talk to your 6 year old self and save your future self from hurt

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By: Helen Sian India
Helen Sian India is a Yoga Teacher + Wellness Coach to ambitious, millennial women that can't relax. She's coached and taught overworked women all over the world to live a harmonious and ...
Edited date: August 19, 2021Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

use your inner wisdom to embrace and love your future

If we had a running commentary of the way we spoke to ourselves, we'd be aghast at the negative, critical perspective we naturally take. As Michael, A. Singer, of The Untethered Soul, notes 'In case you haven’t noticed, you have a mental dialogue going on inside your head that never stops.' It's horrifyingly true as soon as we notice! Who is that? Why do they say what they say? Do I have any control over it?

The answer is yes, and I'm 100% sure you would never talk to your beautiful 6 year old self like you do today. We have the power to live in a world of possibility and love, and not in a world of fear and restriction. The trick is tapping into the past wise you in order to create a wiser future you.

We tend to run around life feeling emotions, loving them, embracing them and resisting them. We experience emotions just like we experience breath; they come and go, and we tend to forget that we have control over them. Negative emotions are usually the first ones we experience due to our natural fear of survival, while positive emotions are typically a little harder to tap into. However, we do indeed have the power to tap into them, and we do that by saying hello to our 6 year old self.

Society, our experiences and our beliefs all mould our thoughts and that internal voice that crops us up 24/7. The tricky thing about that is that none of it is based on truth, yet we believe it to be real. This makes it difficult to differentiate between our actual thoughts and what is made up. Based on our previous perceptions – that's where 6 year old you comes in handy!

By taking charge of our emotions and feelings, we can create a world that is full of love and possibility, without fear and restriction. We can control our emotions rather than letting them control us.

Imagine being able to feel happy at the drop of a hat, or comfortable with the feeling of anger or jealousy. How empowering! 6 year old you can change everything for future you – you'll be thanking yourself shortly.

To indulge into this beautiful source, all you have to do is think of yourself. This is particularly poignant when you're feeling stuck or trapped in negative feelings.

Get yourself into a comfortable spot, keep a soft gaze and run through these steps:

1. Bring your 6 year old self to life.

2. What you wearing? Where are they sitting?

3. Imagine they're feeling exactly like you're feeling right now. See the expression on their face and notice their posture.

4. Extend your hand and comfort their hands in yours.

5. How are they feeling? What emotions are they experiencing?

6. Now stop and tell them what they need to hear. Say it out loud to them.

7. Keep going, keep repeating, keep feeling.

8. Take a nice deep breath in and let it all out – give your 6 year old self a big, warm hug.

9. Stay here for as long as you need and breathe through the emotions that come up.

Credit Matthew Ragan

What were the themes? What did your 6 year old self need to hear? Write it down! Maybe you needed to know that everything is going to be ok, that you are loved and supported and that you are safe to be yourself. Maybe you needed a confidence boost and to be told that you are stronger and braver than you know. Whatever came up, write it down and say thank you for the truth showing up. That is exactly what you needed to hear and experience. The emotions are not you, they are simply experiences. You have the power to embrace them and then let them go.

If you'd like to take it to the next step, place whatever came up into a beautiful mantra! I have 'I am loved and supported' and 'things always work out for me'. Pull these out of your toolbox whenever you start feeling low and when negative emotions start controlling you.

Your 6 year old self is full of beautiful knowledge and is there for you to use it any time your emotions start trampling all over you. It gives you the support and power you need in order to take charge of your future, and move forward with integrity and confidence. You've got this, and 6 year old you knows it.

Helen Sian India is a yoga teacher and life coach to ambitious, millennial women who can't relax. She's coached and taught overworked women all over the world to live a harmonious and beautiful life. She's here to show you it can be easy to live a peaceful life with meaning—and she can help you find your work/life balance sweet spot.

Follow her on Instagram and check out her free wellness program.