Before You Heal Your Inner Child: A Creative Practice

Before you begin healing the younger parts of yourself, take time to connect with the wisdom, perspective, and resources you hold today. Through controlled breath, guided imagery, a simple somatic exercise, and creative practice, you’ll explore your inner “cool parent”—the part of you who can offer care while remaining open to the wisdom your younger selves still have to share.

Transcript

Welcome to a practice that explores the wisdom, Perspective, And resources you hold today so that you might bring them into relationship with the younger parts of yourself. Today's practice uses controlled breath, A simple grounding exercise, And an art prompt designed to help you imagine your present day self as what I like to call your inner cool parent. This is not yourself as a perfect parent and not a parent who always knows exactly what to do. The inner cool parent is the part of you who reaches for your hand and says, Self, We've got this in your time of need. It is the part of you who can meet your younger selves with the knowledge, Experience, Compassion, Resources, And perspective you have today. It can also name and gather resources for you as needed. And it reminds you that you are not alone. Before we begin, You will need something to write with and write on along with whatever art materials feel accessible to you. We will begin with a brief centering practice before moving into the art prompt. Let us begin. Find a comfortable seat. Let your feet rest flat on the floor or sit cross-legged, Whatever feels most supported for your body right now. Allow your hands to rest softly in your lap. You may close your eyes if that feels comfortable, Or simply soften your gaze towards the floor in front of you. And begin by noticing your breath. Simply notice the natural movement of the inhale and exhale. Now, Bring some awareness to the physical body. Feel the surface beneath you. Notice the way that your body is supported or held by the chair, The floor or the earth beneath you. Bring your awareness to your feet. Notice your legs, Your sits bones, Your low back and belly. Move the awareness up the spine, Noticing the backside ribs, The heart center, And the front side ribs. Move your awareness back to heart center and up through the shoulders, Down through the arms, And into the hands. Move the awareness back up the arms, Up through the neck, And into the backside head. Notice your ears, The jaw and cheekbones, The tip of your nose, The bridge of your nose, And the eyes, Eyebrows, And forehead. Notice the crown of your head. Notice the entire right side body, The entire left side body, And the whole body. Notice the whole body. Notice the whole body and begin now to deepen the breath slightly, Inhaling to the count of four. Pausing and then exhaling for a count of five or six. Repeat inhaling to the count of three or four, Pausing, And exhaling a little longer. Continue for a few more rounds of breath. Now, Allow your breath to return to natural. If it feels comfortable, Place one hand over your heart and one hand over your belly. Feel the presence of your hands against the body. Now imagine that you have the coolest parent in the world. Regardless of how cool your own parents were or were not, Imagine this inner cool parent as someone who sees you clearly. This parent sees you in your pain, And it also celebrates you in your strengths. It offers the exact support and encouragement that you need. Notice what you imagine about this inner cool parent. What qualities does it offer that you need right now? Which of those qualities, If any, Do you already possess? And if you are struggling, What resources would this cool parent reach for to support you? So what are the qualities that this inner cool parent has to offer? What are those qualities? What resources would they reach for to support you? Continue to notice what surfaces as you imagine the inner cool parent as a part of yourself that says, Self, We've got this. The cool parent who takes you by the hand in your time of need, And who does whatever it can to cheer you on, So you succeed. Because you do have these resources and you also have the courage and capacity to seek resources as you need them. Let's take one more full breath in. And a long, Easy breath out. And as you prepare to move into today's practice, Allow the breath to come back to natural. But carry whatever you noticed with you. When you're ready, Open your eyes or lift your gaze and gather your art supplies. For today's art practice, You are going to create the image of your inner cool parent. Your image can be literal or symbolic. You might create a figure, Or perhaps your cool parent is represented entirely through color, Shape, Texture, Or line. There is no need to make a recognizable image. Let the materials help you discover this inner cool parent. And as you create, Consider what are its strengths? What has it learned through living that your younger selves couldn't know? What resources does this cool parent have or can it gather for you now? And what can it provide when a younger part of you feels frightened, Ashamed, Lonely, Uncertain, Or not enough? And then as your image begins to develop, Consider the relationship from the other direction. Because cool parenting isn't only about what the adult self has to give. Ask yourself, What does the cool parent have to receive from your younger parts? Perhaps it's joy, Creative playfulness, Or a sense of awe or open-eyed wonder. Remember, Being a cool parent means having the humility to recognize that growing older doesn't mean you've outgrown the wisdom of who you used to be. So allow your image to hold both. When your image feels complete, Step back and take it in as a whole. Spend a few moments simply looking at the cool parent you've created. And then spend a few minutes in quiet dialogue with your artwork, You might consider what wisdom does the cool parent have to offer you right now. And what becomes possible when the different versions of you stop working against one another and begin walking forward together. Let your artwork answer before your thinking mind rushes in. You may be surprised by what your art already knows. And remember, The image came from inside of you, So the wisdom it carries is yours. As we close today's practice, Take one final look at the image you've created. Perhaps there are younger parts of you that still need care. Perhaps there are old hurts that deserve attention, Support, Or healing. But before asking yourself to do that work, Remember the person who is meeting them now. You have lived, You have learned, You have gathered resources, And you have the ability to gather more. There is so much care available in the person you have become. And remember that your younger selves are more than the summary of their wounds. They carry strengths too. Thank you so much for being here. As we close for today, The goodness in me honors the goodness in you.