Shadow work has become a really important part of my spiritual journey, and like a lot of people who have experienced the incredible (but sometimes painful) journey that is awakening, I have realized that my inner child is the part of me that needs the most love. Lately, I have really taken on healing this part of me, and it has been such a freeing experience. Here are a few ways I heal my inner child:
-
Talk to yourself like you would a toddler. Odds are, when you are frustrated, you are a little harsh with the way you talk to yourself. If you wouldn’t say those things to a toddler, then don’t say them to yourself! Instead, take on a gentler tone and remind yourself it is ok to be imperfect, and there will never be a point in life when you stop learning. Sometimes “babying” yourself is ok.
-
Allow yourself to embrace the things that truly make you happy; not what society says is acceptable or the preference. Your wounded inner child may come from a place of constantly being told you must be something you are not to satisfy others. I know for me I always wanted to be an artist but I never got to because of this. Now, I am nineteen and I just bought a children’s set of watercolors (yeah, I got a children’s set… my inner child loves it) and I’m finally learning how to paint.
-
Satisfying your inner child with gifts they would have wanted has really been effective for me. If it would have made you feel happy or loved then, it might be therapeutic now! I used to love flying kites when I was a kid, so I got a blank kite I could color on now, and the joy I got from doing that was honestly surprising, but very welcomed. I am allowing myself to be more playful like I wish I could have been as a child, and it feels like I am finally making up for lost time.
-
Meditate on your inner child. Go into meditation with the intention to heal, and whenever you are comfortable, imagine your younger self approaching the current version of you. Ask them what they need, or let them know you accept them, and you are sorry for hurting them if you did. Imagine yourself hugging your younger self. The first time I meditated this way, I felt so relieved after. This was the way I first started healing my inner-child.
There are definitely more ways you can heal your inner child, but I hope these few can get you started doing it. I know some are harder than others, and it is definitely an uncomfortable process at times. In my experience, this has been one of the best things I have ever done for myself, and I would really recommend trying it, regardless of how far you are on your spiritual journey.