“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.”
~Pablo Picasso, 1881-1973, Spanish Painter and Sculptor
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This article is a repost from our old blog – originally dated May 2008.
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Recently I wrote about my experience with shamanic healing and how it made me feel. I knew at the end of it that something had changed in me, in my energy field.
It took a few days to understand what that thing was and for the advice that the healer gave me to be really processed.
But, once I had settled a bit and could see and feel the whole thing objectively, it became apparent that the shift in me was the return of my inner child. Or rather the acceptance of that piece of energy in conjunction with the rest of my energy.
We do not ever deliberately release or deny our inner child, it is something that simply happens. It is gradual, the loss of our innocence and our playful side. This is the part of us which is most like spirit, for the child is not very far removed from the raw soul, having only been in flesh for a few short years.
This innocence and optimistic playful side is what many people search for in their daily lives, that hidden something that they feel is missing. Some people even perpetrate awful things against children in order to try and reconnect with, or get close to, that lost part of themselves.
What each of us really wishes for is the feeling of being complete, whole and perfect, just as we are. I now feel that the reintegration and acceptance of our child-like nature is a key step in achieving this feeling of wholeness, and thus freedom and joy.
What occurred to me after this healing is that Little Vera had come home, desiring to reconnect with me on my journey towards lightness and ascension. There was a slight tingling, a glow of sorts, in my stomach near to my solar plexus.
And I remembered that Jay, my shamanic healer, had suggested that I put my hand on that region each morning upon awaking and welcome the part of me that had returned. That I should give that energy tender and loving thoughts throughout my day.
The energy was definitely a playful one, one that wanted to dance and sing like no one was watching!
These observations, along with the fact that this same part of my energy seemed to have a withdrawing reaction to any conflict, anxiety or stress, made me realize that it was a child. My inner child, the true me, who I remember being before the care for others opinions, and the need to “behave properly” in order to please the adult world, ever set in. So I call it: “Little Vera.”
I decided right then and there that I would love her and protect her, embrace her and let her play, a little bit every day. I would not judge her on her impulses or try and make her conform to my will. I would not make her promises that I cannot keep or speak harshly to her. These are things that made her shrink and run away as I grew up.
Now that I knew what I wanted to do, to keep this innocent and magical part of me alive and intact, I had to go about figuring out how to do that.
It was easier than I thought, because as I lay, with my hand on my abdomen, breathing in deeply and speaking to Little Vera, I asked her what we could do together that would be fun for her.
She answered and gave me several different clues. First we could color and draw together. The ballet fairy that she drew as a result was very fun and colorful indeed, the kind of thing that your parents would hang on the fridge when you were small. (Which is where we hung it in our flat.)
I try to take Little Vera for a walk everyday, we watch butterflies and smell flowers and listen the birds sing.
There are days when my concern for the adult world has me forget to spend time as the spiritual child within me, but I place my hand on my abdomen before bed and feel that energy fill me up, lest I lose it again. If you hold your inner child close to you, they will hold you close to them in return, reminding you of the magic and joy in this world.
There are therapies out there that involve connecting with your inner child and re-parenting it, as you should have been parented but perhaps were not. It is a way of soothing your wounded spirit and of releasing the negative patterns that effect your ability to feel happy and confident as an adult. I do feel that I may be able to benefit from this approach, but perhaps now it is not necessary.
What we should do, as responsible adults, is to remember that we are all children inside, because time is now, there is no past, or future, all occurs simultaneously. We should be mindful always that children recoil and become upset by any forms of violence, conflict, anger, stress and worry.
When we find ourselves in these situations, the most important thing that we can do is to pause for a moment, put our hands on our stomach and tell “Little Brian” or “Little Emily” that it is going to be okay, that they don’t have to worry, that we will take care of things and that they are safe.
You will find that the more consideration and comfort that you give to that spiritual inner child of yours, the more comforted your adult self will feel and the more considerate the world will become.
I do not know if this approach to spiritual wholeness can bring healing to all of our physical and emotional ailments. And I do not know if this behavior can bring a lasting world peace.
What I do know is that we can find a greater measure of inner peace for ourselves by being whole, by accepting and integrating every aspect of ourselves. This is the only true balance and peace to be found, within yourself.
We can each benefit immensely by spending a little more time in our “child mind,” from playing and not worrying about the opinions of others, from dancing to some silly music, singing “I’m a Little Teapot,” drawing a fairy or just climbing a tree.
You do not have to have inner dialog with your child self, but it helps. If this is too weird for you, here are some suggestions for active ways to reconnect with your own inner child:
- - Play dress up, even if its not Halloween
– Lay in the grass and make shapes of the clouds
– Dance like no one is watching, even when they are
– Draw a frog, a rainbow or a puppy
– Eat cookies for breakfast, occasionally
– Sing a childhood song, in a child’s voice
– Color on a sidewalk with chalk
– Use a straw to blow bubbles in your drink
– Swing from a tree and make Tarzan sounds
– Make a sand castle, so what if you’re 42?
Happy Playing!!!
