The process of healing is ultimately a process of becoming balanced and whole. Oftentimes it seems like what we want is just out of our grasp. What if the answer was right under your nose? What if your greatest gifts were right below the surface, the ones you couldn't see? This is the power of the shadow.
What exactly is the shadow? Carl Jung coined the term "shadow." He defined the shadow as "everything a person refuses to acknowledge about himself." Although everyone has a shadow, it is obviously different for each person and varies greatly with the values and culture we are raised in. Jung believed that the shadow is the seat of our creativity.
As we grow up we begin to separate and label parts as good and bad, acceptable and unacceptable. The acceptable parts remain in our conscious awareness. The unacceptable parts comprise the shadow and become hidden. Determined not to show these parts to others, we either spend a lot of energy keeping them hidden or we forget we have them entirely and instead project them onto others. The energy used to hold this shadow down creates a pressure cooker inside. Our fear gives this shadow strength and power over us. We are no longer free. We must now act carefully so that this ugly part is not exposed to the world. Because of this internal pressure, when situations are challenging this shadow will lash out with a force doubly strong, all of its ugliness amplified and exaggerated.
If the shadow has become totally hidden and unconscious, we find ourselves attracting whomever we need to mirror back our disowned aspects. There is a saying, "what you resist persists." Although our shadow may be hidden to us, its energy is carried within us and magnetically draws people with like energy into our lives. If we want to stop drawing these people into our lives, we need to own that quality within ourselves.
Perhaps as a child you cried at night, afraid of the boogeyman in the closet. Your mom or dad came into your room and turned on the light to reassure you that it was safe. As adults what we don't realize is that the bogeyman we are so frightened of is just a neglected part of ourselves. We can shine the light of awareness onto these shadow parts and watch them transform before our eyes.
In each part of ourselves that we have overlooked or disowned, there is always a gift hidden beneath the dark exterior. With shyness, there may be the gift of introspection. With anger, there may be the gift of strength or passion. Just recovering all the energy that is used to conceal the shadow is a gift in itself. Releasing the fear of identifying with this "bad" part diffuses its energy so that it no longer controls us. Now we can better manage this aspect and use it in appropriate situations. By summoning the courage to face each of these parts, we become stronger and more confident.
One of the greatest gifts of reclaiming your shadow is freedom from judgment of self and others. You recognize your vulnerability as well as your strength. You see your naïveté as well as your wisdom. You realize you have the capacity to be any quality in addition to its total opposite. This awareness awakens compassion and releases judgement, both within and without.
HOW TO ACCESS THE POWER OF YOUR SHADOW
As a hypnotherapist, clients see me because they want to change or heal some aspect of themselves and their lives. Oftentimes people think the solution they're looking for is to get rid of a part that is unacceptable. In fact, the solution is the complete opposite. Just like in physics, this energy cannot be created or destroyed. Underneath the unacceptable behavior is a valid need. While in hypnosis we access the part that is creating the behavior, for example smoking or getting stage fright. Once we address this part and discover its needs, we can come up with new positive behaviors to meet those needs. That part that was once disenfranchised can now be integrated.
Despite the fact that it's been hidden from us, the shadow is easy to uncover once we are willing to face it. To get started, here's a couple of simple exercises taken from the book "Dark side of the Lightchasers" by Debbie Ford:
- Begin by listing all the people who really get under your skin. This may be people you know personally as well as public figures. Notice what specific traits of each person really bother you. With each trait on the list, think of a time when you behaved the same way or think of a situation in which you would be capable of feeling the same way. Sometimes you will need to break it down to the very base underlying emotion. For instance, you may not feel capable of murder, however you can think of a time when you were enraged or when you hurt another.
- Make a list of all the parts you don't like and find at least one gift hidden in each part. For example, if you were raised believing that people should be humble, your shadow may be a showoff. Gifts of being a showoff may be not being afraid to speak up, or the ability to demonstrate self-confidence. If you have difficulty finding the gift in a particular trait, ask a friend to help. We each have our own unique blinders.
The point isn't to become the opposite of who you are or what you value. You don't have to fall in love with all of your parts, just own them and see their value. By recognizing you are also the opposite of what you identify with, you become balanced. In recognizing you are every trait, you become whole. When you are balanced and whole, you become free to choose how you want to be in each moment and act with awareness.
If you want to learn more about Shadow work and experience it in person, you may be interested in my Shadow Alchemy Workshop in Austin. You can check for upcoming dates here.
Learn more about Shadow Work by listening to the Beyond the Illusion podcast episode below. To listen to other episodes, visit www.beyondtheillusionpodcast.com.
