In Jungian psychology, the term “shadow” refers to either the entirety of the unconscious or an unconscious aspect of character that the conscious self does not identify in itself.
The shadow is an aspect of ourselves that we try to hide or cover-up. For example, when you think of yourself as a disciplined person, the lazy part of you is repressed and stays hidden in the shadows.
This part of you that you have disavowed still has an influence on your behavior, and as a result, it continues to challenge the disciplined part of you.
It manifests itself in ways that you are unaware of, making your life more challenging as a result. For example, you may procrastinate when making decisions.
However, even though your ego considers your shadow to be the least desirable aspect of yourself, almost everything you really desire can be achieved by the qualities of this shadow personality.
For this reason, for example, a disciplined person with a lazy shadow personality will hate lazy people because they serve as a reminder of the aspect of his personality that he has repressed.
If this disciplined person accepts and embraces his lazy shadow side, he will achieve divine balance. He will be able to achieve his goals without becoming consumed by them and will be able to advance even further in his career.
The goal of shadow work is to become aware of your shadow self and embrace it in order to become whole, unlock your true potential, and achieve enlightenment.
Read on to learn more about how you can incorporate some shadow work into your daily routine. The 3 ways to do shadow work:
1. Dig up past traumas and face your demons
You will never be able to heal yourself or become whole unless you have the courage to face your past traumas and work through them.
The painful memories of the past do not go away with the passage of time. They remain a part of your subconscious until you recognize it and work to heal it.
It’s as if your roots have taken hold of a piece of your soul, and until you heal those roots, that piece of your soul will stay there.
Confronting and prevailing over our personal demons is a necessity. These demons will appear in the form of frightening emotions and judgmental thoughts.
However, it is merely a byproduct of the trauma that your ego’s self-defense mechanism uses to protect you from those hidden and unhealed pains. The closer you get to these roots, the more frequently you will encounter these demons.
But go on. You are stronger than your weaknesses would have you believe. Let the love for the healing of these roots be stronger than the fear of your ego.
This might be the scariest thing you’ve ever done but keep going because you’re already halfway through your battle.
You are getting closer to the eye of the storm. And it is precisely there, in the center of the raging sea, that you will discover the greatest peace.
Congratulations to those who are already doing that. Not everyone has this kind of bravery.
2. Follow the “why” trail every time you get angry
The Universe gets you ready to do your shadow work whenever you feel angry. How to do shadow work when feeling upset?
Simply ask yourself “Why does this upset me?” whenever something makes you angry. After receiving your answer, ask: “What does this mean for me?”
After your second response, ask the following question: “Assuming this is true, why does it upset me?” Continue drilling in the same order.
Keep asking yourself these two questions until there are tears in your eyes. These two questions can direct you straight to the areas in your life that need healing the most.
These two questions are so powerful that you can use them to uncover all of the wounds in your life that have not been healed.
3. Reflect and embrace your emotions
Self-reflection is one of the most important habits you can have, according to many psychologists, and it is one of the most effective ways to improve the quality of your life and know your subconscious urges.
Carl Jung said, “Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will rule your life, and you will call that destiny.”
The majority of the things we do, the choices we make, and the reactions we have are directed by unconscious forces that we choose to ignore.
These forces work in accordance with the configuration of our psyches, and if you have the opportunity to better understand your psyche, you can work on the undesirable parts of your configuration and modify them.
This can be achieved with a habit of self-reflection.
Question your reactions to things, and ask yourself why you reacted in a certain way. What triggered you? Why did you react that way?
Question your decisions. Why did you make that choice? Were you running away from something by avoiding something? Are you trying to prove something? Was the choice rational or emotional?
Question your desires and ask yourself why are you attracted to this thing. What does it say about your life? What do you think of people who are attracted to the same thing? What sets you apart from them?
Don’t judge your responses. There is no correct or incorrect answer to this question. The answers are all about you and your subconscious urges. You can use these tools to better understand yourself.
Recognize and accept both your strengths and your shortcomings. At the end of the day, make time for some self-reflection. Reflect and find the aspects of your unconscious mind that are pulling the strings.
If you don’t like how they are currently, you can change that. Keep working on it. Be aware the next time they want to play and don’t let them decide for you.
Is on a mission to make the world a better place, one happy soul at a time. She is a qualified yoga teacher, Reiki Master, spiritual coach, and author of many spiritual articles in famous online journals.
