Shadow work has been a lucrative part of my healing, & I’m here to tell you more about it.
It has occurred to me that in almost every self-help article, book, or YouTube video, there are a few recurring themes: writing in a journal, finding a sense of spirituality, and consistently practicing mindfulness.
But what do I write about? What if I’m a straight up atheist? What even is mindfulness?
I get it, ya Debby Downer. & I’ve been there. There’s still some hope.
What is Shadow Work?
To understand shadow work, one must first understand what the “shadow” is. The shadow is the part of the self we repress, the part that we feel shameful about and that we ignore in ourselves and instinctively despise in others. However, this part of us isn’t necessarily negative. Oftentimes, it’s the natural part of the self that we’ve been taught is unacceptable from an early age. When we screamed and cried as children, we were hushed. When we wore what made us happy, then went to school only to be made fun of. Even so far as being told we must cover certain parts of our bodies to cover nudity can lead to some varying unconscious rejection of our innate selves. These rejections lead to feelings of shame and often cause us to reject our individuality and creativity and to ignorantly dislike those who are unafraid of what we have learned to hide.
Carl Jung was the father of analytical psychology and founded the shadow to be an archetype of the psyche. Jung felt that if we continuously rejected the shadow we would then become overly concerned with the thoughts of others and become shallow, imbalanced versions of ourselves, versions prone to unhealthy projections onto others and denial of what makes us human. Without the shadow, we can never fully achieve the sum of our potential and realize the inner self.
This philosophy isn’t exclusive to Jung’s psychology, but also appears in Taoism as Yin and Yang, Buddhism as The Middle Way, and in several key figures and cosmic dualities of Greek Mythology. It’s all about balance.
So how do we begin to integrate the shadow part of our psyche into our daily persona? Well, it’s not easy. Shadow work is emotionally heavy and often requires a lot of acceptance, understanding, and self-reflection.
Remember how I said that a common theme in the self-help world often includes writing in a journal? Well, that’s a big part of shadow work.
Shadow Work & Journaling
There isn’t a right or wrong way of journaling. I truly believe this. You don’t even have to have a journal. You can use a computer, voice recordings, or whatever else feels the most natural and comfortable for you. I’m a fan of writing by hand myself, because it feels more personal, and I can always burn my journal if I don’t want anyone to find it (I’m only half joking – just please don’t become an arsonist).
One way to help you begin your journaling journey is to start with an intention. Sometimes, I’ll even spend a few minutes meditating before I journal just to see what comes up naturally. Maybe your intention is to figure out what’s holding you back, to explore what you’ve been avoiding, or maybe it’s just to create a safe space for yourself to be free. Which leads to my next tip, free writing.
Free write to your heart’s content without judgment – just write. Don’t worry about grammar, spelling, or making sense to a reader. The only person this is for is you. Set a timer for 5-10 minutes and just let the words flow. This can lead to some insightful revelations. I highly recommend free writing for several days in a row and then revisiting your journal to see if there are any recurring themes. What you find may surprise you.
You can also utilize various different shadow work prompts to help you. There are a few recommendations listed below, but you can also find a lot of different prompts via Google, Pinterest, or even by purchasing a guided shadow workbook (The Shadow Work Journal by Keila Shaheen is *chef’s kiss*).
- What triggers me, and why?
- What qualities do I dislike in others?
- What am I afraid of revealing about myself?
- When do I feel ashamed, and what does that shame teach me?
- What am I avoiding in my life right now?
- Who or what do I judge harshly? Why?
Shadow Work: Spirituality & Mindfulness
I know I mentioned that spirituality and mindfulness are also often listed as key parts of self-help, but I truly believe that shadow work can cover these areas if it is utilized properly.
For one, the shadow is interwoven in Jung’s theories surrounding the collective unconscious, which is a deeper layer of the unconscious mind that is shared by everyone, regardless of personal experience. By integrating our shadow, we are brought closer to the collective unconscious as we confront universal human experiences like anger, lust, fear, and vulnerability. So, maybe that’s not technically spiritual, but it definitely brings the feeling of being included in something bigger than oneself, i.e. the human experience.
In terms of mindfulness, noting the existence of our shadow is on point. What’s more mindful than understanding ourselves, our desires, our emotions? Well, I suppose staying mindful of those realizations.
I hope you found this article insightful, and I hope it helps intertwine your lace and ember. Be delicate and ferocious, light and dark, yin and yang. This is the culmination of humanness. This is what leads to authenticity, growth, wisdom, acceptance, and ultimately, happiness.
-Suzannah
References
SUZANNAH MASURA 
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