The importance of shadow work

Shadow work is one of the most important parts of coaching work that I do with my life coaching clients. This is because our shadow aspects, hold both our potential and sabotaging behaviours. The reason this part of us is called the shadow, is because it makes every attempt to remain hidden, both from your own self, as well as others. Unfortunately, or fortunately for me, my presence has the ability of bringing people’s shadow to the forefront! It is the light in me, perhaps, when it shines on people, brings up their shadow to be seen. This is unfortunate, because the shadows of most people are quite painful, and I must end up dealing with it, even in social settings. And it is fortunate, because it is this ability that allows me to help my clients transform quickly and efficiently.

The shadow likes to remain hidden, primarily because we are deeply ashamed of the parts of us that comprise our shadow.  Deep down we know those behaviours are not in alignment with our soul self, the aspect of us that is divine and God/ddess like.  Unknown to the common person, it takes a tremendous amount of life force/ energy to keep these aspects of us hidden.  It takes much unconscious labour to keep parts of ourselves that we are not proud of, buried deep in our unconscious. Within it resides shame, hatred, trauma, greed, selfishness, laziness, envy etc. (much of the seven deadly sins, reside in people in their shadow aspects) It is our shadows that are the primary cause of existential emptiness, that many of us have felt over our lives, because it stands in the way of us connecting to our own souls, our authentic selves. In my book, Blueprint of the Authentic You, I lay out a road map for getting rid of this emptiness, by forging a pathway back to our authentic selves, by coming face to face with our shadow selves.

The good news is that we can gently access this part of us, in a space and presence that makes us feel safe.  The shadow will not reveal itself for fear of judgement, so the first premise to get to know it, is to do it in a coaching or therapeutic space that is non-judgmental and unconditionally loving.

The journey to meet with our shadow is like the hero/ heroine’s journey through our own darkness. It involves going through paths not usually tread by most people. It can be difficult and painful, but the rewards far outweigh the pain. However, there are no shortcuts to it … It requires us to move towards a path that is off the beaten track. It requires full honesty and vulnerability. A willingness to look at parts of yourself that you don’t like or may even despise.

Why bother with shadow work?

What is in it for you to pay someone to do shadow work, or even start investing the time to work on it yourself? There are many significant reasons to do this, some of which I list below:

1. Shadow work, releases life force energy, that can be used to potentialize you
2. Shadow work reclaims power and freedom and allows you to be more authentically you!
3. Shadow work is the key to healing your traumas.
4. It Relieves you from your own limitations by bringing to light sabotaging behaviours.
5. Owning your shadow, and releasing the shame associated with it, allows you to move through life lightly
6. It is one of the fastest ways to get rid of sense of existential emptiness
7. It is crucial step to discovering your own soul and higher self
8. Shadow work, ultimately allows you to access your full and true potential

Most people just project their shadow on to the world. The victimhood, the idea that we are being somehow punished or penalised by external circumstances is a projection of our shadow. A simple example is if you tend to be very judgmental of others, it means you are actually judging yourself constantly. You probably have a massive inner critic mirroring the external judger.

If you are considering investing in deep shadow work, you should consider some of these pre-requisites:

1. A willingness to become deeply self-aware and watch your own words, deeds, and actions
2. Vulnerability to look at all the darkness in your unconscious (in little bites J)
3. Willingness to see your fears and doubts
4. Reverse engineering projection – know that the things or people, that trigger you are gateways to your own shadow
5. Vigilance of your own thoughts and a willingness to take responsibility for your shadow aspects

Journaling, spiritual purification  and meditation (things I talk more about in my book) are all modalities that can bring to awareness your own unconscious aspects, but doing it all on your own can be a long and arduous journey.

If you would like help along this journey, then I invite you to book an introductory call with me here. Let’s create some magic with your life

Photo by Stefano Pollio on Unsplash