What is Shadow Work?
What is shadow-work? Shadow work is the act of sitting with yourself in your entirety, in the painful feelings we otherwise run from and numb out in acts of avoidance, with addictions like unhealthy relationships, food, shopping, alcohol, and social media. It is the work of understanding and healing the parts of yourself you've shunned, hidden in the darkest corners of your being. It's the work of integrating these parts, unearthing and bringing them to the light so they can breathe and heal.
We cannot truly attain self-mastery if we are only working on half of ourselves, only being present with parts of us. The truth is, whether we like it or not, our shadow is always with us, following us into everything we do, think, and feel, manifesting itself into unhealthy patterns and blocks in our lives. I do my own shadow work by sitting with myself, turning off my phone, clearing my schedule, revisiting the most painful parts of my life that I have yet to fully emotionally understand, and writing.
This isn't easy to do. My brain and body constantly seek excuses for me to resist, to avoid re-experiencing the pain from my past. Sometimes it wins, and I'm forced to sit with the guilt of self-betrayal. At other times, I win, and although the hours I dedicate to this work can feel excruciatingly slow, the emotions that rise require extra self-care to soothe when I finish. I am always more whole, more true, more powerful afterward. I urge everyone to embark on this journey and cheer on every shadow warrior already on it, in solidarity.
This was originally featured in a April 7, 2019 post on Instagram.
