The following technique should be done only under the guidance of an experienced psychologist, psychiatrist, yoga teacher or someone experienced in guiding persons through such inner experiences. There is no real danger to one's health, but the emotions which might be released should be handled properly by an experienced guide.

a. After you have relaxed your body and mind with some technique, you start to go back into your childhood years. You can start out with an image of yourself when you were 18 years old. Remember how you were dressed, where you were, what you were doing. Let some scene from that year come clearly into your mind.

b. Then go back to the age of 15. Let a scene come into your mind, remember how you were dressed, where you were, with whom, what you were doing and how you felt at that moment. In this way begin to work backwards investigating various scenes from various stages in your life.

c. When you come to the age of 12 begin to work back one year at a time investigating in more detail. We may have traumatic experiences even after the age of 12 (we can have one today), but those before the age of twelve tend to be more deeply rooted in our subconscious mind. Do not be limited, however, to these ages in your search; be flexible and flow where your mind takes you.

d. When you come upon an experience which was painful, then let yourself feel that pain or hurt. Let your self cry or shout or move your body in a way in which it wants to move by itself. Many tend to curl up into the position of the embryo on their sides when they get in touch with very early experiences.

Do not stifle your feelings, but recognize them and let them flow out. If you have feelings of anger towards someone who has harmed you or hurt your feelings, then you may want to imagine that person before you talk to him. You would do well to talk to him out loud imagining that he or she is standing before you. Express the feelings that you have towards them. Express your hurt, your fear, your resentment, your disillusionment and even your anger or feelings of revenge if there are any. It is at these moments, should they occur (it is not necessary that everyone have such experiences) that it is essential for there to be an understanding, loving guide with you to help you express and then overcome these feelings.

e. Once you have pretty much released these feelings in some way, usually by crying, talking or moving, then you can relax again and begin to focus once again on the scene which caused you this pain. Now, however, you will experience this same scene in a different way. Now that you have grown up, you realize that you were not in real danger then. If others were trying to hurt you physically, you know that you survived and that you are safe, that really there was no need to fear so much. It was just a momentary experience, which you would surpass. If the hurt was emotional from people who rejected you or let you down in some way, now you realize that they were not able to do otherwise with the level of consciousness that they had then. You now realize that their negative attitude towards you was a function of their own problems and not a function of your worthiness.

You realize that if they were not able to show you love or affection, it was because they were not feeling okay about themselves, not because you did not deserve love and attention. I think you get the idea. You relive the same scene, imagining that you are the tiny innocent child, with the knowledge which you have today. You know now that you will grow up, that you are capable, that your life will proceed independently of those experiences.

Thus you let yourself imagine yourself going through that same childhood experience with the new strength, self acceptance and self-confidence that you now have as an adult. In this way you defuse the power of that experience. That experience had power over you because of your lack of experience and your lack of understanding of the powers which are within you. If you knew then what you know today, you would not have been so affected by what people said and did. Now you imagine that you are a little child but that you feel the strength and self acceptance of an adult.

f. Once you have done this, then imagine your self as you are today approaching that little child that you were. Take the child in your arms and embrace him with love. Hold him close to you and let him feel that you love him and that he is safe and secure in your arms. Let him feel your love for him. Love the child that you were. Imagine that scene of hugging that child and also identify with the child who is now feeling loved and protected and peaceful and happy. Continue reading on to see how you can proceed from here.