Exploring the inner child...
“With change history you use the potency of your adult experiences to change the internal imprints from the past.” ― John Bradshaw
I have recently been doing some of my own healing The Summer saw me dive deeper and begin to work with the parts of me that felt broken or lost.
It wasn't that these parts of me suddenly spoke out loud but something unlocked and my emotional world took a little turn.
As has always been the case I took a step back, I found the support I needed and accepted this was another part of my journey.
I am heading towards 50 and in perimenopause and it seems no surprise I would be asked to integrate more of these parts of me that had likely been quietly calling for some time.
I use some of this connection work with my clients . It is such calm, sensitive and compassionate work and really supportive.
Most of us have had some wounding tied to our inner child and some of these parts need to be seen, heard and integrated into our adult selves. Wounds may have been caused by lots of different issues, the resulting pain can live within us and create patterns and behaviours that are unconscious but can be painful and hurtful to to others and ourselves.
By learning to gently reconnect with some of the reasons our adult fears, phobias and life patterns are presenting then magic and transformation can occur.
“Heal the boy, and the man will appear.” - Tony Robbins: I am not your guru
Throughout my life I have learned that hiding pain doesn’t heal it. It will surface in all sorts of ways. Illness, distress in our emotional lives and relationships and difficulty meeting our own needs.
For me it has and continues to be a profound experience. Each time I dive deeper into this work I am amazed at the illumination it brings.
I am in no way saying it is easy or that the answers are simple. But I do know asking for the support you need to help this process is incredibly important. I am so grateful for all the support I have received in different areas and from some amazing therapists and practitioners.
Integral Eye Movement Therapy and Root Cause Practice has been incredibly helpful in getting to these deeper layers along with some amazing tools I will be looking to integrate in to my day to day practice.
Above is a photo of my 14 year old feisty Emma and a link to a practiced shared with me to support me.
John Bradshaw created this powerful practice to help reconnect with and be compassionate to the younger parts of ourselves.
One final quote to sum up...
“If we want to reconcile with our family or with friends who have hurt us, we have to take care of ourselves first. If we’re not capable of listening to ourselves, how can we listen to another person? If we don’t know how to recognise our own suffering, it won’t be possible to bring peace and harmony into our relationships.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh, Reconciliation: Healing the Inner Child