The Child In Us

The child in us lives close to our heart. The little one in us is deeply connected to our soul, to the source and the Universe. Sadly for many of us this wonderful connection to the inner child gets blocked. Louise Hay believes that this happens at the age of 5. I was told clearly in meditation or active imagination work back in 2004 that for me this inner critic or negative super ego began to suppress, protect and criticize that part of around the age of 6. My inner child was also so often bored and deadened in my far older, undemonstrative emotionally shut down family. This critical force was internalized from the negative things others said : family, teachers, peers and its been giving me curry ever since.

I feel grateful for my dog Jasper I finally found the courage to own in 2012. Before this negative introjects told me I would only hurt a dog but really he has done more over these past 9 years to connect me to the inner child of joy so dormant in me for years. He has also shown me how my Mum treated me and what emotional wounds I carried as a result. (There may be a higher reason dog is God spelt backwards.. dogs being all about unconditional love.)

Lately I am learning more and more both how to be there for this, at times, lost, hurting, longing and, t times fearful part of me. In truth my inner child has been desperate for the inner loving adult’s support for so long.. In my addiction I deadened her.. I see her deadened in my living sister who has been medicated over 18 or more years now…

Reading the chapter on Loving The Child within in Louise Hay’s book The Power Is Within You has made me more aware of all of these connections.. She speaks of the critic and how the child needs our love, insight, understanding, support, and rmpathy,. How we can connect by asking her or him what is needed for fun and to feel alive and often it will be the simple things. She asks us to reach within to ask this part of ourselves through dominant and non dominant hand writing what the child feels, suffers with, struggles for.. how was he or she treated when young, did she feel welcome, what messages did she receive that now block our way to our hearts and bodies of life and joy? She recommends saying to this part of us

“I am willing to learn and love you.. I am willing to release all past hurts you carry to find forgiveness and enable you to embrace change. I love you. I accept you as you are. It is safe to be alive and be real.” (these are my adaptions from Louise’s work)

she also says something about the feelings the child carries that I believe to be so true.

” If we want to heal, we must be willing to feel our feelings and move through them to the other side for healing. Remember our Higher Power is always available to help us with our efforts.. Love is the biggest eraser..it goes deeper than anything else. If your mental images of the past are very strong, and you keep affirming “It is all their fault” you stay stuck.. Do you want a life of pain or one of joy? The choice and power are within you. Look into your eyes and love you and the little child within.”

We can also extend that same love to the inner children of our parents and ancestors who ignorantly caused wounding not knowing a better way.. I truly have experienced the healing from doing this and how my inner child born out of love (and not original sin.. sorry Joyce Meyer and Catholic Church but i believe you are wrong there) only ever wanted to love and be loved. When we do not learn to love ourselves best by holding all of our pain in understanding and asking for and releasing into opening, surrender, and healing how can we ever create and show a better way to live in this world? The child connects us to our soul.. Sadly the negative critical Super Ego only knows how to live in and perpetuate fear, hatred, misunderstanding, dis-ease, and separation.