“The spiritual life does not remove us from the world but leads us deeper into it” – Henry J.M Nouwen
Shadow Work is that uncomfortable process of looking with objective honesty at your behaviour and motivations as a means to understanding your true intent. It is one of the more confronting spiritual practices we must undertake as we make our way along our spiritual path. It is the conscious process of understanding and owning our true selves. Once we accept who we are, the good, bad and the ugly, we can then start to allow for releasing or mitigating those aspects of our behaviour and thought patterns that hold us back. Each learning takes us a little further along the path and opens another door of understanding. This is the evolution of Self towards our higher Self and true potential. It is not the pursuit of perfection, an impossible task, or abdication of responsibility to Self, but owning who and what we are.
Our Shadow Work is all about our blind spots, hidden motivations, secrets, fears, and aspects of ourselves that we do not like. Shadow Work is not just working on what makes us feel uncomfortable. It involves us working on some of the habits and behaviours that we have come to rely on, plus discovering those parts of us that have been untested.
Most of us embark on our Shadow Work as we become aware of a pattern, feeling, or limitation constantly repeated in our lives—blocking us from being happy, content or believing in ourselves. It makes us question why. Why is this always happening to me? Why do I always feel this way? Then we start to unpack or unravel our story. We can inherit our blockages from our DNA or family, inheriting blockages through our family’s myths and stories, and we can blindly make other people’s beliefs our own. Life’s evolution is the self-determination of belief and the accompanying actions.
We learn behaviours or habits as survival strategies, and because they worked, we kept them. Our old belief systems trap us when we want to or need to change. We remain stuck in old, even childish behaviours that no longer serve. They no longer keep us safe or provide comfort; they place us at risk. They repress personal and spiritual growth, limiting our potential.
To open yourself up for introspection, openly reflect on how you are behaving and what is not comfortable. It is easier to look outside ourselves for the cure or reason for our behaviour.
The reality that we create in our lives is fabulous when we are in the flow and manifesting, but what happens when we do the opposite. Accepting that we have a significant role in the occurrence and creation of disappointments and failures in our lives is a harsh reality. It is the foundation of Shadow Work.
The act of Shadow Work is akin to watching a re-run of past experiences and events. It can be embarrassing or painful to relive these experiences, especially if the reliving brings forward a strong emotional response. This is when we should understand that we have not finished processing the situation’s emotional impact. We may still be emotionally stuck in the situation.
Our emotional Self is stuck at the age when the event occurred. We may be healing or addressing our spiritual and emotional Selves as both the adult and the child. There may be layers within the Shadow Work.
Shadow Work may be a voluntary exploration. Seeking healing, self-healing, deep and sustained meditation or the revelations of 20:20 hindsight afforded by time. Much of our deep Shadow Work will be triggered by spiritual guides guiding you to work through the pain, blockages and bad habits that limit growth. They support you in a way that allows you to acknowledge the pain and emotion of the situation or event but not drown in the emotions.
Drowning in the emotions does not allow for the learning or understanding of how and why you behaved that way or allow yourself to be placed in that situation.
It does not unearth the triggers that we all must understand so that we can mitigate the auto-response enacted by the trigger.
Shadow Work is not for the faint-hearted, nor is the Spiritual Path. But we do not need to do this work by ourselves. Be safe, be loved and trust the person you choose to guide you through the work.
Michelle Luehman, Our Expert (Former)
Michelle Luehman is a healer, guide, spiritual coach and philosopher. She combines her innate spiritual work with what she has learnt through her spiritual studies and business skills.
- Michelle Luehman, Our Expert (Former)
- Michelle Luehman, Our Expert (Former)
- Michelle Luehman, Our Expert (Former)
- Michelle Luehman, Our Expert (Former)
- Michelle Luehman, Our Expert (Former)
- Michelle Luehman, Our Expert (Former)
- Michelle Luehman, Our Expert (Former)
- Michelle Luehman, Our Expert (Former)
- Michelle Luehman, Our Expert (Former)
