Week 7: The Loving Embrace Meditation [7 Week Self-Love Party]

💝 As we need persistence and commitment to journey through weeks of exploration, Week 7 is all about making the time to try to meet your Inner Child Self and establish communication links! Whether you are 'completing' the 7 Week Self-Love party journey here at Week 7, OR 'starting' out your 7 Week Self-Love party journey for a second time here at Week 7..... exploring and validating how you are feeling is an important part of healing. Some might be disappointed and upset that they did not receive a response from the Inner Child, or don't feel any closer to the Inner Self? Whilst others might be excited and hopeful as they have made some new discoveries about themselves, or are starting to understand the Inner Child Self a little bit more? No matter how you feel, know that your every emotion is valid and that it is okay to feel that way. Human emotions are complex but every emotion arises because of a valid and important reason, therefore emotions are the 'messengers' that help us understand ourselves better and show us where we are on our paths...just like a compass. The importance lies in what is hidden beneath that emotion you feel or what truly is the root issue. So what is your compass showing you today and what does it really mean?

🍦 The '7 Week Self-Love Party' has been designed as a gradual and fun "icebreaker process" to help you slowly warm up to the idea of who your Inner Child Self is, and go through the relationship transformation from total disconnected Stranger ... to a slightly more familiar Acquaintance that you can say 'Hi' to when you pass each other in the corridors. Like practising sitting in the same room so that it gets less awkward every time as you get familiar with each other's presence....every relationship needs investment of time and effort in order to build trust, so a relationship with your Inner Child Self is no different. We can't expect Rome to be built in a day, in the same way we can't expect the many many years of habitual Self-Abandonment to be casually ignored or forgiven by our Inner Child just because we attempt to get in touch a few times over a 7 week period.

This 'Loving Embrace' guided meditation (below) will lead you on a journey to meet whichever Inner Child Self that is important to you at the present time, so it is possible that each time you work through this meditation a different aged Inner Child could come forward, and you can revisit this meditation again when you are feeling lost or unable to connect with your Inner Child Self. Remember that making the time and consistent effort to understand as well as comfort and parent the Inner Child is a beautiful action of Self-Love. So try to be patient and compassionate to avoid jumping into hasty conclusions of doom... it is not the end of the world and love is a bridge that needs to be built!

The Loving Embrace Meditation can also be watched on my YouTube channel (The Cat pose Wellbeing) here:  The Loving Embrace Meditation 

After watching the meditation, explore these questions in your journal:

• How did I feel during the meditation and why?
• How old was my Inner Child and what was she/he/they wearing or holding?
• What surprised me about my Inner Child Self and why?
• What memory, phrase, song, object, person or situation comes to mind now and why?
•  What does my Inner Child need today?

Allow yourself to be creative and flexible to use various methods of expression that feel right for the moment. You can brain dump a list of words, doodle, use colours, pictures, hand prints, stamps, etc to answer these questions in your own way.... as long as you are recording physical evidence on paper or in your journal, you then have foundational bricks to build from. The physical action of writing as you think, will help impact neural pathways to create transformation in the way you feel and think. That is why journaling is often recommended as a method of stress reduction, anxiety alleviation and emotional regulation [The neuroscience of journaling and its benefits]. Be mindful of the 'I will just think about it' trap, because it will likely be drowned in the habitual mindless chatter in your mind.  Remember that you are no longer that same child, and your adult self is now capable of helping as well as healing that lost child of the past.

Lastly, stay brave.... and congratulations for making it on this Self-Love journey! It is the participation and committed effort that truly matters, so smile and be proud of yourself for getting here today.  

Until the next time,

May ❤