There is nothing shameful about not being ready yet. I have backed away from certain memories and returned at a later date when I had more understanding and distance. If you find yourself going into a dark place when answering questions, it is perfectly advisable to abort mission. For those who aren't ready yet, I recommend therapy, books, and journaling in general to process thoughts and emotions. It can be damaging if the dust has not yet settled or if you are easily triggered by certain memories.Ī recent abuse victim is not an ideal candidate for shadow work, for example. Shadow work is powerful when you are ready to do it. ![]() Answers that come from truth will feel relieving and healing. I also ask my higher self and spirit guide (you ask whatever you believe in) to assist me in seeing the truth. That you're interested to see things in a new light and know yourself in deeper ways. Set the intention that you're going to open a dark closet or two and shine the bright light of love into it. So when you feel relaxed, open and curious, get out your journal and make sure you won't be disturbed. When you're wobbly in your emotions, you risk not thinking clearly and hurting yourself in the process. Wait until you're in a fairly good, relaxed mood.Īs I said, the goal is to NOT re-live trauma or further traumatize yourself. Speaking from experience here–it doesn't turn out pretty! Just don't do it, kids. You want to feel relaxed, open, and curious to get the most out of your shadow work reflections.Īvoid doing any shadow work when you feel overwhelmed, sad, or frustrated. ![]() To start off with shadow work, you want to be in the most stable frame of mind possible. When you can acknowledge that everyone makes mistakes, that no one is bad, and that there are higher purposes for everything, shadow work will be that much more healing and powerful for you. Shadow work done at the right time brings out self-compassion rather than judgment, self-acceptance in place of anxiety, and a higher state of consciousness overall. You come to shadow work when you are ready to release and heal, not when you're still arguing for your littleness. Shadow work does not involve reliving past trauma or re-victimizing yourself all over again. Being able to identify self-sabotaging behavior that can be linked all the way back to childhood is so enlightening and healing. For me, doing shadow work is akin to being my very own therapist. You release any shame or anger and allow it to be replaced with understanding. When you get in touch with your shadow self, you pick up these shattered pieces of the past and hold them with love. But facing what you fear brings a level of self-awareness that will liberate not only yourself, but others as well. In fact, these stories usually hurt and hinder us, which is why we'd rather push them out of our minds rather than face them. Most of us have stories about our pasts that don't serve us. One aspect of doing your shadow work means acknowledging and transmuting painful parts of your past into a higher awareness or perspective. ![]() What does it mean to do your shadow work? ![]() Journaling is a form of meditation, which is why shadow work prompts can bring such enlightening insights, healing, and release from the subconscious impulses and strong reactions that you're ready to let go of. Shadow work shines light on these hidden aspects and asks "what are you here to teach me?" "Everyone has their demons" is another way to say that everyone has a shadow side. Our shadow selves come out when we're triggered by others, or when our mental health is struggling with depression or anxiety. They are usually the result of past traumatic events, painful experiences, and old memories. These unconscious traits within the psyche, which make up your so-called "dark side", can be seen through our impulsive actions and self-sabotaging beliefs. Shadow work is essentially a type of psychoanalysis, as this is at the core of Jungian psychology. The "shadow" was a term initially coined by Swiss psychiatrist and psychologist Carl Jung to refer to those facets of our personalities that we suppress and reject.
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