“Inner child healing.” The phrase might sound cheesy to you. Or woo-woo.
I used to feel that way, too. Until I tried it myself … and my life changed.
The theory goes like this:
There’s a younger you still living inside you … the one who used to run around freely, who had an imagination that built entire worlds.
And then, life happened.
Your tears were met with silence, your joys told to “calm down,” your needs labeled as too much, or that sigh you heard whenever you cried. So you learned to hold it all in or be who everyone else needed you to be, instead of being authentic you.
But that child didn’t disappear. They’re still there, beneath the overthinking, beneath the exhaustion, beneath the anxiety, beneath the overachieving, beneath the perfectionsim, beneath that part of you who’s afraid of your own happiness. All of that … that’s your unhealed inner child whispering, “I still have pain.”
And the moment you recognize that … That’s where inner child healing begins, by turning toward yourself with tenderness! Rather than shoving it all down, ignoring your own deeper needs, sabotaging yourself, or trying to please everyone, you turn inward with tenderness and love, which is what a good parent is supposed to do with their child.
It’s when you start saying to yourself, “I hear you.”
When you do this, you begin to notice that so many of your adult struggles (the anxiety, the perfectionism, the people-pleasing, the fear of rejection) are really your wounded inner child reaching out for care. These patterns are how you survived as a kid.
What Is Inner Child Healing?
Inner child work, then, is a gentle process of reconnecting with the parts of yourself that still carry those unmet needs from childhood. Through reparenting yourself (giving yourself what you needed and deserved as a little kid), you create a new kind of safety in life … and it doesn’t depend on anyone else’s approval or love. Finally.
Healing your inner child takes your past and transforms your relationship with it. You begin to see your younger self not as a burden, but as a sacred messenger who’s showing you exactly where love still needs to flow.
How I Began Inner Child Work That Worked
- Create safety within. Find stillness each day — through breathing, journaling, meditation, or time alone with your thoughts or feelings. This lets your inner child know it’s safe to come forward.
- Listen without judgment. Every emotion that comes up within you is valid. Instead of pushing emotions down, feel them.
- Reparent yourself with love. This is a game-changer in life! Speak to yourself gently. Replace self criticism with self praise. Nourish your body. Rest. Set boundaries. Be the steady presence and unconditional love you needed as a kid!
- Use guided meditations. Healing goes deeper when you journey inward with silence or guided meditations. (My Inner Child Healing Meditation offers a gentle space to meet and comfort your younger self.)
Why Inner Child Healing Matters
When you tend to your inner child, your whole world begins to soften.
The constant self-criticism quiets.
The need to prove your worth fades.
What other people think or say about you no longer matters.
Relationships feel more peaceful.
You rediscover true simple joy.
That gaping hole that used to reside in your soul or heart … is no longer there!
No amount of clapping, social media likes, dopamine hits, relationships, love, attention, money, sugar, weed, alcohol, power, or external validation will ever heal you. Your healing (and inner peace) happens when you finally turn inward, to yourself, and say, “I accept you, I honor you, I am here for you, and I love you no matter what.”
I’m Anitra Lahiri, a Registered Yoga Teacher (ERYT-500), sharing yoga, meditation, and mindful practices with my students and clients every day. This Yoga Alliance profile lists my verified certifications and training.
Book a Free Coaching or Yoga Session with me HERE!
Anitra Lahiri 