Turning the lens of truth inwards and stepping boldly into your inner shadow scape can feel overwhelming, with no clear, easy end in sight. Here are 4 key reasons to keep going with your shadow work.
I’m writing this in response to a conversation I had recently with a client. She asked, “Will my shadow work never end?” There was a fair level of frustration in her voice and I could detect some resignation as well. She knew as well as I do that shadow work isn’t cut and dried.
Just when you think you’ve worked through all the shizz, something else will crop up and challenge you to look deeper. Each time we venture, and work with what we find in the dare, we’re richly rewarded for our efforts.
There are no shortcuts through the Shadows
But, as with anything worth the effort, there are no shortcuts. And often there’s a fair dollop of repetition thrown into our learning for good measure.
Each of us enters this realm with our own specific lessons to learn. We carry with us echoes of other lifetimes either transmitted through our DNA or in the history of the world that travels through the waters of your body. Some of these echoes may be relevant to lessons for this time around! Some of these echoes may just be static that gets in the way, or even throws you off track for a while, as you navigate your way through this school called Life.
What is the Shadow?
Generally speaking, the Shadow, refers to your Dark Side. While not as dramatic as the Dark Side Star Wars fans are familiar with, this territory carries its own “terrors” and uncomfortable truths. That is, those bits of your personality that you don’t particularly like, get locked away down in the dark so that you don’t:
- have to deal with them
- own uncomfortable truths about yourself
- reveal any secrets that show you in a negative light
It’s a bit like a basement in the subconscious. Open the trap door, drop the unwanted thoughts, beliefs, behaviours, actions, memories… you name it and slam that trap door shut so they never see the light of day.
The shadow contains your richest treasures
Rather than shy away, ignore them or pretend they don’t exist, there is powerful learning and personal development to be had in embracing your shadow nature. It’s also a sure-fire way to fall deeply in love with yourself. When you can hold the light so it shines down into the furthest reaches of the basement; when you can see all that’s hidden in there and CLAIM it, and OWN it, you become potent and potentialized.
Shadow work makes your light shine brighter.
So, here are the 4 key reasons to embrace your shadow work
- Balancing polarities
- Tapping in the strength of your shadow aspect
- Falling in love with yourself by understanding your true nature
- Stepping into the authority of your authentic self
So what do these actually mean, and how do you go about reaping the rewards these four reasons represent?
Great question! Let’s break it down and explore each one in more depth
Balancing polarities
I think it’s safe to say that most people are familiar with the Yin and Yang symbol, and the associated meaning of the constant shift and flow of dynamic balance between polar opposites. This beautiful symbol so cleverly encapsulates the concept of bringing our opposites into harmony to achieve one-ness. This is after all part of our Soul evolution pathway.
This is a part of what we do on the pathway to enlightenment. Explore the different aspects of our nature and look to healing, harmonising and balancing the extremes or polarities. For instance, the qualities of masculine and feminine within, the light and dark sides of our personalities, the compliant, obedient child and the rebellious young adult wanting to forge their own path.
They’re natural parts of our make-up and of our maturing. The key is how we choose to express these aspects, and how we integrate them as we grow up. Each person’s passage through their own gathering of wisdom feed into the evolution of humanity as a whole.
It’s exciting stuff. Facing your Shadow does wonderful things for you, and as you do this it’s reflected in the collective conscious, with humanity being empowered to face our shadow and to move further into the light.
Denying the existence of one part of yourself denies you the opportunity to grow, learn, and reach your full potential. Sitting with the discomfort of the opposites gives you plenty of material to work with.
Learning how to anticipate the appearance of the shadow and teaching yourself how to choose between reaction and response are sure steps towards Shadow Mastery.
You can read the next key reason for embracing your shadow work here. It’s all about reclaiming your power!