Written by: Nicole Herrle, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
What and who is your Inner Child? Does a positive relationship with them improve your quality of living? Find out the key to discovering this important part of yourself!
Did you ever think that the way to a more fulfilled life could start with something as simple as spending more time with yourself and your favorite hobbies?
Or that the key to your current struggles could be buried in your childhood?
More and more people are beginning to realize the importance of who they were when they were younger, and the experiences they went through. And one of the most important discoveries I made in my own healing journey was that resolving those moments in our childhood could set us free to live the best possible version of our lives.
What is my inner child?
Your Inner Child is the part of you that contains your emotional truth. It is the source of your creativity, joy, and innocence. The Inner Child holds all our earliest memories and experiences, including our hopes, dreams, fears, desires, and beliefs about ourselves. It also carries with it a sense of awe and wonder at the world around us.
Often, we are not aware that there was a part of ourselves we forgot or never gave enough attention to. When we take time to reconnect with younger versions of ourselves, we can gain greater insight within and take steps towards a more fulfilled life.
Why is it important to discover and connect with your inner child?
Rediscovering our Inner Child allows us to access the emotional truth of our childhood selves. We understand and see how that has been carried through into adulthood. Connecting with your past self can bring a greater depth to your life, allowing you to make more meaningful connections in relationships and at work.
The Inner Child is shaped by our earliest experiences and relationships. It is how we cope with trauma, develop our senses of self-worth, build resilience, and find our way in life. Our Inner Child also influences how we perceive the world around us – from the way we interact with others to how we handle difficult emotions.
But how does discovering my inner child help me?
As we become better acquainted, the events of our childhood and the ways that influenced our growth ever since become more and more apparent. This allows us to really look forward and be able to:
Heal past traumas and emotional wounds – This healing also allows us to be more
compassionate towards others, as we will understand that we all carry a similar burden of pain and suffering.
Enhance self-awareness and personal growth – We begin to better understand
ourselves and our motivations. Identifying patterns of behavior that may be holding us back from achieving our goals allows us to take steps towards personal growth.
Cultivate creativity, joy, and playfulness in life – The Inner Child is the source of our creativity, joy, and playfulness. Even as adults, we need these things for our continued happiness and fulfillment.
What are some ways I can begin discovering my inner child today?
Anyone can begin their journey towards building a solid relationship with their Inner Child. Simple things like becoming more playful, asking questions, and finding joy in the little things can help.
But remember: if you begin to feel overwhelmed you need to get an experienced practitioner involved. Our pasts can be complicated and difficult to navigate and the last thing you want is to become traumatized from your own past experiences.
Below are three suggestions to get started right away
1. Embrace curiosity and a willingness to explore
Curiosity and open-mindedness are a must. You can’t go in with preconceived notions about yourself or the world around you – this will limit your ability to connect with the younger version of yourself.
2. Engaging in playful activities
Engaging in creative outlets such as drawing or writing can also be a great way to connect with your Inner Child. These activities allow us to express our thoughts and emotions in an imaginative and liberating way. It's important to stay open-minded when engaging in these activities, as they can often lead us down unexpected paths of self-discovery!
3. Self-reflection and journaling
A very powerful way to reflect on their efficacy and track our own improvement is by writing our experiences down. Journaling also gives us the profound experience of reflecting on the parts of the past we begin to remember and process our thoughts and emotions surrounding those events.
Journaling can also give us a chance to dream and plan for a better future.
Ultimately, understanding and reconnecting with our Inner Child can help us to move forward in life with greater self-awareness, compassion, and creativity. It can also provide us with a sense of freedom and possibility as we explore new ways to express ourselves. By taking this time for self-reflection, we become more intentional in how we live our lives and create a more fulfilling experience.
Attending to and nurturing your inner child
Not everything that happened during our younger years is positive. And for most of us, there are moments that we will need to heal from if we want to reach our full potential.
Using Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT)
Also known as Tapping, EFT is a powerful tool that can be used in conjunction with Inner Child work for profound improvement. EFT involves tapping on specific energy meridian points on your body to release emotional blockages, which can be especially beneficial in addressing
traumas and emotional wounds from your childhood.
My specialty of combining inner child work and EFT Tapping
Long ago, in my healing journey, I realized how powerful it was to combine these two practices. I was able to heal my wounds and traumas at their roots in a way that would keep them from coming back to stifle my growth and development.
This has become my life’s work, and it’s something that I will share with as many people as I possibly can. So many of us are held back and unable to move forward with the life we deserve and dream of because we get frozen in time with the painful experiences of our childhood.
If you're ready to embark on the journey of self-discovery and healing, remember that the process is unique for everyone – just take it one step at a time and be gentle with yourself. And if you’d like help along the way, book a FREE discovery call with me today.
Together we can get started on a journey of discovery and freedom!
Nicole Herrle, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Nicole Herrle is a certified EFT Tapping Practitioner, specializing in childhood trauma and founder of Tapping Oasis. In her own healing journey, she realized how childhood traumas were inhibiting her life. Now Nicole uses what she learned to help others break free from destructive patterns caused by past hardship. At Tapping Oasis, she creates a safe space for individuals to uncover and release past traumas by using the transformative power of EFT Tapping. Her unique healing approach combines EFT Tapping, Inner Child Healing, and Desired Outcome Visualization, for compassionate and intuitive change. With over 150 empowered clients, Nicole is dedicated to leading others to their best life.
