It’s probably true when they say “Every bad guy has a sad story.” Whoever we are today, however, we feel or experience life has much to do with our past hurts, pain, or trauma – even as a child. All those hurt and the fear that we have felt in our innocence can continue to haunt us as adults. More often than not, we don’t even realize the impact our earlier life experiences had on us until we’ve become self-aware enough to notice unhealthy patterns and reflect on them.
Painful and Traumatic Childhood Experiences
Not everybody is fortunate enough to grow up in a loving home. Imagine growing up in a world that does not seem to want you. When all else fails it’s supposed to be your mom and dad, your family that you can run to and rely on.
But what if you grow up in a home and was then abandoned as a child? It leaves a deep wound that can take years or even almost a lifetime to heal.
Or a family that invites too much competition within itself and has setup the children to fend for themselves? The ones who don’t come out on top may be physically or verbally punished, put down and deemed unworthy.
How about growing up neglected or overlooked? Perhaps you were not the favorite child and you could feel that. It may have been unintentional on your parent’s part but you felt it. Your eldest brother or sister can do nothing wrong. They have all the new clothes and you get the hand-me-downs.
The smartest in the siblings get most of the attention while you the average student is just lucky enough to be fed and to be given the basic necessities. How about growing up where your parents are fighting every day and night?
You wake up in the middle of the night and war seems to be happening. Your mother is threatening to throw your father out of the house and you do not want your father to ever go away. But you see your mother crying and you’re wondering if you have to take sides. Some parents stay together. Some do not.
Some experience abuse as a child. Children being especially vulnerable and helpless experience abuse from predators, supposed caregivers, relatives, family friends, and even their own family.
As a child, in your innocence, you are so trusting of people. You believe in the goodness of people so when that trust is broken you are not always able to process what’s happening. You become disillusioned and form beliefs to secure yourself – you build walls to protect yourself making it difficult to feel really happy and confident about the future.
Don’t play down how much impact tough experiences or something more severe, such as traumas, abuse, or abandonment can affect a person’s ability to regulate their emotions and cope with stress in life. They may have difficulty forming healthy relationships or trusting others, struggle with low self-esteem or have a negative perception of themselves, and experience chronic feelings of shame and guilt.
Carrying Past Traumas and Hurts Into The Future
Although you seem to have done it, you grew up in one piece but all those unhealed emotional wounds continue to hurt. The memories continue to come back once in a while. You are quickly agitated. You’re fearful and without even knowing have developed self-sabotaging behaviors.
Inner Child Healing
Inner child healing is a practice that aims to delve into the innermost emotions and experiences of one’s childhood to address the negative patterns and traumas that may be affecting your current life.
You just want to go back in time and talk to yourself as a child. Give a hug and say everything will be alright. You try to work towards transforming painful emotions into positive affirmations of self-love, worthiness, and compassion.
Remember that inner child healing is not about blaming our parents or caregivers for our past, but rather acknowledging that we all have experienced some form of pain or neglect growing up. It is a process of self-discovery, self-acceptance, and self-healing.
Some techniques that can be used in inner child healing include creative visualization, journaling, meditation, therapies such as psychotherapy, expressive arts therapy, or holistic energy healing practices such as Reiki treatments. These tools help us connect with our inner child and provide a safe space for them to express their emotions and needs.
The benefits of inner child healing are numerous. By addressing the underlying causes of our negative patterns, we can experience increased self-awareness, self-love, and improved relationships with ourselves and others. We can also break free from limiting beliefs and behaviors that hold us back from living the life we desire.
Reiki for Inner Child Healing
If you are looking for a holistic healing way to free yourself from all the past hurts and trauma from your childhood you can try Reiki healing. Reiki healing is a form of hands-on treatment facilitated by trained Reiki practitioners who can offer Reiki energy through their hands to areas where blockages exist in your mind, body, emotions, energy pathways, and spirit with the intention of helping you shift the energy in all those areas into balance. It is a 100% safe, natural, and widely popular form of channeled energy healing from Japan discovered by Dr. Usui, a doctor, and Tendai Buddhist monk over a hundred years ago. Reiki can never do harm and is safe for all ages and anyone in any condition to receive (including anyone sick, pregnant or elderly). It has become a staple at integrative medical centers such as the Mayo Clinic and Johns Hopkins along with various alternative wellness centers across the world.
Reiki helps to restore the balance of energy, which promotes physical and emotional healing, and can support your quest to heal the inner child in you in many ways:
Reiki can release pent-up emotions:
Inner child healing often involves releasing pent-up emotions we have held onto for years. Reiki can help us gently release these emotions, making it easier for us to process and let go of them.
Reiki can clear energy blockages:
Negative experiences from childhood can create energy blockages in our bodies, which can manifest as physical, or emotional pain. Reiki can help to clear these blockages, promoting healing and well-being.
Reiki can promote relaxation:
Inner child healing can be a challenging and emotional process. Reiki can help to promote relaxation and reduce stress and anxiety, making the healing process more comfortable and manageable.
Reiki can improve self-awareness:
Reiki can help us to become more self-aware, giving us a deeper understanding of ourselves and the beliefs and patterns we hold. This increased self-awareness can help us to identify and heal our inner child wounds.
Reiki can promote a sense of safety and security:
Healing our inner child can be a vulnerable process. Reiki healing can help us feel safe and secure as we navigate this process, providing a supportive and nurturing space for healing to occur.
How You Can Begin With Reiki Sessions To Support Your Inner Child Healing
Reiki sessions are a powerful way to support inner child healing effectively and holistically. It can help to release pent-up emotions, clear energy blockages, promote relaxation, improve self-awareness, and promote a sense of safety and security. For longer-term benefits, it is advisable to have approximately three to five Reiki sessions spread across a period of time which you can discuss with your trusted Reiki practitioner. Reiki healing sessions can be facilitated in person or remotely by a Distant Reiki session if you prefer having your healing sessions comfortably at home. Some people fall asleep during Reiki sessions so it is nice to drift off into sleep during a Distant Reiki session.
If you’re looking to heal your inner child, Reiki can be an excellent complementary therapy to support your journey. It requires courage, vulnerability, and patience, but the benefits are well worth the effort.
It is ABSOLUTELY possible to heal your inner child so that these old wounds don’t have a hold on you throughout your lifetime, and impact your relationship with your current or potential partner, or even children negatively down the line. Once you’re able to to embrace and heal the hurt your inner child may have experienced, you will feel more whole, self-loving and connected with yourself, which may allow you to feel a whole lot more confident too!
