How do I know if my inner child is hurt and needs reparenting work?

The inner child speaks in feelings more than words. You might notice patterns: sharp reactions to small rejections, difficulty asking for help, perfectionism that exhausts you, or a voice inside that says you're not enough. Sometimes it's physical—tension in your chest when someone's disappointed in you, or a collapse into shame that feels disproportionate to what happened. Patanjali taught that we suffer when we misperceive reality; often our inner child is responding to old wounds as if they're happening now. The practice here isn't to fix the child or judge these reactions. It's to notice them with curiosity. When you feel that surge of defensiveness or that tight knot of unworthiness, pause. Ask gently: what does this part of me need right now? Is this actually about today, or am I remembering something older? That question itself is the beginning of reparenting—turning toward yourself with the attention you might have needed then. The more you practice this noticing without judgment, the clearer the picture becomes. You're not looking for a diagnosis; you're building a relationship with a part of yourself that's been trying to protect you.