Spiritual awakenings are part of the natural evolution of human consciousness. As human beings we are also spiritual beings by nature; it is our nature, we are interconnected beings to a vast, whole and infinite universe. This includes our inner and outer worlds; they are as inseparable as the home we live in, family, community, society, culture, country, nation, world we are part of.
Becoming aware and conscious of our relationship to not only ourselves, but the vast wider and larger picture of our daily experience and experiences over our lifetime assists the process of awakening spiritually and the healing process that accompanies it. As we awaken to the understanding and experiential nature of both our human and spiritual nature, the two become integrated together over time. The result is often expressed as a journey of healing, growth and transformation.
Spiritual healing is evident through a balanced, harmonious relationship with oneself and others. The relationship needs to be nurtured over time, as one cultivates a relationship to a higher, or greater source than oneself; a significant part of the connection and return to wholeness. In fact, it is the connection to this greater source, something bigger than us, that provides the nurturance to facilitate spiritual healing.
The inner child is a central connector to our human and spiritual experiences; they are a gateway between worlds of everyday living and spiritual realms too. As the primary part of self that develops, the inner child holds the key to a balanced, harmonious relationship with oneself and thus needed in the bigger picture of living aligned spiritually. Inner child healing arrives naturally in journeys of spiritual awakenings as our human experience began in early childhood development.
This article provides resources for the journey of inner child healing and spiritual healing.
Signs of needing spiritual healing
Living in modern day society with plenty of distractions, stressors and the rise in need for balance in all areas of life; family, work, relationships, environment, communities, well-being, spiritual crises are part of our experience too.
In the midst of busy lifestyles and schedules where there can be little to no time thought or given to ourselves, or our inner world, instead the focus is driven by external factors that may be material or physical based and our attention thus becomes outwardly placed. This has been normalised over time, however through acquiring external material or having value placed on things outside of us, a feeling of separation or disconnect can arise from within. There are many examples from culture that show us that material gain is not the answer to happiness, despite strong cultural messaging that would have us believe otherwise.
Living in societies where success, achievement and many value based systems are placed on individualism, this ultimately drives a separation between ourselves and others, including the more subtle layers of community, family, society and groups we are connected to. Individualism has been linked to increased levels of materialism and forms of narcissism that have not previously been recognised, defined and measured.
When we become disconnected from ourselves, how we feel, what we value and what we believe in, a sense of incompleteness arises. This is often described as loneliness, which can vary between mild and severe. These imbalances cause a greater need for meaning, purpose and connection to something other than physical, material objects.
Crises tend to arise when an individual experiences regular heightened states of fear, worry, anxiety that are rooted in feelings of loss, loneliness, isolation and separation. The antidote is a relationship, connection or belief in something greater than yourself; beyond human existence, something spiritual by nature.
What’s the connection between the inner child and spiritual healing?
The inner child is the primary part of the self that develops during early childhood years (0-7 years). As children, particularly pre-verbal, we are extremely sensitive to everything and everyone around us; people, energy, moods and the environment, which is why the early years of childhood are vital for healthy development. The inner child is an imprint of our collective early childhood experiences which remain with us into adulthood.
The inner child reflects early life experiences and is formed as a culmination of these experiences, including beliefs about themselves, the world and perhaps most importantly holds both conscious and unconscious memories of early life experiences. The inner child has aspects of the self such as creativity, play, intuition, unconditional love, joy and imagination that don’t change over time, they are forever present, however can become buried, suppressed and denied.
Inner child healing is primarily focused on reclaiming aspects of ourselves that have become buried, suppressed and denied by identifying and essentially undoing learned behaviours, thoughts, beliefs and emotional reactions that are no longer serving us in our daily lives as adults. For example, a young child may not have been allowed to express anger healthily and instead suppressed their anger which would either have been internalised, denying oneself the right to be angry, or expressed outwardly in more destructive, unhealthy ways depending what was modelled for them in the family dynamic and by the primary caregivers of the child.
A core part of inner child healing is therefore reconnecting to the different parts of the self that have been rejected, denied, wounded, traumatised, forgotten and hidden. Without an integrated sense of self, of which the inner child is part of, an individual can struggle mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually. Spiritual healing is thus naturally required to support inner child healing.
The benefits of healing your inner child
Inner child healing and inner child therapy consist of similar modalities of holistic healing that incorporates the mind, body, spirit. An understanding that is widely accepted across many disciplines, studies have found that mind, body, spirit approaches support recovery from illness and ailments when the person is considered as a whole, interconnected being, rather than a separate, segmented one. What affects the physical, also affects the emotional, mental and spiritual parts of a person, including the flow of energy that acts as a connector to them all.
One of our basic needs is security, which is rooted in feeling safe. Without the inner child feeling safe, secure and content within, something which may have never experienced before in someone’s life, an overall sense of disconnect or incongruence often accompanies a person’s experience. This can be seen or experienced through deep insecurities, fears, mistrust, as well as externalising getting needs met through codependent relationships, materialism and seeking outside approval from others.
A benefit of healing your inner child is to regain a sense of wholeness and begin to nurture a relationship with your inner child to enable this to happen. Creating a safe, loving relationship with your inner child that is built on trust provides the foundation to overcome insecurities, childhood trauma and fears that are often linked to coping strategies that are no longer necessary in your life. Learning new ways of relating, firstly to yourself, then others improves the quality of your relationships and allows for genuine connection and love, rather than conditional dependencies.
Healing your inner child can:
- Boost self esteem and confidence
- Heal past wounds and trauma
- Create new and more meaningful existing relationships
- Break the chain of learned behaviours so they are no longer passed on generationally
- Feel and experience more love, peace and joy
How to heal your inner child
In alignment with mind, body, spirit modalities inner child healing brings new ways to connect with joy, play, creativity and inspiration. Additionally, by working through limiting beliefs, fears and trauma that have been holding you back in certain or many areas of your life, you regain confidence and trust in yourself. Boosting self esteem and experiencing more vitality in life, inner child healing is a natural and necessary step in your healing journey. In greater support of spiritual healing, inner child healing is a natural stage that will be reached; you will know when that has come for you.
Finding an inner child therapist can support you in beginning or deepening the relationship to reconnect with your inner child. If you are looking to heal your inner child you can find online courses and workshops with experienced practitioners. You may wish to read more about spiritual healing practices or begin some exercises to restore emotional well-being.
Wherever you are in your journey today, may your coming year be filled with peace, love, compassion and joy.
