What is Shadow Work?
It certainly sounds mysterious, maybe even ominous. Shadows are the material of nightmares, they hide things that move and go bump in the dark. When we stand out in the light, it’s really hard to see what’s in the shadows and that can feel terrifying. Especially when we are aware that something or someone unknown to us is in there.
In terms of spiritual or healing work, the shadow refers to what we aren’t consciously aware of. Sometimes this is called the unconscious self or subconscious mind. Everyone has a “shadow”, a subconscious self, and we wouldn’t be alive without one. Our subconscious mind is simply our nervous system, most of which operates below conscious awareness. It regulates our vital functions like breathing, heart rate, body temperature and digestion. We react to events in our life and do familiar tasks without conscious thought most of the time. Our subconscious, our nervous system, our shadow, is one of our greatest superpowers.
The problem arises when other things in our shadow – like unprocessed trauma, or harmful belief patterns/bias start to control our emotions and behaviour without our awareness. This can show up as behaviours like the need to control some aspect of our lives, sabotaging self and relationships, or over-reliance on distractions (food, alcohol, drugs, gambling, shopping, technology and other things that numb us to our experience). This can show up as feeling stuck, numb, anxious, reactive, or overwhelmed. This can also show up in our bodies as tension, pain, or even illness. The shadow holds the story of our painful experiences, and it takes courage to face.
That doesn’t mean that the only thing found in the shadow is the source of our challenges and pain. The shadow also contains beautiful, creative and strong parts of ourselves that we’ve forgotten. Maybe you once loved making art, but being an artist was discouraged in your family. Maybe you used to laugh a lot but over time, you find yourself less able to feel joy. Maybe you habitually say yes to the point of exhaustion because you’ve forgotten to consider your own needs. The shadow is the land of our forgotten dreams, forgotten abilities, forgotten strengths and qualities that have been pushed aside through life experience, familial or cultural stigmas. Finding these parts of ourselves can restore our vitality and choice.
Shadow work involves going into these less conscious parts of ourselves in order to let our inner vision adjust so we can “see” what’s in there. And it can definitely feel scary. The times I’ve been most capable of shadow work have been when I’ve been in the company of other women (therapists, bodyworkers, healers, friends and women in my women’s circle). Having women who can hold presence has been essential to my shadow work. A competent shadow guide is a woman who has done her own shadow work, who can bear witness to deep pain, emotion, beauty, strength, and joy. A competent shadow guide also holds a candle to support the shadow journeyer in returning to the light.
For me, going into the shadow is an essential and powerful portal for transformation and healing. It has only been in the shadow that I’ve been able to process stuck emotions and patterns, gain understanding and create real change in my life and body. The shadow is the source of our pain, and it’s the source of our power.
