Shadow work can sound dark, mysterious and like something that we would want to avoid. But in fact, it is the total opposite. Doing this work can bring relief, healing, and transformation. It is a practice that can help us bring these parts of ourselves into the light, not to judge or fix them, but to understand and heal them.
The term “shadow” was first introduced by psychologist Carl Jung, who believed that the things we repress or deny about ourselves—our “shadows”—end up controlling us from the background. Instead of pushing these parts away, shadow work is about accepting them, learning from them, and integrating them into our whole selves.
We won’t find inner peace and enlightenment by focusing solely on the positive. True healing and enlightenment comes from embracing the darkness and the light and recognizing the important role that both aspects play in our journey.
So, what is Shadow work?
In the spiritual sense, it involves acknowledging the parts of ourselves that we don’t want others to see. The parts of us that bring feelings such as anger, jealousy, shame, insecurity or other aspects of ourselves that we believe others would judge negatively.
We are more than happy to embrace our light…the parts of us that are warm, and beautiful and that others love. But when it comes to our shadow, we would rather keep those parts in the dark (no pun intended 🙂 )
This makes me think of the following quote, by Haruki, Murakami, “When there is light, there must be shadow, and where there is shadow there must be light. There is no shadow without light and no light without shadow.”
Of course this makes total sense, And yet, why is it that we resist acknowledging this duality within ourselves?
Shadow work requires introspection, courage, and bravery. It is not always comfortable. In fact, it never is. But when we do this work, we can experience profound relief and mental freedom.
It does not mean sitting in a cave somewhere meditating or trying to erase bad thoughts and memories. Instead, it involves holding space for ALL parts of ourselves without judgement. It’s about sitting with uncomfortable feelings, acknowledging them with compassion, and recognizing that, in those moments, we did the best we could with what we knew.
In this space, we can start to love to the parts of ourselves that we kept hidden. By doing so, we release the negative energy that we attached to these past experiences and with that release, we raise our energetic vibration.
The key here is NOT to label or judge what arises. After all, every part of us—both the light and the shadow—deserves love.
As we engage in shadow work, we may notice emotions surfacing more easily. We may cry more easily or feel more agitated or irritable. This is part of the process. Through these emotions, we find release. And when we allow love and light to touch these old wounds, they stop being just “shadows.” They become integrated into our whole being—into a self that is fully loved, honored and celebrated for the wisdom it has gained.
Shadow work is a journey, not a destination. It’s not something you do once and forget about. It’s ongoing, with many layers to peel back. With each layer, we uncover beliefs and patterns that no longer serve us. But that’s a conversation for another day.
For now, the most important step is learning to be with the self, to hold space for who we are, and to love even the parts we’re not so proud of. This is the path to wholeness.
My wish for us all, is that we learn to love and accept ourselves fully – both the light and the shadow. In doing so, we bring more light to ourselves, to those around us and to the world as a whole.
Namaste