In this episode, you’re guided through a gentle, grounding Inner Child Meditation designed to help you reconnect with the younger version of yourself who still lives in your emotions, your nervous system, and your unmet needs. This practice isn’t about imagining a literal child inside of you—it’s about using the metaphor of your inner child to better understand your feelings, your patterns, and the parts of you that are still longing for support, safety, and presence.

You’ll begin by priming your body for safety with breathwork and box breathing, helping your nervous system soften so you can access deeper layers of connection. From there, you’ll “rewind the tape” of your life—moving from young adulthood, to your teen years, and back to the child version of you. Through visualization, curiosity, and compassion, you’ll explore:

✨ What your younger self loved
✨ What made them feel safe
✨ The qualities they naturally carried before the world told them who to be
✨ What they want you to know now
✨ What support they’ve been waiting to receive

You’ll have moments to offer your inner child love, appreciation, and reassurance—and to receive any messages that arise. This meditation helps you re-parent, repair, and reconnect so you can meet your present-day emotions with more safety, compassion, and understanding.

As the practice closes, you'll return gently to your body, grounding into the present moment with mindful awareness. You’re encouraged to journal afterward to capture anything that surfaced—insights, emotions, memories, or messages.

This is a beautiful experience for anyone feeling overwhelmed, disconnected, or longing for deeper self-support. I’m honored to guide you through it, and I’m cheering you on as you continue building a compassionate relationship with yourself and your inner child.

Thank you for being here. Thank you for you.

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Take some time to create safety and space in your system....

Recommended: Practice for 5–10 minutes, 2–3 times a day, or anytime you feel dysregulated.
This practice retrains your system for rest, safety, and presence.

1. Ground + Arrive

Find a quiet space and sit comfortably, palms open, feet grounded.
Close your eyes or take a soft gaze.
Take three slow breaths into your belly.

2. Box Breathing – 2 Rounds

Inhale through your nose for 4 seconds.
Hold for 4 seconds.
Exhale through pursed lips for 4 seconds.
Hold for 4 seconds on empty.

3. Tapping + Vagal Toning – 2 Rounds

Gently tap on your chest or anywhere on your body to wake up sensations.
On the exhale, sound the word VOO to activate your vagus nerve.

4. Eye + Neck Reset

Bring your left ear toward your left shoulder and look up toward the upper right corner of your eyes.
Take 3 deep breaths while holding the pose
Switch sides and repeat.

5. Neck Massage

Press gently at the base of your skull where the head and neck connect.
Breathe slowly as you release tension and allow more flow through your body.

6. Anchor Affirmation

Repeat to yourself: “I am safe — safe to be in my body, safe to feel, safe to experience this.”

7. Body Scan

Notice the different temperatures — your feet, your hands, the air as it moves in and out through your nose.
Scan your body for what feels safe, supported, or at ease.
Allow yourself to soften even more into that.
Now scan for any areas that feel tight, constricted, or holding stuck energy.
Name and observe those sensations with loving curiosity — maybe notice a color, texture, or shape.

8. Orienting to the Present

Open your eyes and look around your space.
Name five things you see that share the same color or shape.

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In this episode, Dr. Tina Schermer Sellers, a licensed psychotherapist, best-selling author, and researcher shares her insight on shameless parenting and our ability to heal while we learn alongside our kids.

Dr. Tina and I dig into how sexual shame impacts our ability to form secure attachments and relationships. She shares her experience as a professor and noticing the shift as the first wave of "purity culture" took on a different narrative that was harmful to the students she was teaching.

One of my favorite books, Sex, God, and the Conservative Church: Erasing Shame from Sexual Intimacy was powerful in helping me understand how and why shame is rampant in our culture, but often hard to notice. And she has recently another book called, Shameless Parenting: How to Raise Confident, Shame free Kids and Heal Your Own Shame Too!

Dr. Sellers emphasizes the role of parents in fostering shame-free environments for their children, regardless of their family makeup. She encourages open conversations with teenagers, addressing myths and stereotypes about sex, and prioritizing connection and pleasure over obligation in relationships. Dr. Sellers emphasizes the importance of ongoing learning, dispelling myths, and staying on the path of personal growth to lead a fulfilling life.

Follow Dr. Sellers on Instagram at @DrTinaShameless

In this episode:

0:02:28 Dr. Tina Shermer Sellers bio

0:08:45 Healing Through Shameless Parenting

0:27:26 Importance of Social and Emotional Learning

0:32:51 Parenting Insights Beyond Traditional Family Structures

0:39:39 Embodying Sexuality for a Fulfilling Life

0:42:13 Connect with Dr. Tina on Instagram

0:42:37 Dr. Tina's Podcast Episodes

Although this will be my last episode, please stay in touch! Check out what I have going on @shannonhamaker on Instagram!

Also on my website: shannonhmaker.com will share the latest and greatest in my offerings through coaching and retreats.

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