Shadow Work
Only when you fully love and accept yourself can you fully love and accept others.
What's Your Inner Shadow ?
From our quirks that make us unique, to the parts we’d rather hide away from public view, each one of us have a deep inner self — or our shadow self. This shadow side is more than just those traits and emotions that are uncomfortable for us; it’s a part of who we are which needs to be recognized and accepted in order for us to remain mentally healthy. Unfortunately, most people repress these sides of themselves as they don’t want to confront their darker issues. Yet by doing this, difficult triggers may manifest later on in life causing unhealthy behavior and reactions. Shadow work helps provide guidance training and self-awareness so that you can learn how integrate your entire being with warmth and acceptance, helping build courage so that you view all aspects of yourself without judgement – authentically living your best life!
Your inner shadow is composed of parts of you that you subconsciously reject. The psychologist Carl Jung popularized the idea of the shadow self, or inner shadow. He defined the collective unconscious with eight different Jungian archetypes:
Self: The center of the personality or psyche — your conscious awareness
Shadow: The dark and emotional aspect of your psyche
Anima: An image of an idealized woman that draws people into their feminine side
Animus: A part of you that has the capacity for reflection and self-knowledge
Persona: The mask you wear to show the world while you protect your inner self
Hero: A part of your psyche that can overcome evil and destruction
Wise old man: A personification of the self that contains your wisdom
Trickster: A childish part of your psyche that needs gratification
We all have traits that we’re proud of and traits that we don’t feel so confident about. Some of these traits may trigger or embarrass us, so we hide them from public view. These parts make up your shadow self, and it longs to be heard.
Disconnecting with your inner shadow can have consequences. Most often, the shadow manifests as our triggers — emotional reactions that we haven’t fully dealt with but bubble up to the surface under the right (wrong) circumstances. It takes training, self-awareness, guidance, and courage to help you face your shadow self in a healthy way.
Shadow work is designed to help you integrate and accept every single part of yourself so that you can live and thrive with more clarity and authenticity.
The effects of ignoring your shadow
When you ignore it, your shadow will find ways to make you aware that it exists. This can lead to issues like:
Self-loathing or poor self-esteem
Self-deceit and deceiving others
Anxiety and depression
Offensive behavior toward others
Struggling to have healthy relationships with others
Self-absorption
Take Control of Your Inner Self
Shadow work is, at heart, about developing self-awareness and ultimately, self-love. Shadow work is often both addressed in therapy and in spiritual coaching, helping you see the different parts of yourself. Shadow work is about acknowledging the existence of shadows and getting curious about exploring them.
8 benefits of shadow work
- Gain more confidence and self-esteem
- Improve your creativity
- Build better relationships with others
- Practice self-acceptance
- Discover your hidden talents
- Improve your overall wellness
- Increase your compassion toward others
- Have better clarity
By accepting your shadow self, you can start to see how your thoughts and emotions influence your behavior, thoughts and relationships. When you’re aware of this, you can take control and empower yourself to live life more deliberately and consciously.