as foreign as it may seem. You will more than likely not find insight by looking into your thoughts and experiences as an adult– this is because you are witnessing your inner child making their way to the forefront.
You will find that discovering and understanding your inner child will propel your life forward, encouraging healing and progression. Let’s take a deeper look into the concept of the inner child and how it can change our lives.
What is an Inner Child?
Your inner child is the spontaneous and playful piece of your personality that can also negatively display itself. If something triggers a memory linked to an adverse childhood experience, your inner child will respond accordingly.
Your inner child could be the reason behind a rude comment or negative reaction– a lack of attention or a simple change in routine may have triggered them.
Our unexpectedly childish reaction shouldn’t be so quickly dismissed.
We need to fully recognize this manifestation and discover the ‘whys’ behind it. It is essential to acknowledge the inner child living within us. It is time to live life with them rather than work around them.
How Our Past Can Negatively Impact Us
Your inner child may be hurting: physical or emotional abuse, neglect, or even the loss of a family member or friend could be contributors. It doesn’t have to be complex; children are sensitive and impressionable, quick to repress things they do not understand.
This repression doesn’t go away—the experiences and hurt stick with us, whether we realize it or not. Then later, they display themselves repeatedly until we choose to face the issue. The hurt of our inner child doesn’t go away with our physical childhood; we don’t outgrow it.
I have spent quality time with my inner child, inviting her to feel, play, and heal. You may read more about my journey to healing here, Beloved.
Why We Need to Heal
Our inner child is hurt, confused, and feeling alone. This contributes to less than ideal mental well-being as adults. You can’t tell yourself to grow up and move on. You have to identify the triggers, converse with your inner child and seek resolution.
If you attempt to ignore your inner child, your life will never feel quite complete. You will feel unbalanced, continuously conflicted, and weighed down. This disharmony will not only impact your personal quality of life, but it will heavily impact your relationships. How can anyone else fully love you if you aren’t at peace with yourself and can love yourself? How can someone else support you if you aren’t willing to acknowledge a need for growth and healing?
“She held herself until the sobs of the child inside subsided entirely. I love you, she told herself. It will all be okay.”
― H. Raven Rose, Shadow Selves
Approaches to Healing Our Inner Child
Everyone’s path to healing their inner child is a little different. Without self-compassion, however, there will be no progress.
You have to grant yourself the love and patience you willingly give others. This trauma and hurt didn’t happen overnight– recovery will be a challenging and gradual process. Beloved, healing is not linear–please remain kind to yourself in the process. You are worth the investment.
A good place to begin is through physical self-care. You can start with massages, yoga, or even a relaxing bath.
I always recommend meditation to connect with your inner child. What do they look like? Is their body language tense? How can you reassure them they’re wanted and safe? Have a conversation with them and give them affirmations of hope, love, and nurturing.
Reflect on the ways your inner child has expressed themselves.
What were the triggers?
What experiences are those triggers connected to?
How can you adjust perspectives and grow from these experiences?
Apologize to your inner child for ignoring their feelings and reassure them that you are now here for them in times of need.
After acknowledging what has potentially hurt your inner child, move forward. Be intentional with your actions. Never let yourself fall back into a harmful mindset. Talk with loved ones or talk with a therapist.
Keep progressing alongside your inner child.
Before You Go
Beloveds, you owe it to yourselves to heal, grow and unleash your true power. But first, we must all ensure our inner child is ready to grow with us. Don’t hinder your extraordinary spiritual progress– develop a healthy relationship with your inner child and show others the value in that relationship.
If you need a little help along the way, I have lovely affirmations and meditations available here to aid you in your journey.
Beloved, if you found this article enlightening, we’d appreciate you spreading the encouragement by sharing it with others.
Are you yearning to deepen your relationship with yourself? Beloved, claim your right to live from a place of sovereignty, connectedness, and joy by embarking on a year-long journey of The Priestess Awakening.
LOVE, AMANDA
