Embracing Your Shadow Self: The Benefits of Shadow Work
Shadow work was popularized by psychiatrist & psychoanalyst, Carl Jung.
Your shadow side is the part of you that you subconsciously repress/reject/don’t acknowledge as it doesnt align with how your ego views itself. We are born whole as children, embodying ourselves fully. Within time, our surrounding/environment/society will deconstruct, criticize, and convince us to change aspects of ourselves to become more socially acceptable. This can lead to feelings of shame, anger, depression, confusion, etc.
Doing shadow work involves looking at yourself completely, especially the parts you try to hide/feel ashamed of/etc, analyzing those parts of you to figure out where they stem from & if you want to change those things, & then fully accepting that side of you.
There are several exercises you can do for shadow work;
📝Journaling
Using shadow work journal prompts can help you start thinking & analyzing how you thought process & why, uncover repressed emotions, question thinking habits & more
🧠Self Awareness without judgement
Self awareness is huge for shadow work. When you feel triggered, or don’t understand where a response is stemming from, this is when you can start questioning & looking more in depth as to where that reaction comes from.
🧘♂️Meditation
I’m big on using meditation for many things, even shadow work. This can help your mind reach places your conscious mind may avoid or help learn how to cope when delving into your shadow side.
💬Affirmations
Looking into your shadow side can seem quite daunting at times. Affirmations help rewire the brain to make connections to have a new way of thinking (having a regulated nervous system, as well as using law of vibration will help channel the energy you want when using affirmations)
Law of Reflection
When we see certain characteristics or traits in someone or something that we dont like, or the opposite, we put on a high pedestal, this can be a good indication there is something within us that needs tending to.
This can mean we are trying to embody more of this within ourselves but feel we cant, or it is something we embody too much of & feel shame towards it. This can help us see traits in ourselves we may have been overlooking.
Working with a mental wellness coach can help provide a safe, and knowledgeable resource as shadow work can be very heavy. Unpleasant feelings are common, and a coach can help navigate those feelings, along with providing copping mechanisms, and lastly, making sure you see the full benefit in doing shadow work.
