Inner Child Healing Meditation

What is Inner Child Healing?

You may be wondering what we’re referring to when we say inner child healing. Each and every one of us has an inner child (or many) living within us. That inner child has been dormant in our subconscious for years. Many reasons cause our inner child to go into hiding - whether that be abuse, neglect, traumatic events, embarrassment, bullying, etc. At some point, a child version of you slipped into the cracks of your subconscious. 

When we’re children, big emotions such as despair, shame, anger, fear, etc., can be too big and complicated for our child selves to cope with. To protect ourselves, we push these feelings deep down into our subconscious, and a piece of ourselves goes down with them. Inner child healing is about digging up your inner child to make them feel safe, supported, understood, and loved. 

Inner child healing requires patience, compassion, and self-love. Dealing with the ghosts of our pasts isn’t easy, but it’s certainly worth it. Meditation acts as a great tool to utilize in inner child healing. 

How to Practice Meditation

Many people shy away from meditation because they fear they can’t do it or are weary of its benefits. As mentioned above, meditation has been practiced and praised for thousands of years. Its physical and mental health benefits include reduced stress, greater self-awareness, better mood, improved insight, reduced anxiety, improved sleep, and reduced blood pressure. The benefits of meditation really do speak for themselves.

When it comes to practice, we know it can be frustrating trying to get the hang of it. A big mistake many make when it comes to meditation is giving up too quickly. Meditation is a practice. Don’t expect to accomplish it entirely on your first try. It’s okay if your mind wanders, and it’s okay if you have a hard time staying focused. Remaining calm and aware of the present moment can help your discouragement. When your mind inevitably starts to wander, calmly refocus your mind to the meditative state. 

Find a comfortable and quiet place to sit or lay down to practice. Many people like to close their eyes while practicing, but you can choose an object to focus on if that feels more natural to you. Practice slow, calm, and deep breathing. Use this time to check in on yourself. Become aware of your body and how each area feels. Bring your awareness to your emotions and evaluate how you’re feeling. 
Inner Child Healing Meditation

So, how can we bring inner child healing and meditation together? You can practice many ways, and the goal is to find what works best for you. The first thing you want to do, though, is discover your wounded inner child. This can be done by practicing self-reflection and revisiting your childhood. In this meditation, you’ll want to bring your awareness to the root of your pain. 

Once you’ve discovered your wounded inner child, you can begin healing them. Depending on your personal wound, you’ll want to focus your meditation on what’s appropriate. If your caregivers neglected you as a child, your meditation might focus on identifying and validating your needs and emotions. If you were abused as a child, perhaps your meditation will focus on removing shame and guilt placed on you by others. 

Meditation is a powerful tool to utilize for inner child healing as it strengthens our awareness, concentration, and ability to cope. Our subconscious is always trying to talk to us, but our busy minds don’t allow it. Meditation helps you get in touch with your authentic, hidden self.