In this post I share several ways, including a brief meditation, that will help release the energies of your Inner Child. The work we do with freeing the Child is also a gateway to connecting with the wisdom of our Higher selves.
The Inner Child may be viewed as the Emotional or subconscious aspect of yourself, that when free is spontaneously playful, enthusiastic and engaged.
Your Inner Child needs you to support its freedom, joy and a vast array of feeling states. In practice we most often do not allow ourselves spontaneous freedom of expression, through several mechanisms that include self consciousness, judging or beating ourselves up, feeling overwhelmed or burdened with responsibilities, suppressing our emotions and engaging in addictive and compulsive behaviours.
As a result of our habitual patterning it may take some time and willingness to recognise and release whatever is keeping us from being on friendlier and warmer terms with the Inner Child. However the effort is well worth the time we invest, as I keep discovering for myself.
The process of releasing the Inner Child is both difficult and easy, depending on how invested we are in the idea and stories of Self and our willingness to let go, as well as how much negativity we may have experienced in the past and are yet to heal or integrate.
Letting go entails healing and forgiving and being willing to feel all the ways in which we have cut ourselves off or closed our hearts to the child within. Simply choosing to become aware and present to any ongoing feelings of either sadness, rage, hatred, arrogance, hurt and pain that we may be expressing or unconsciously blocking or denying.
Everytime we act unforgivingly toward ourselves or another, when we give in to compulsive behaviours and habits, we are introducing an arbitrary distance or separation from the energy of the Core Self, and further disowning the Inner Child.
However your Core self remains innocent and nothing you experience ever changes the Essence of who you are. As we remain connected with the healing process and release the pain from any experiences where we may have felt separated from love, we are able to reconnect with the joy and exuberance of the Child again, which was always present and asking to be released for you to reclaim your life energy and feel safe to relax and play again.
Connecting with these feelings of innocence, simplicity, playfulness of the Inner Child is also one way in which we access the wisdom and knowing and allow all of the expansive qualities of the Divine self to manifest through us. Since the Divine self is all knowing and all pervasive, we have to let go of everything we think we know and being okay with the unknown in order to create space and allow higher inspiration and it’s presence to flower more fully. Freeing the Inner Child as such may be thought of as a gateway to accessing the energy and wisdom of your Divine Self.
Connecting with Inner Child as a Sub-personality - Meditation
You might connect with your Inner Child as a sub-personality, through the following brief meditation.
Make an intention to enter sacred space. Take a few deep breaths and shift your focus from your mind to your heart centre. It may help to picture yourself entering an elevator in your mind, moving down from the 10th floor to the ground floor, and as you descend imagine coming down in to to your heart.
Invite the presence of your Inner Child in to your awareness, (you may recognise it’s feeling quality or simply pretending you are connected and giving it a voice to speak will work as well)
acknowledge it and ask it a few questions, such as
How are you? What do you need from me? In what way have I been dishonouring you or curbing your fuller expression?
Then listen and make an intention to strengthen this rapport by heeding the answers you receive. It is important that you be available for full emotional and verbal expression. Your Inner Child needs you to support its freedom, joy and a vast array of feeling states.
Addictiveness versus Playfulness with Present Moment Awareness
As adults we tend to segment work and play as being entirely separate, and play is a time when we allow ourselves to let off steam. Because of our association of play with down time or with releasing stress , the result is often confusion between playfulness and being addictive or compulsive about the things we enjoy.
In contrast, the Child can be fully absorbed in and enjoy something intensely and then release it the next moment without attachment, being present to new opportunities and savoring the possibility that being fully here and now allows. It knows that all learning, growth and experience happens within the context of play.
Affirmations to Nurture and Unleash Inner Child
I share a few affirmations that will help you to connect with and nurture the energy of the child within. I invite you to take what resonates with you, or better still create statements that work for you.
Safety - I am safe to play, to take risks and to make mistakes,
Loved and Worthy - I love myself unconditionally..I now claim and am stepping more fully in to all of my heartfelt desires and dreams
Possibility - I am excited about what I will dream into being, encounter and accomplish today
Playful - I make good choices and move toward things that are fun, enjoyable and for my highest good.
Acknowledgement - I look for, acknowledge and celebrate the good in myself and others.
Starting any sentence with the words - I Wonder .........
Is another way to activate and bring on line the spirit of the Inner Child.
Reflect on the Qualities of the Inner Child, and think of ones that you might want to take on and allow to be more present in your day to day experience. These may include - innocence, vulnerability, defencelessness, spontaneously playful, curious, wondering and excited at possibility, living within mystery
and magic.
The Inner Child may be viewed as the Emotional or subconscious aspect of yourself, that when free is spontaneously playful, enthusiastic and engaged.
Your Inner Child needs you to support its freedom, joy and a vast array of feeling states. In practice we most often do not allow ourselves spontaneous freedom of expression, through several mechanisms that include self consciousness, judging or beating ourselves up, feeling overwhelmed or burdened with responsibilities, suppressing our emotions and engaging in addictive and compulsive behaviours.
As a result of our habitual patterning it may take some time and willingness to recognise and release whatever is keeping us from being on friendlier and warmer terms with the Inner Child. However the effort is well worth the time we invest, as I keep discovering for myself.
The process of releasing the Inner Child is both difficult and easy, depending on how invested we are in the idea and stories of Self and our willingness to let go, as well as how much negativity we may have experienced in the past and are yet to heal or integrate.
Letting go entails healing and forgiving and being willing to feel all the ways in which we have cut ourselves off or closed our hearts to the child within. Simply choosing to become aware and present to any ongoing feelings of either sadness, rage, hatred, arrogance, hurt and pain that we may be expressing or unconsciously blocking or denying.
Everytime we act unforgivingly toward ourselves or another, when we give in to compulsive behaviours and habits, we are introducing an arbitrary distance or separation from the energy of the Core Self, and further disowning the Inner Child.
However your Core self remains innocent and nothing you experience ever changes the Essence of who you are. As we remain connected with the healing process and release the pain from any experiences where we may have felt separated from love, we are able to reconnect with the joy and exuberance of the Child again, which was always present and asking to be released for you to reclaim your life energy and feel safe to relax and play again.
Connecting with these feelings of innocence, simplicity, playfulness of the Inner Child is also one way in which we access the wisdom and knowing and allow all of the expansive qualities of the Divine self to manifest through us. Since the Divine self is all knowing and all pervasive, we have to let go of everything we think we know and being okay with the unknown in order to create space and allow higher inspiration and it’s presence to flower more fully. Freeing the Inner Child as such may be thought of as a gateway to accessing the energy and wisdom of your Divine Self.
Connecting with Inner Child as a Sub-personality - Meditation
You might connect with your Inner Child as a sub-personality, through the following brief meditation.
Make an intention to enter sacred space. Take a few deep breaths and shift your focus from your mind to your heart centre. It may help to picture yourself entering an elevator in your mind, moving down from the 10th floor to the ground floor, and as you descend imagine coming down in to to your heart.
Invite the presence of your Inner Child in to your awareness, (you may recognise it’s feeling quality or simply pretending you are connected and giving it a voice to speak will work as well)
acknowledge it and ask it a few questions, such as
How are you? What do you need from me? In what way have I been dishonouring you or curbing your fuller expression?
Then listen and make an intention to strengthen this rapport by heeding the answers you receive. It is important that you be available for full emotional and verbal expression. Your Inner Child needs you to support its freedom, joy and a vast array of feeling states.
Addictiveness versus Playfulness with Present Moment Awareness
As adults we tend to segment work and play as being entirely separate, and play is a time when we allow ourselves to let off steam. Because of our association of play with down time or with releasing stress , the result is often confusion between playfulness and being addictive or compulsive about the things we enjoy.
In contrast, the Child can be fully absorbed in and enjoy something intensely and then release it the next moment without attachment, being present to new opportunities and savoring the possibility that being fully here and now allows. It knows that all learning, growth and experience happens within the context of play.
Affirmations to Nurture and Unleash Inner Child
I share a few affirmations that will help you to connect with and nurture the energy of the child within. I invite you to take what resonates with you, or better still create statements that work for you.
Safety - I am safe to play, to take risks and to make mistakes,
Loved and Worthy - I love myself unconditionally..I now claim and am stepping more fully in to all of my heartfelt desires and dreams
Possibility - I am excited about what I will dream into being, encounter and accomplish today
Playful - I make good choices and move toward things that are fun, enjoyable and for my highest good.
Acknowledgement - I look for, acknowledge and celebrate the good in myself and others.
Starting any sentence with the words - I Wonder .........
Is another way to activate and bring on line the spirit of the Inner Child.
Reflect on the Qualities of the Inner Child, and think of ones that you might want to take on and allow to be more present in your day to day experience. These may include - innocence, vulnerability, defencelessness, spontaneously playful, curious, wondering and excited at possibility, living within mystery
and magic.
At the same time it is helpful to distinguish between childlike qualities and childishness. Childishness is marked by impulsiveness (blocked or repressed energy seeking expression), being gullible or giving away power, giving in to anger tantrums (throwing our toys out of the pram :)), or otherwise regressing and acting out of states of helplessness and powerlessness.
Further, we are all endowed with sufficient amounts of seriousness, and this is not to understate the importance of compassion, and being responsible for our choices, thoughts and actions. However it is easy to lose our sense of humour and perspective, when we forget what the child is reminding us of, that in most circumstances we can choose a stance of being more light hearted and playful.
A reminder -the inner child is not another idea we want to hold on to and create solidity or identity around, however the feelings of lightness, wonder and playfulness are ones we can always return to.
I invite you to take the time to heal your relationship with your Inner Child, and allow the wisdom of the Child to express, to feel more fully and to play!
Some of the rewards for reopening this connection are a happier, more balanced life, more self respect, self-love as well as opening to all the gifts that this surrendered space will allow your Higher Self to unfold for you.
Further, we are all endowed with sufficient amounts of seriousness, and this is not to understate the importance of compassion, and being responsible for our choices, thoughts and actions. However it is easy to lose our sense of humour and perspective, when we forget what the child is reminding us of, that in most circumstances we can choose a stance of being more light hearted and playful.
A reminder -the inner child is not another idea we want to hold on to and create solidity or identity around, however the feelings of lightness, wonder and playfulness are ones we can always return to.
I invite you to take the time to heal your relationship with your Inner Child, and allow the wisdom of the Child to express, to feel more fully and to play!
Some of the rewards for reopening this connection are a happier, more balanced life, more self respect, self-love as well as opening to all the gifts that this surrendered space will allow your Higher Self to unfold for you.
RSS Feed