All children need to feel loved and supported by the adults in their life, but sometimes those adults may not know how to give that. This can leave a child feeling hollow and disconnected from the people around them. Even as a child grows into an adult, feelings of sadness and emptiness can persist, often contributing to health problems, depression, and low self-worth. It’s also common for an inner disconnection to breed more volatile feelings like resentment and rage, which can lead to outbursts of anger and violence.
When you think back to your formative years, would you say that you felt loved and supported much of the time? Do you feel loved and supported now by the important people in your life? Do you often feel sad and lonely, or do you often feel angry for no obvious reason? If you felt unloved and unsupported as a child, or even now as an adult, you may have emotional wounds that can continue to affect you until they are healed.
To begin healing, think back through your childhood years and notice any feelings that are present in your body. You may notice a feeling of heaviness in your heart center, or a sensation of weight across your shoulders. Make a note of the sensations and where they show up for you physically.
Then focus on that area of your body and sit with the feeling for a few moments. Allow yourself to be present with it and feel it fully. Then say, “I’m ready to let go of this feeling of sadness. It’s okay to let it go now.” Imagine that you can feel the sadness flowing easily out of your body, leaving a space of peacefulness behind. Then imagine infusing that area of your body with love and compassion. Imagine loving energy completely filling that part of you and radiating through your entire being.
Say, “I am giving myself all of the love and support I need in my past, present, and future.” Imagine this loving energy flowing back through time and infusing the child that you were in the past, as well as filling you up now in the present moment, and finally flowing forward in time to fill up the future you with all of the love and support you will need for the rest of your life. Stay with this vision for several minutes, until you can feel a sense of inner calm and security.
Say to yourself often throughout the day, “I completely love and support myself.” Be sure to do this especially when you are feeling unloved or unsupported by the people around you. Keep reminding yourself that love and support must come from within first and do what you can to provide that for yourself every day.
Repeat this process daily until there are no longer any lingering negative feelings in your body. You may find that some emotional wounds will heal quickly, but others may take more time. Be willing to be patient with yourself through the process and remind yourself that your emotional well-being is worth every bit of time and effort that it needs to heal. Remember, if you don’t heal what hurt you, you will bleed on people who didn’t cut you.
