Inner Child Exercises

Inner Child Exercises

MEDITATION

Create a safe, calm and quiet space for yourself. Maybe light a candle and dim the lights. Maybe play some calming, ambient music. Set out and offering for your inner child, and for yourself. Maybe a cup of tea or some type of treat you and them can enjoy together.

Close your eyes and invite your inner child to come in. Let them know you are here for them and you won’t go anywhere. Let them know that you will be patient and here when they are ready.

And feel into that energy, surrender and be patient. Feel into any of the emotions you may be holding onto from childhood. Allow your inner child to express and to be held. Again, be patient.

This is a practice of showing up for yourself. It may take many times to make contact with that part of yourself. The point is to continue showing up, and letting the child in you know that you are here for them when they are ready to process.

LETTER

Create a safe, calm and quiet space for yourself. Maybe light a candle. Get out a journal or a piece of paper and a pen. Feel into your heart and allow your inner child to speak.

Begin writing a letter to yourself from your inner child. Allow them to express any and all thoughts and feelings that come up, even if they don’t make sense to adult you. Keep writing for as long as you can.

Again, this is a practice of showing up for yourself. Tapping into the trapped feelings and unprocessed experiences from childhood which are currently effecting your adult life. Be patient with yourself. Its worth it.

VISUALIZATION

Next time you are feeling triggered, if you have the option, do not run away from the feeling. Pause and allow yourself to feel triggered. If you can, close your eyes and feel deeply into the emotions which are coming up.

Try to remember the first time you felt this feeling. Allow whatever memory that comes up. Begin to visualize the memory associated with this feeling.

How old were you? Who was present? What happened? Visualize the memory in its entirety. And then ask the younger part of yourself, the part that exists in this memory, what do they need? What do they want to say? What do they want to change?

Through visualization, give them exactly what they are asking for. Maybe they want to leave and be taken to a safe place, maybe they want to beat up the bully, maybe they want to have their parent act differently and be more caring, maybe they want a different parent all together. Whatever they need, give that to them in the visualization. Nothing is unreasonable.

When you are feeling complete, calmer, and more integrated you may slowly open your eyes and come back into your space and body.

***Follow all of these exercises with self-care. Water, tea, maybe a bath, a nap, or a walk. Allow yourself to integrate this work gently and slowly as needed.