Awaken Your Inner Child

"How you feel in your heart can show up in your nbody, for your heart and body are more powerfully nconnected than you have ever realized.”
Don Colbert, MD

Is your inner child happy and content with you and your life? How can you tell?

It is relatively easy to tell. If your inner child (or in other words your spirit) is happy, your skin glows and your eyes sparkle. How unfortunate that so many of us adults lost our spark. We even call this state “low spirits”. To lift our spirits we need to bring our inner child back or awaken him/her. Why did our spirit leave us? Stresses of everyday life, worries, mundane life full of chores and no fun causes us to feel down. “All work and no play” is bad for our spirits. That is why it is so important to play from time to time.

How can we bring back our sad and forgotten inner child? We need some down time to reconnect. Like all children our inner child just needs to play. Just watch your children playing at the park. They are pure joy and energy. They do not worry about dinner or homework. They are totally in the moment. Their life energy flows through them freely, no blocks, no tight spots, nothing holding them back. They are the real superheroes and real fairies at this very moment.

They laugh and they run freely. Little kids feel no prejudice and do not judge others. They are totally self confident, before the world teaches them that there is something wrong with them. They cry when they want to without shame.
When was the last time you felt like that? A really long time ago?

Well then, join the kids and play with them. They will be thrilled. Laugh and run, even for just a few minutes. It makes wonders for your spirit.

Your inner child will also be happy with any other form of joyful activity. Go dancing or exercise (but it has to be something you really love, not a chore). Sing or play an instrument you played as a child. Any art form is wonderful. Take out the crayons or paint brushed and paint. Do not worry how it will come out. Write a poem for yourself. Go to see a play or live concert (sorry, just listening to a CD or watching TV won’t do it). You really need a live performance to experience what Greeks called "catharsis". You need to be awakened or “born again”. Your spirit is asking for it.

No matter what you do, you need to find that inner joy again, joy that was lost somewhere along the way. But do not give in into thinking that you have to get out of your own skin and be somebody else to experience it. Nothing is further from the truth. In fact you just need to be yourself again, the long forgotten self.

Another good way to find yourself again is to spend some time in nature. Going away camping would be ideal. Camping and hiking really bring us back to our roots. The immersion in nature is therapeutic. You can go alone or better yet you can go with your family. Going camping with family lets you decompress but at the same time reconnect with the people you love. It could be the quiet time or the most playful time. Just let it happen naturally.

If you cannot get away at least commit to going on long walks every day. Try not to think too much while you are walking. Just observe the nature, birds, flowers, other people and houses. Do not judge. Just look.

Everyday after waking up put your hand on your heart and say hello to your spirit. Then ask your spirit what he/she needs.

Take a deep breath...ahh...