Nurture Yourself

As part of my assignment for "Development Themes in Counselling" I have to relate any one Development Theory I've learnt to my own life experiences. I have to describe my personal experiences and describe how they prohibit or promote my development resulting in certain recurring themes in my life. For example a recurring theme could be that I find it difficult to trust people.

We then have to explore ways for healing and ongoing development.
Without going into the details, what I would really like to share is that the activites that support "growing up again" or healing in an infancy/childhood deprived of care and love is to NURTURE YOURSELF AND CARE FOR YOUR INNER CHILD. Amongst many, some of the simple activities which we can practise quite easily include (do not dismiss with a snigger):

Treat yourself to a theurapeutic massage or body wrap
Listen to lullabies while wrapped up closely in blankets
Take naps with a sheet over your face
Listen to soothing music during your bath
Ask someone to hold you heart to heart and hum without talking
Sing lullabies to the little child in you
Perform rhythmic movements (eg. swing in a hammock, sit in a rocking chair, row a boat)
Get more hugs
Close your eyes. Visualise yourself as a child. If the all-perfect mother or father could see this child right now, what would she or he do or say? Do these things and say those things to yourself or ask someone who loves you to do or say those things for you
Grieve any infant or childhood separation from parents
Do something to make your house more comfortable

(extracted from "Growing Up Again" Illsley Clarke, J & Dawson C(1998))

What I also want to say is if you are a parent, do those relevant activities more often to your children NOW.