The Inner Child and the Yogic Journey

You Have Grown Into Someone Who Would Have Protected You as a Child: A Yogic Perspective

Yoga is ultimately a path of returning home — to our true Self (Atman). Along that path, we shed the layers of conditioning, trauma, and misidentification that accumulated throughout our lives. The idea that you’ve become someone who would have protected your younger self is a reflection of spiritual maturity, self-compassion, and integration — all key themes in yoga.

In yogic philosophy, we're not just healing the physical body — we are healing all five koshas:

• Annamaya kosha – the physical body

• Pranamaya kosha – the energetic body

• Manomaya kosha – the mental/emotional body

• Vijnanamaya kosha – the wisdom or intuitive body

• Anandamaya kosha – the bliss body, our connection to source

Healing and protecting the inner child is part of the work in the Manomaya and Vijnanamaya koshas. It’s about recognizing the wounds of the past, creating space to feel them, and applying the wisdom we’ve gained through life and practice to offer nurturing, love, and yes — protection.

Ahimsa: Non-Harming Begins Within

The first Yama, Ahimsa, or non-harming, is often directed outward — but yoga teaches us that it begins with how we treat ourselves. Would the child you once were feel safe in your presence today? Have you cultivated enough self-love, boundaries, and strength to hold that child in safety and love?

In healing, we often must become the protector we didn’t have — and yoga gives us tools to do just that:

• Mindfulness to observe and soothe the inner critic

• Pranayama to regulate our nervous system

• Asana to ground ourselves in the body

• Meditation to connect to deeper truth and compassion

The Warrior Archetype in Yoga

Yoga doesn’t only cultivate peace — it also awakens the inner warrior. Asana poses like Virabhadrasana (Warrior Pose) are not just physical exercises. They symbolize the strength and discernment needed to protect our inner space. When we stand in Warrior II, we’re embodying the kind of presence and power that could have shielded our younger selves from harm, confusion, or neglect.

This strength, born of practice and presence, is the same that allows us to parent our inner child now with courage and care.

Ishvara Pranidhana and the Surrender to Wholeness

From the lens of the Niyamas, the final one — Ishvara Pranidhana — invites us to surrender to something greater. When we learn to trust life again, when we recognize that healing is happening through us, not just because of us, we can begin to rest. That child within us can rest. Because finally, someone is here who knows how to keep them safe — you.

Walking With the Inner Child

One of the most healing practices in yoga is compassionate self-inquiry. Journaling, visualization, and meditation where we connect with our younger selves allow us to offer them what they didn’t receive: protection, reassurance, joy, boundaries, or simply being seen.

On the Mat: Embodying the Inner Protector in Virabhadrasana I (Warrior I)

Warrior I invites us to stand tall in our personal power — grounded, open, and focused. Here's how to align yourself safely and powerfully in this pose:

🔹 Step-by-Step Alignment

1. From Mountain Pose (Tadasana):

   • Step your left foot back about 3–4 feet.

   • Turn your back foot out to about a 45-degree angle.

   • Align the front heel with the arch or heel of your back foot.

2. Hips:

   • Square your hips toward the front of your mat. This may mean widening your stance slightly or softening the back knee to accommodate the twist.

3. Front Leg:

   • Bend the front knee directly over the ankle, keeping the shin vertical.

   • Ensure the knee tracks toward the second toe — not collapsing inward.

4. Back Leg:

   • Keep the back leg strong and extended.

   • Press firmly through the outer edge of the back foot to activate strength and stability.

5. Torso & Arms:

   • Lift the spine tall, drawing the belly in and up.

   • Raise your arms overhead with palms facing each other or touching.

   • Keep shoulders soft and relaxed away from the ears.

6. Gaze (Drishti):

   • Look forward or slightly up, keeping the back of the neck long.

🌿 Inner Cue:

As you hold Warrior I, visualize your younger self standing before you. Feel your presence as a steady, grounded protector. Let the strength in your legs and the openness in your heart hold space for all versions of you — past and present.

References & Further Reading

1. Patanjali, The Yoga Sutras
   – Translated by Sri Swami Satchidananda. Integral Yoga Publications, 2012.
   (See Sutra II.35–II.46 for the Yamas, including Ahimsa, and the foundation of asana practice.)

2. T.K.V. Desikachar, The Heart of Yoga: Developing a Personal Practice
   – Inner Traditions, 1999.
   (Desikachar discusses yoga as a process of self-inquiry and personal transformation, directly relating to healing and integration.)

3. B.K.S. Iyengar, Light on Yoga
   – Schocken Books, 1979.
   (Comprehensive guidance on the alignment and energetic principles of Virabhadrasana I and other foundational poses.)

4. Deborah Adele, The Yamas & Niyamas: Exploring Yoga’s Ethical Practice
   – On-Word Bound Books, 2009.
   (Modern reflections on the Yamas and Niyamas, including Ahimsa and Ishvara Pranidhana, emphasizing self-compassion and emotional growth.)

5. Swami Satyananda Saraswati, Asana, Pranayama, Mudra, Bandha
   – Bihar School of Yoga, 2008.
   (Detailed explanation of asanas with subtle energetic effects that relate to grounding, strength, and awareness.)

6. Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health – Articles on Self-Compassion and Inner Child Healing
   – kripalu.org
   (Accessible modern yoga psychology perspectives on nurturing and protecting your inner self.)

7. Tara Brach, Radical Acceptance: Embracing Your Life with the Heart of a Buddha
   – Bantam Books, 2003.
   (Bridges mindfulness and compassion work with the healing of past wounds — complementary to yogic philosophy.)