The inner child is the part of an individual that is frozen or crystallized in time in a childlike state. The inner child will begin to come forward when someone lives from a heart-centered place and regains their whole-y (holy) innocence. Any cynicism, numbness and skepticism is swept away and replaced by a wonder and curiosity about life. You see the world as fresh, new and pregnant with possibilities- each flower, taste, and experience is enveloped by a sense of awe.
Your walls come down and you perceive each person you encounter as containing an essence of yourself, of divinity. Duality and separation no longer seem to exist, nor does the negative ego. The inner child loves freely and openly, without fear of being hurt. They are guileless and don’t judge themselves or others. Life is an adventure and they are perpetually delighted by what they discover.
The inner child can return when a person aligns with their spirit and their heart. A certain amount of healing needs to take place in order for this to happen. Developing a close relationship with the divine, being of service and doing the inner work- confronting your shadow and negative patterns of behavior, etc. and alchemizing them as they naturally arise to be healed will bring you in deeper communion with your inner child.
You can ask your inner child what they want or need, or if there is anything they want you to know. Sometimes the inner child will appear spontaneously during a meditation and the reunion can be an emotionally cathartic and profoundly healing experience. It can be helpful to reassure your inner child and let them know that they are loved and that you will always be there for them.
Honoring your emotional and physical needs and checking in with yourself daily is a wonderful way to reparent yourself and support the child within. It may also be supportive to look at photos of yourself as a child so that you can gaze upon the innocence of little you.
You can support your own healing and reconnection to your inner child by…
*Speaking about yourself kindly, as though you are speaking to a friend of beloved pet (this includes thoughts about yourself and your inner monologue)
*Recognizing your boundaries and honoring them so that you feel emotionally safe
*Graciously meeting your own needs rather than trying to get them met by someone or something outside of you
*Treating your body gently, lovingly and with respect
*Leaving room for pockets of play, adventure and wondrous discovery; doing what sparks joy
*Approaching everything and everyone with a beginner’s mind
When the inner child is invited in and integrated into the personality, we become more fully ourselves. We are reacquainted with our divine innocence and purity of heart. We reclaim our wildness and sense of play. Life becomes brighter and clearer and our spirit feels lighter. Communion with our childlike nature, weaving that fragmented piece back into the wholeness of the self is an important milestone in our spiritual development and expands our capacity for awe, humor and delight.
