Within the spiritual and healing communities nowadays there is a lot of talk about “shadow work” but what exactly does that mean? I researched this term and didn’t understand it for months. Hopefully this explanation will help bring some clarity to any of you that were like me and are wondering “What the heck is shadow work?"
What is my shadow?
We all have a shadow. Just like a physical shadow, your inner shadow is where there is an absence of light. It is the darker parts within us that we often hide out of fear, shame, societal or familial rejection. Some examples of what may be in one’s inner shadow include dark desires or fantasies, hidden emotional pains, and addictions. The shadow includes all the emotions, beliefs, fantasies and behaviors that we prefer to suppress or keep hidden from others because they are deemed unacceptable, disgusting, shameful, or insane. When we feel negatively towards our shadow, it is because we don’t want to accept what is there or it is painful to acknowledge the parts of ourselves that we don’t believe others will accept.
What does shadow work look like?
What shadow work actually is is a process. That means diving within one’s psyche, emotions, and thoughts to uncover the pieces of ourselves that are denied or hidden. After bringing these parts forward, they need to be understood and accepted. Some of these undesirable parts transform once they are met with compassion and understanding. Other parts of the shadow just need to be integrated into yourself and that energy channeled into more productive avenues so that they can contribute to our lives instead of being cut off. All the parts of ourselves are valuable and when we cut off the parts of our shadow we are cutting off a part of our life force. Healing the shadow and integrating it not only makes you a more well rounded person but also gives you access to all of your life force energy.
How do I do shadow work?
Shadow work is best done with a guide. This guide can be a healer, therapist, coach, or counselor. The reason that a guide is most often necessary (especially in the beginning) is that the outside perspective and understanding from a compassionate witness helps one to more easily and gracefully accept their shadow and integrate it. It is also very helpful to have someone there to help you sort through your shadow because often there is much more hidden in the shadow that we realize. There is also something so very powerful about another person seeing and understanding these shadow parts that helps them heal quickly. It can be done by oneself but it is much more difficult, especially if one has not already worked with a guide and experienced the process already.
What happens after I do shadow work?
You will know that you have really done significant shadow work when you begin to notice some differences within yourself and through your behaviors and reactions. It will first happen in subtle ways and grow to become completely transformational. Things that once may have triggered strong negative reactions within you no longer have the same charge. Behaviors and thoughts that at one time you would have hidden become something that you understand and accept more easily. You will feel more comfortable within your own skin and be more authentic in how you live your life, how you spend your time, and have fewer fears about judgement and rejection from those around you. By healing and integrating your shadow you will find more peace and freedom in your life than you probably thought possible.
I hope my explanation of shadow work helped you understand more clearly what it is and how the process works. If you have any further questions I would be happy to answer them. Further questions can be sent to AuthenticPathHealing@gmail.com
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