Shadow work journal pdf reddit how to#

What DOES touch the very depths of your being, however, is exploring your Shadow. Instead, it leaves you superficially hanging onto warm and fuzzy platitudes which sound nice, but don’t enact any real change. And while it might provide some temporary emotional support, it doesn’t reach to the depths of your being: it doesn’t transform you at a core level. So many people in today’s world follow this path. It’s very easy and comfortable to focus only on the light side of life. In fact, I’ve learned through a lot of deep inner work, that not only is focusing solely on the “light side of life” one side of the equation, but it is actually a form of spiritually bypassing your deeper, darker problems that, let me assure you, are basically guaranteed to exist. Focusing only on “love and light” will not heal your wounds on a deep level. Not just wrong, but completely and utterly off the mark. It’s a sort of “Recipe for Well-Being” dictated by our culture.īut a few years ago, after battling ongoing mental health issues, I realized something shocking: I’m sure you were raised believing a similar story as well. Whether through the family environment I was raised in, or the cultural myths I was brought up clinging to, I once believed that all you really needed to do in life to be happy was to focus on everything beautiful, positive, and spiritually feel-good. Why Focusing Only on the Light is a Form of Escapismįor most of my life, I’ve grown up firmly believing that the only thing worthy of guiding me was “light” and “love.”

Own Your Shadow and You Will Own Your Life.

2. Artistically Express Your Shadow Self.

Pay attention to your emotional reactions

The Shadow and Projection (a Dangerous Mix).

What Happens When You Reject Your Shadow?.

Why Focusing Only on the Light is a Form of Escapism.

Shadow work journal pdf reddit how to#

See this article on how to love yourself for more guidance.įurthermore, if you need further in-depth support on your Shadow Work journey, see our highly rated Shadow Work Journal or Shadow & Light Membership. Shadow Work should only be undertaken by those who have healthy and stable self-worth and a friendly relationship with themselves. Before doing Shadow Work, I strongly and emphatically encourage you to work on cultivating Self-Love. Exploring your demons will likely make you feel a million times worse about yourself and may spiral into self-hatred (especially if you’re going through the Dark Night of the Soul). Please note: Shadow Work exercises should not be undertaken if you struggle with low self-esteem. Having studied and worked with the Shadow for years, I’ll share with you some of the best tools, insights, and advice that I have gathered thus far. In this long and detailed guide, I will offer you a helping hand. This daunting and often frightening task is a requirement of every person.

It works on the premise that you must 100% OWN your Shadow, rather than avoiding or repressing it, to experience deep healing. Shadow Work is a practice that helps us to regain access to our innate wholeness. In order to heal and grow on a mental, emotional, and spiritual level, we need to practice Shadow Work. In other words, the Shadow isn’t just the centrally wounded part of us, but it also provides a path towards a more authentic and fulfilling life. The Shadow can be a source of emotional richness and vitality, and acknowledging it can be a pathway to healing and an authentic life. This is intense and powerful work!Īs authors and psychotherapists Steve Wolf and Connie Zweig note:īeneath the social mask we wear every day, we have a hidden shadow side: an impulsive, wounded, sad, or isolated part that we generally try to ignore. Go to the root of your pain and transform old patterns. Befriend, heal, and nurture the broken child within. Go on a journey through the mountains and caves of your heart.