How are you coping with this chilly weather? You certainly need to rug up in Melbourne at the moment. We’ve had the heaters, electric blankets, towel warmers and the sauna running hot at Simply Natural over the past week. Nothing like a sauna and a cosy massage on a cold day.
And this week we’ve been really busy planning our Simply Natural Kids Month focussing on kid’s health and wellbeing. On Sunday I spent the afternoon with Mason, my four-year-old grandson. He’s a little obsessed with dinosaurs at the moment and unfortunately Nana’s toy box didn’t have a dinosaur in sight. We decided to go to Eastland Shopping Centre to remedy the problem and came home with half of Jurassic Park!
Other than dinosaurs there were a few other things I needed to buy but shopping with a 4 year old certainly has its challenges. We were in slow motion as everything was exceptionally fascinating like escalators and play equipment and cafes with babycinos and toyshops. We thoroughly enjoyed our shopping adventure but I must say I achieved about 10% of what I planned to.
It reminded me of something I often talk to my clients about. It’s the idea that whatever we do in life we take our “inner child” with us. It’s as if we walk through life holding our inner child by the hand and we are profoundly affected by how that “child” is feeling. If your inner child is happy and secure then it will happily go along with you and enjoy and co-operate with whatever you choose to do. If your inner child is shy and insecure then you will have to work very hard to coax them to tag along when you’re socialising or, heaven forbid, doing public speaking.
Your inner child might be rebellious and blatantly refuse to co-operate. It may sabotage your best intentions to do something. You may consciously want to eat only healthy foods but your inner child rebels and insists on eating sweets even though the adult part of you knows that you’re on a diet. Or it may well be the rebellious inner teenager that keeps you smoking when you know you shouldn’t.
Sometimes our inner child will have a temper tantrum when we don’t get our own way even when we know we’re being unreasonable. We might even surprise ourselves with what comes out of our mouth and later regret what we had done and said.
So whether we like it or not, we all live our lives with an inner child in tow. Holding that child by the hand and taking it with you wherever you go and whatever you do. If your inner child is resistant or reluctant it will hold you back in life and it can be exhausting. It will make everything feel like hard work.
So what determines how your inner child behaves? Well, it all depends on your childhood. If you were criticised as a child, your inner child will lack confidence and be scared of making mistakes. If you were restricted and controlled as child you inner child may then rebel, be defiant and hate being told what to do. Or, alternatively, it may be very unsure of itself and have trouble making decisions for itself.
On the other hand if you were loved and encouraged and supported as a child then your inner child is much more likely to confident and friendly and easy to have around. You’re much more likely to be able to achieve what you set out to achieve in life as an adult.
So what can you do if your inner child is holding you back? Well, there are lots of practitioners who do what’s called “Inner Child Work.” A common technique is to simply tune into and imagine that inner child. Get a sense of how old they are, what they’re wearing and how they’re feeling. Then imagine that you as an adult can step into that scene and provide whatever is missing. It may be love, security and safety, it may be time and attention, it may be structure and discipline, or leniency.
Whatever you sense that child is needing simply imagine yourself giving it. Imagine it as vividly as you can until your child feels better. Until they feel safe and secure and confident and happy. Once that happens then imagine yourself as the child. Step into the child’s body and feel the difference. Activate all of your sense to vividly imagine how it feels to have all your emotional and physical needs met as child.
This is a process you can do for yourself but if your inner child is really struggling then I highly recommend working with a good practitioner. Childhood trauma like abuse or neglect needs deep counselling or psychotherapy to heal.
I find it incredibly powerful to help people rewrite childhood experiences. To tell yourself a different story and imagine being safe and loved and supported as a child. This healing work can make an enormous difference to how easy it is to live your life.
Once that child by your side is co-operative and happy and has their needs they will skip along beside you rather than dragging you down. Nothing can hold you back. Except perhaps getting distracted by dinosaurs and babycinos.
So if your inner child is holding you back give us a call on 9842 7033. We have a number of wonderful practitioners who can help.
I hope you have a great week,
Warm Regards,
Alison Burton
Simply Natural Therapies
41 Tunstall Square, Doncaster East
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Alison Burton is a public speaker and has appeared on ABC National Radio, SBS Radio and is a regular guest on 3WBC Radio. She has also featured in The Age, Herald Sun, Insight Magazine and local news media. Alison has a keen interest in all aspects of natural health and wellbeing, energy medicine, human consciousness and bringing more common sense and kindness to the planet.sought afterAlison Burton is one of Melbourne’s leading Hypnotherapists and owner of Simply Natural Therapies.
Alison’s interest in energy healing is often incorporated in her work through the use of Reiki, Kinergetics and acupressure techniques including Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT).
She has three adult children and 2 adorable grandchildren.
Alison lives Melbourne’s Eastern suburbs and runs a Natural Health Centre with 15 practitioners, an extensive range of classes including and a retail shop.
Alison offers a FREE 60-minute Health and Wellbeing Consultation to clarify your needs and design a strategy to help you achieve your health and well-being goals
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