Reaching Inwards: Rescuing the Child Within

Healing the Inner Child Trapped by Fear

It was a combination of listening to a guided kirtan meditation, Saas Saas Simro by Satpal Singh & Hajara Singh called Divine Awareness that made me aware of a door that I didn’t know existed. It was June 26th, 2025 around 9am Pacific Time so I listened and I felt it. Next I waited…time passed slowly during the day, it is a 75-degree day here in Sunny San Jose, California. Little did I know what the day had in store for me.

Around 3pm while browsing through the facebook reels was when Master Shi Heng Yi appeared and talked about resolving or letting go of things from your past. He conducted a breathing technique and my mind started to quiet down. Next, out of the blue, came Thich Nihat Hanh and he talked about when we push away our fear, we are pushing away an aspect of ourselves, which can only compound our suffering. It’s an excerpt of “Beyond Good and Evil | Teaching by Thich Nhat Hanh” where he says:

Your Fear is Yourself

And Fighting Your Fear, is Fighting Yourself

Being Afraid of Your Fear, is Being Afraid of Yourself

So Using the Energy of Mindfulness, to Embrace Your Fear

Represented by the Little Wounded Child Within You

Is a Beautiful Image Corresponding to the Truth

Because that Suffering Child is Still Alive in You

And You May Have Been Too Busy to Take Good Care of Him or Her

And Now You Know the Practice

And You Have to Go Back to Him or Her

To Hold Him or Her Dearly In the Arms of Mindfulness

With Your Mindful Breathing, Your Mindful Step, You Take of Him or Her

And You Rely on the Collective Energy of the Sangat

In Order to Embrace Him or Her, to Nourish Him or Her also

It was in the next breath that I saw the inner child sitting there and it floored me with humility. For I saw my inner innocence of the child, but observed from the perspective of an adult. What I discovered next is as follows…

There lies within each of us a child, tender and vulnerable, shaped by the experiences of the past. This "inner child" carries the imprint of both joy and pain, triumph and trauma. When this child becomes trapped by fear, silenced by wounds that have yet to heal, it can lead to feelings of disconnection, insecurity, and a profound loss of direction. The journey of reaching inwards to rescue this child is not only healing but transformative, offering us the chance to reclaim parts of ourselves that have been left behind.

What am I afraid of? I’ve lost everything but my breath, what are these wounds yet to heal?

I feared failure…and I failed: Wounds of being Authentic

I was afraid of love…so love left: Wounds of the Heart

I was afraid of winning…so I lost: Wounds of a Mindset

I feared losing my job…so I got laid off nine times in a row: Wounds of being an Imposter

I feared losing my money…so I became bankrupt: Wounds of Stability

I feared losing my family…so they left: Wounds of the Soul

I feared not being accepted…so I was cast out: Wounds of Isolation

I feared not being enough…so what I had was taken away: Wounds of Lack of Confidence

I was afraid of society…so I was made a volunteer: Wounds of People

I was afraid of being a leader…so I was made the fool: Wounds of Self-Identity

I was afraid of going to Jail…so I was made a prisoner: Wounds of Freedom

The Inner Child and Its Voice

The concept of the inner child refers to the psychological reality of our earliest experiences. It encompasses the part of our psyche that feels deep emotions, believes in endless possibilities, and craves unconditional love and acceptance. However, when life's challenges—abuse, neglect, abandonment, or even lesser wounds of invalidation—overshadow that innocence, the inner child can become trapped in fear. Who Knew?

This child may feel unheard, unseen, and lost, leading to an adult life marked by self-doubt, anxiety, or emotional numbness. Recognizing this voice within us is the first step in the journey of healing. Its cries for attention often manifesting as an unexplained sadness, a relentless inner critic, or recurring patterns of behavior that seem to hold us back. In my case, drowning in a sea of alcohol.

Rescuing the Child Within

To rescue the inner child is to embark on an inward journey of empathy, understanding, and self-compassion. This is not a process of erasing fear but embracing it, acknowledging its origins, and rewriting the narrative of those earlier life experiences.

1. Acknowledging the Child's Presence

Often, the inner child's cries go unnoticed amidst the noise of daily life. To reconnect, one must create moments of stillness and reflect on their emotional triggers. Journaling, meditation, or simply allowing oneself to feel deeply without judgment can help bring about this hidden part of ourselves to light, or what I call the God within.

2. Validating Their Feelings

The child within longs to be heard. Whatever fears or wounds one carries, they are valid. Instead of dismissing past pain with statements like "It wasn’t that bad" or "I should have been stronger," there must be a person that offers an understanding: "I see you. I believe you. It's okay to feel this way."

3. Offering Compassion

Just as one would comfort a child in distress, one must extend the same compassion to themselves. This might involve visualizing the younger version of yourself and speaking words of reassurance: "You are safe now. You are loved. You are not alone or abandoned.”

4. Reclaiming Joy and Playfulness

The inner child isn’t just a vessel for past pain; it’s also the source of our creativity, wonder, and joy. By engaging in activities that spark playfulness—whether through art, music, or simply laughing— one can reconnect with this vital energy and bring it into our adult lives. For me it’s based upon a strength and knowing much greater than my individual persona. It’s a Grace, a Love Almighty, a Beloved and a connection to nature which led me to reconnect with the people around me. It was and is a slow process which allowed me to heal and come back “home.” Now I play as an adult with that inner child playing free.

Healing and Moving Forward

Rescuing the inner child is not a one-time act but a lifelong relationship. It taught me to be gentler to myself, to embrace imperfections, and to approach life with curiosity rather than fear. Over time, as one nurtures this relationship, the child within regains their voice, courage, and sense of direction. The Grace of the Almighty, Waheguru, is awakened within.

In doing so, we untangle ourselves from the grip of fear and rediscover the beauty of being whole. The journey is not easy, but it is profoundly rewarding—a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and its capacity to heal.

Embracing the Fear

Rewrite the narrative that is associated with each wound:

Wounds of being Authentic Forgiveness

Wounds of the Heart Loved by God

Wounds of a Mindset Positivity

Wounds of being an Imposter Warrior

Wounds of Stability Solid Foundation built on God’s Love

Wounds of the Soul Uplifted Spirit

Wounds of Isolation Acceptance

Wounds of Lack of Confidence Each Moment is God’s Grace

Wounds of People Smile at the God Head in You, Everyone & Everything

Wounds of Self-Identity Now I recognize the God Within

Wounds of Freedom Ego Gone, Love Remains with a Sunny Smile

Conclusion

The child within us may have been lost, but they are never beyond reach. By turning inward with courage and compassion, we can rescue this vital part of ourselves and usher in a life of authenticity, joy, and freedom. For in embracing the child trapped by fear, we ultimately find our way back to ourselves. Our way back home and in my case, the Sun now shines from within me.