The living presence of your Inner Child

In the rush of adulthood, it's easy to lose touch with the innocent, playful spirit within us, our Inner Child. This blog post invites you on a gentle journey to reconnect with this vital part of yourself, understand how past wounds might be affecting your present, and explore pathways to healing and wholeness.

The Wounded Inner Child: Shadows of the Past

Our Inner Child represents the accumulation of childhood experiences, both joyful and painful. When these experiences involve trauma, neglect, or unmet needs, the Inner Child can become wounded. These wounds can manifest in various ways in our adult lives, shaping our behaviours, our relationships, and overall sense of self.

For me, this understanding deepened when attending a practitioner training a while back. I remember walking into a crowded room full of new faces and feeling panic rising through my body. My adult mind knew I was safe and everything was OK, yet my nervous system reacted as if I were that shy, anxious little girl again, the one who used to freeze whenever she felt overwhelmed and facing the unknown.

That night, as I sat alone, I felt the frustration and anger from the day rise to the surface. I had spent years working on myself and my body still reacted like this. The disappointment and anger slowly turned into deep sadness and pain, I realised this was my Inner Childs grief.  Years of untold fears came to the surface and I finally had the courage to listen. I placed my hand over my heart and began speaking softly to that younger version of myself, reassuring her that she was right to be angry, that she is safe now, that I could take care of us. She finally felt validated and soothed, and in that moment a profound shift happened. The fears I had were no longer dominating my actions, it did not mean they completely went away, but I was now aware of who's fears they were when they bubbled under the surface.

That was the beginning of truly understanding what it meant to meet my inner child, not as a concept but as an actual living presence within me.

A wounded Inner Child isn't a weakness but a testament to your resilience. Recognising and addressing these wounds is such a powerful step towards self-compassion and healing.

Try this Somatic Practice:

Place one hand on your heart and one on your belly. Take a slow, conscious breath in through the nose and gently exhale through the mouth.

As you breathe, imagine your younger self standing before you. From your heart centre, whisper to yourself, “I am here with you.”

Notice what arises, sensations, emotions, memories. Simply hold space for whatever your inner child wishes to share.. Healing begins with this simple act of noticing.

Signs of a Wounded Inner Child

Identifying the signs of a wounded inner child is the first step toward healing.
Here are some common indicators:

• Difficulty with emotional regulation: Experiencing intense mood swings, excessive anger, or persistent sadness.
• People-pleasing tendencies: Seeking validation from others and struggling to set boundaries.
• Fear of abandonment: An overwhelming fear of being left alone or rejected.
• Low self-esteem: Harboring feelings of inadequacy or worthlessness.
• Self-sabotaging behaviors: Engaging in patterns that undermine your success or happiness.
• Perfectionism: Setting unrealistic expectations for yourself and others.
• Difficulty with play and spontaneity: Feeling uncomfortable or unable to engage in lighthearted activities.
• Trust issues: Finding it hard to trust others in relationships.

The Importance of Inner Child Healing

Inner Child healing invites us to re-parent the parts of ourselves that never learned what safety felt like. It’s about bringing compassion and presence to the body and nervous system where those early experiences are still stored.

Connecting with your Inner Child is not "dwelling on the past" or not letting things go. It's about healing and rewriting your narrative and creating a more fulfilling future.

By tending to these wounds, you can:

• Cultivate self-compassion: Develop a deeper understanding and acceptance of yourself.
  

• Improve emotional regulation: Learn to manage your emotions in a healthy and constructive way.
  

• Build healthier relationships: Establish boundaries and foster genuine connections.
  

• Increase self-esteem: Recognize your inherent worth and value.
  

• Unlock creativity and joy: Reclaim your capacity for play, spontaneity, and creative expression.
  

• Break negative patterns: Identify and transform self-sabotaging behaviors.

Reconnecting:
The Benefits of an 'Integrated' Inner Child

When we begin to heal and integrate our Inner Child, we may start to notice subtle but profound changes in our reality. We move from reacting through old wounds to responding from a place of wholeness. Our choices become grounded, our emotions more fluid, and our sense of self deepens. 

An integrated Inner Child brings a renewed sense of authenticity, the freedom to show up in life as we truly are, without the masks we once needed for protection. Creativity often blossoms naturally, as we reconnect with the playfulness and curiosity that once came so easily.

With this integration also comes a clearer inner guidance, a strengthened intuition that arises when the body, heart, and spirit are finally aligned. Relationships begin to feel more nourishing, built on openness and mutual respect rather than old patterns of seeking approval or avoiding rejection.

Most of all, an integrated inner child brings a quiet confidence, the knowing that no matter what life brings, we can hold ourselves with compassion and grace.

Breathwork:
A Pathway to Inner Child Healing

Conscious Connected Breathing, a powerful form of Breathwork which I facilitate in my sessions, offers a direct bridge between the conscious and subconscious mind. When we enter the rhythm of connected breath, the body begins to relax its usual defenses, and the thinking mind quiets.

In this space, the subconscious can gently rise to the surface, often bringing forward memories, sensations, or emotions linked to our Inner Child and parts of us that haven’t yet had the chance to be fully heard or expressed. Through the breath, these messages can unfold naturally, without the need to force or analyse them. 

When we breathe consciously, we’re releasing stored tension yes, but we are also creating a safe container for our Inner Child to communicate what they need us to know. Sometimes that shows up as a memory, emotional release, or simply a deep exhale of relief.

In my own journey, conscious connected breathing has been a valuable tool for allowing my Inner Child to come forward. Each session opening a doorway to the younger parts of myself, the ones who once held fear, shame, or sadness. They were invited through the breath and embodied through integration work. I’ve been able to listen, to validate, to learn from them, to hold them, and to remind my body that it is safe to feel again. 

As the body releases and integrates these experiences, a sense of clarity and reconnection begins to emerge. The breath helps to regulate the nervous system, re-establish safety in the body, and build the bridge between past and present selves.

In guided Breathwork Journeys focused on connecting with the Inner Child, setting a clear intention allows the subconscious to reveal what is ready to be seen and healed, nothing more, nothing less. It’s a beautiful practice of trust: trust in the body, in the breath, and in the wisdom that unfolds when we create space for our inner parts to be witnessed.

Conclusion:
Embracing Your Journey

Connecting with your Inner Child is a profound act of self-love and healing. It's a journey of rediscovering the beauty, innocence, and resilience within you. By embracing this journey, you can transform past wounds into sources of strength, wisdom, and joy. Remember to be gentle with yourself, trust the process, and celebrate every step along the way.

If you feel your Inner Child calling as you read this, and wish to explore this work more deeply; 

In my Private Inner Child Breathwork Sessions, we use the breath as a bridge between your present self and your younger self, creating space for healing, release, and reconnection.

Each session includes a guided 30+ page Inner Child Integration Workbook to help you continue the process gently in your own time.

> You can learn more or book your session here

Origin and lineage:
The concept of the Inner Child was first popularised by Carl Jung, who spoke of the “Divine Child” archetype, a symbol of renewal, innocence, and potential within the psyche.
Later, teachers like John Bradshaw and modern somatic practitioners expanded on this, recognising how childhood experiences shape our nervous system and emotional landscape.