What is Shadow work and how do you do it?

With all the lockdowns and homeworking, it seems that this pandemic has invited us all to do some collective soulsearching. More than ever before do I hear people questioning the way they are living their life, the things they do and even the way of thinking. With this forced almost stand still, we collectively spent more time taking walks in nature, spending time with our husband and kids and also with ourselves. And that inevitably leads to inner work and soul searching. And it seems that it’s bringing up a lot of ghosts from the past for many people.

We suddenly become much more aware of, well, everything. The good and the bad. The light and the dark.

This gave us time to think about where we are in life and if there are things we would like to see different

The light we don’t mind, but it’s the darkness that often scares us. And let that just be where we have the most opportunities for growth. We all have darkness. Your shadow is always there, right? You can’t run from it, try all you might. When we stop running, and actually have the courage to turn around and see what’s hiding in those shadows, that is what we call shadow work.

What actually is shadow work?

Shadow work was originally named by Carl Jung, who stated that the shadow is the unknown dark side of a person. According to Jung we tend to reflect our darker qualities on to others. So in that idea, if there is something you don’t like about someone, Carl Jung would say this is a projection of a quality within yourself that maybe needs a bit of work, that you project upon someone else.

You basically see the darker parts of your own personality, as moral deficiencies in someone else.

Shadow work doesn’t necessarily always need to be about a projection, it can also be about a certain trigger you experience. It’s about personal growth, discovering and understanding all of our Self. It’s about understanding what our triggers are and where they come from. Shining a light on the darkness and taking a better look. “What is this, why is this a trigger for me, what is this all about, where does it come from, etc… “

Sometimes triggers are not necessarily qualities or projections like Jung describes, but also general situations and experiences.

Shadow work means we try to understand the darker places in ourselves, the places we like to push away or deny, the places in ourselves we don’t really like to visit.

Why is it good for us?

Becoming aware of why we do what we do, or why we react a certain way, means we can make a choice about it. Is that still true for you? Is that still what you want? Maybe you don’t want it at all anymore.

But you know, your shadow is always there with you. It’s part of you, even if you choose to ignore it.

And when we are committed and we start investigating (and investing) in ourselves, we have an opportunity to reintegrate that part of our self and become whole once more.

Everyone is carrying a backpack in life. And sometimes that backpack contains things that we no longer need. At one point in our life, we might have needed that one thing, that trigger, that reaction. Maybe it was there to keep you safe in some way. But after all those years, we forget to consider that maybe the original threat, is no longer there. And so that thing no longer serves us.

Shadow work is not about erasing trauma, or experiences, or whatever. They will always be part of you. But you do get to choose who you are, you don’t have to let your story define you.

And I won’t pretend that it’s always an easy thing. Taking accountability for ourself and our choices can be very confronting. Looking at our shadow selves is also not something we’ve been taught to do. Generations before us have had a long history of shoving those things under the rug and pretend it’s not there.

Before you dive into your shadows…

Shadow work is not an easy thing. It will take you places that may feel scary or even threatening. But remember this. You decide how you live your life. You are the one in control.
And more often than not, you will find that your shadow is not as scary as you thought it was going to be.
Allow yourself to be curious rather than fearful. Looking at something with curiosity instead of fear, allows for looking at something with less judgement. And that might just give you a pleasant surprise.

So when you do decide to explore the darkness, do it with an open heart.

You might just find a scared little kid in there, instead of a huge scary monster. And that little kid needs love and compassion.

Reflect on why your shadow parts are there, from a neutral perspective. Don’t get in there with anger or fear, because that will for sure make matters worse. Remember that most times, those parts offered you security when you couldn’t find it elsewhere.

Love, compassion, an open heart and an open mind are absolutely necessary when you decide to do some Shadow work.

If we stop being scared of the dark, if the dark becomes seen and is no longer scary, we can create a lot more space for light, for more conscience, more awareness. And in the end, that higher consciousness, that higher frequency energy is what it’s all about.

How to do shadow work

Check your energy leaks : where are you giving away your energy? Are you spending more energy on things you can control or on things you cannot control? Because if it’s the latter, that would be a serious energy leak. Why are you trying to control things you cannot control?

In which situations did/do you give your power away and where can you take it back? Are you letting people take advantage of you? Did you not step up for yourself when you should have? What situations trigger a reaction in you that is not really how you want?

Remember that energy attracts like energy. When you focus on negative thoughts and attitudes, you will get more of that from your environment. You manifest what you send out.

Try meditating. On your darker sides, but just as good on positive or neutral things. Make meditation a daily practice, even if it’s just for 10 minutes. Becoming aware and conscious in our daily lives opens up so much space for love and light.

Intention. Set your intention to start recognising and understanding all of your self. If you don’t know where to start, ask help from your spiritual guides and guardian angel(s). Believe me, things will start to show up.

Tools. Use tools to amplify your intention. Tools like essential oils, crystals, moon rituals, etc can help create a space for information to come through or to help you release heavy emotions.

Be sure you go into shadow work with love and compassion for yourself. No judgement, just curiousity, like we talked about before. Be open to what you can learn, don’t be afraid, but be open and curious.

When you dive into shadowwork, make self care an absolute priority. Listen to what your body and spirit needs and respect that. Take a walk in nature, take a warm bath, have a good cry. As long as you listen to your soul you will be all right.