Alchemical Scents Inner Child Journey Workshop
A playshop to recapture the essence of the inner child
by Mirabai Marquardt
My inner child jumped for joy when I decided to offer my latest Alchemical Scents 'playshop' - 'The Inner Child Journey' - (not to be confused with a 'workshop'!) We quickly got down to planning the playshop and decided to present each attendee with a kid's goodie bag to hold their sample of "Inner Child' essential oil, along with some fun gifts.
The two of us (me and my inner child) went to the local crafts store where we gleefully perused the party aisle. So much to choose from; so many colors, ideas, designs! We finally decided on several items that would elicit happy memories for the participants - crayons, yo-yos, balloons, happy-face squeeze balls, animal crackers, and a brightly colored gift bag. (We can get a little carried away when we're together!).
During the planning stage I recalled my own inner child hypnotherapy experience while training at the Alchemy Institute of Hypnosis in July of 2011. During a session with a Master Alchemist, I revisited a traumatic childhood experience of being angrily whisked out of my classroom by my teacher for not understanding a math problem. Dragged down the hall and shoved into an empty library room, I was ordered to, "Stay here until you get it!" The limiting belief that swept in at that moment was, "You're not good enough! You're not smart enough!" Sadly, that belief stayed with me for the next several decades.
After rescuing my inner child during the session, my gifted hypnotherapist suggested that I anchor that new, positive experience with a song from my childhood. I chose, 'You are my Sunshine, my only Sunshine' - taught to me by my beloved father when I was very young. I was encouraged to change the words to, 'You are my Sunshine, my brilliant Sunshine'. I have sung this new version to my inner child many times since that session.
On the drive to my office the day before the workshop, I recalled that powerful session and thought about how I could share it in my playshop. I stopped at a light behind a car that was turning right - and there it was! The pattern of the LED lights on the right blinker of the car ahead of me was flashing in the shape of a smiling sun. 'You are my Sunshine, my brilliant Sunshine!" I gasped - then giggled with delight for the rest of the drive. Not only did I have my original experience to share, I also had a beautiful, magical confirmation of that experience!
The playshop was a huge success. During the Alchemical Scents guided hypnotherapy journey, several participants had profound experiences. 'Ramona' shared that the journey enabled her to recapture a sense of wonder and excitement that had been missing from her life and that had kept her from deeply bonding with her young daughter. 'Fran' had a beautiful reunion with her beloved grandmother, whom she realized was her 'guide'. We also noticed a fascinating synchronicity of events. 'Jen' was intrigued to find herself in the woods during the journey, as this was not a place where she had spent time as a child. As she described the location 'Alan' remarked that it sounded like a favorite secret retreat from his childhood.
The participants lingered long after the workshop, sharing information, ideas and backgrounds. There was a mutual sense of connectedness. 'Alan' brought up the topic of expression through dance. 'Shelly' told him that she was a dance teacher, and offered to lead an 'Inner Child' dance class to the group. I was guided to read a poem written by my great-uncle to 'Alan', who said that he would love to share it with a children’s school with whom he has a close association...and so it went. We felt like long-lost siblings who couldn't tear themselves away from their reunion. If our mom had been there to pick us up, she would have been tapping her foot, looking at her watch and sighing in exasperation waiting for the party to end!
At long last, we did end our 'reunion'. Several days later I received this email from 'Ramona': “Thank you Mirabai; it was a special day and I was able to take all that great inner child energy and put it to good use that afternoon with my daughter. I think she really picked up on it because she was very affectionate while we played together outside at a camp fire. We played a kissing game while I pushed her in a tire swing.”
'Alan' also sent an email, saying that he shared his sample of Inner Child essential oil with several co-workers. “I had another woman stop by. 'Jolene' has an unusually active inner child. I asked her to smell the oil without saying what it was. She liked it and said, ‘What does this remind me off? I know; my grandfather’s house!’”
Of course, everyone asked when I would be giving another Alchemical Scents workshop. Thank you Pat and Linda for this wonderful body of work!
Now…. which Alchemical Scents journey should I offer next.....
Mirabai Marquardt CHt, CNHP, CPC
Copper Into Gold Alchemical Healing Arts
Webster, NY (585) 310-2979
www.copperintogold.com
email: mirabai@copperintogold.com
Detoxification of the body, mind, heart and soul