What is Shadow Work?

Carl Jung teaches that everything that irritates us about others can lead us to the truth.

The truth is that when you sit in your humility and release the ego, you may learn that the things that trigger you about other people actually tell you more about yourself.

Have you heard of “shadow work”? This process allows us to do just that — explore the feelings we keep hidden in the shadows to truly unveil more about who we are at a soul level. It may also help us release more compassion and love towards others, and ourselves.

When I first learned about shadow work, I approached it with discernment out of fear. Am I ready to unveil what I've kept hidden in the shadows?

But I felt the fear and did it anyways, because I knew there was a major caveat: that shadow work may actually result in major breakthroughs.

Coming face-to-face with your shadows is not meant to be easy. You may actually feel resistant and it will feel very much like an obstacle course — one which you have created to hold you back from taking ownership of the feelings you’ve kept in the darkness. But remember, just because you "did" the work doesn't mean you are finished.

Healing isn't like a grocery list where we just check things off. It's a daily commitment to yourself. The healing doesn't only happen in meditation, shadow work, or inner child healing. It's in your presence, your connection to the divine, your relationships, and it's in the words you speak and your service to the world. So stay humble on your path of healing.

Shadow work can be a very complex but beautiful component in our larger healing practice.