I took my inner child for a walk this past Sunday. She is about 5 years old with golden locks of hair and sad eyes. She wanted to cry. Not just some tears or a random tantrum. It was a deep visceral sobbing. It wasn't a long “poor me” crying session either.
It was a release from sadness in every cell in my body. It felt like in that one cry, I cried for my mother, my grandmothers and all children who felt neglected. I have done lots of inner child work before, I teach it almost daily to my clients, never did I have this communion with my little girl before.
I asked her the usual inner child questions ‘What would you like to say?” and “what would you like to hear?’. I think there is an Universal Inner Child within us. He or she wants to be seen, heard, and valued.
I practiced slow deep breathing with her in a seated position and I just allowed her to hang out with me all day. It isn't so easy to do inner child work, that is why most people avoid it all their lives. It feels raw, extremely vulnerable, often times confusing and emotionally draining. But the rewards are many. Inner child healing creates integration as a functioning adult, emotional maturity and a greater awareness when acting or reacting from a child’s perspective.
As we give our inner child what she perhaps never had, like deep listening, we will naturally create others being present, kind and loving towards us. What does your inner child like to have or do today?