How To Use Shadow Work As A Tool For Healing
“ Healing does not mean the damage never existed.
It means the damage is no longer in control of your life. ”
The duality of the shadow holds both our greatest fears yet at the same time offers us an opportunity to experience our highest potential.
Reaching this potential is the destination while healing and wholeness with oneself becomes our ultimate journey.
So, come travel into the shadows with me where we will shine a light into the dark corners of the mind………
First, let’s take a deeper look into the shadow self, what exactly it is, along with how ‘shadow work’ can become a helpful and healing means of communication with this part of our being.
As you can see the shadow self is a natural part of who we are and serves the basic survival function as we experience life here on earth. As long as we stay conscious of it and its influences we begin to realize how little persuasive power it truly has. In turns realizing how much personal power we own by simply choosing to define how we want to view life, ourselves, and others. Even on the darkest of days trying to find the silver lining, however small it maybe, is the way, my friend, to true and forever lasting inner peace.
Shadow Work 3 Step Process
1. Raise Awareness
First, its important to remember that ALL emotions are valid and important for our growth. Becoming aware of the various emotions you feel throughout the day is key! Threw becoming aware of these emotional patterns you begin to better judge which ones are serving your highest good versus dragging you down and burdening you energetically.
Throughout the day begin to notice and make a note of when you’re feeling sad, happy, joyful, or depressed.
Notice the words that you say to others. How do others speak to you? What type of individuals are drawn to you? This all speaks volumes.
Common Shadow Thoughts Include
The Shadow can be notorious for making us believe we have no power and feel like a victim……
Self-Critical Thoughts
Pessimistic Thoughts
Thoughts of Loss or Failure
Viewing The Future Negatively And Expecting The Worst
Constant Worry
Thoughts of Being Treated Unfairly and Blaming Others for Ones Choices
“Should Have” or “Could Have”
You will soon notice the more you become aware of how your shadow talks to you, the more power is there to change its patters with it less and less dictating your behavior. The challenge comes into play when the habits and belief systems we’ve acquired are so ingrained and so strongly believed that it’s tough to see the ‘forest before the trees’ so to speak. Belief is very powerful and if certain beliefs are holding you back from creating the life you truly desire and deserve, it’s time to shed those so you can experience all the the joys life has to offer.
2. Meditation
Start, by picking one shadow emotion or thought that you’d like to change. Once you have got one picked out its time to meditate on its origin. We want to trace this action back to its root cause! For every cause there is an effect.
Journaling helps in this process as an active form of mediation and helps to begin the process of tracing the energy thread back to the incident that created the present action.
You can start this step by asking yourself why do I feel this way, when did I start to feel this emotion, did I always feel this? See if you trace it back to a particular life event or situation with an individual?
Continue to feel the question out while asking yourself why, when, and how until things start to reveal themself. The answers will naturally begin to come into your awareness with enough contemplation.
The source of the cause varies from individual to individual. Some times the root cause stems from a particular event in childhood or can even extend into a past life. With that being said, do your best to determine its origin and if you happen to be having trouble with this step, simply ask your higher self to step in and help you in this process so you can begin to heal and welcome in more peace and joy.
3. Sending It Love
Once you have uncovered the root cause of the thought patterns you are wishing to change its is now time to transmute the energy. This is where the true healing takes place as you are releasing an old outworn version of yourself to welcome in higher vibrational energies.
Begin to do this by sending yourself love and forgiveness in at that moment. Literally say out loud “I Love and Forgive You”. This step helps to bring the energy shift back to balance bringing you into a whole state. With this finally action you have mended a limited belief and will begin to see this inner change manifest in your outer reality.
True healing means welcoming in more self-love threw visiting events in their totality, beginning to mend the traumas, wounds, and pains. As we begin to slowly but surely collect the fragmented parts of our soul we in-turn begin to truly understand and experience the oneness of All That Is. With time we begin to sew a new energetic self wiser and more whole than the one before.
Please never forget.…….
“You are one thing only. You are a Divine Being. An all-powerful Creator. You are a Deity, that within you dwells the infinite wisdom of the ages and the sacred creative force of All That Is, will be, and ever was.”
Never Doubt Your Power,
Lindsay