Small Childlike Movements

One of the facets of my work is helping others reach into their inner child states that are still living in the nervous systems. Often in parts work or through somatic experiencing, a much younger version residing inside will come into awareness. It is usually an uncomfortable visceral experience when someone touches this place, but it always brings healing.

I had a woman the other day who stunned me with her childlike behaviors because there were so many. The high lilt in her voice and how she would cover her mouth when giggling.

The unusual childlike giggle that occurred whenever she mentioned something uncomfortable or hard, like grief and loneliness. On one level, she knew she was holding childlike feelings but had no idea they were in her behaviors.

Such profound awareness happens when a person in this stuck state is asked to notice small movements like her hands and how they make it to her mouth when she is uncomfortable or struggling for words.

After noticing, her eyes lit up, and she suddenly became aware of this nervous habit she had kept since childhood.

Once she became aware of it, the connections to other childlike behaviors came to mind, and we continued to unpack why they had begun in the first place. Shyness, awkwardness, and shame all came up to be recognized. The belief systems she had installed around herself were that she was weird and different and did not know how to make adult friends.

Take a moment to notice if you tap your fingers, clench your teeth, or twirl your hair without much awareness. All these movements tell the state of your nervous system and hold the deeper things you carry.

These small or more significant movements carry information we will not fully digest by telling our stories alone.

Consultations via Google Meet or in person are the best place to connect.