Shadow work. You may have heard it before, but what is it?
Shadow work involves looking inside of your subconscious and facing the truth of whatever you find there. It’s filled with information that has shaped who you are over the course of your life. It’s where you’ll find your self concept and be able to change what you wish. It’s also where you’ll find your True Self which is separate from the ego self.
Essentially, the deeper you explore your own subconscious, the more of yourself you’ll discover.
Sometimes shadow work can leave people feeling deeply uncomfortable if their subconscious is filled with painful memories and/or negative self-limiting beliefs. Depending on how well you can be alone with your own thoughts, it may be beneficial to find a shadow worker or therapist to work with. Working with those who know the right questions to ask can also help speed up your process.
But shadow work can easily be done alone! I only suggest working with a professional if your mind tends to go to dark places that you can’t always pull yourself out of. Because the nature of shadow work can bring up suppressed memories and painful thoughts, it’s best to err on the side of caution. But also remember there’s nothing to fear. Whatever shadow you’re facing is just a different reflection of yourself. And the goal is to send your shadow love and regain control over your reality.
Why is shadow work important?
It’s important to first understand that our subconscious mind is the one projecting our reality to us. When we want to manifest something, we have to essentially tell the subconscious mind that we already have it while maintaining a feeling of neutrality/detachment from the outcome.
But if your manifestation does not align with your subconscious beliefs, you won’t actually get what you want. But the thing is, you may not even realize you’re holding onto limiting beliefs that are directly related to your manifestation until you do your shadow work.
Shadow work helps you identify what limiting beliefs you’re holding onto so that you can begin reworking those thoughts and improving your self concept. Once the new beliefs are solidified, the manifestation is yours.
How to perform shadow work on yourself
Let’s start with just one manifestation at a time.
Write down one manifestation that you want to prioritize your energy and intention on.
Then, ask yourself a series of questions related to your manifestation. When in doubt of what to ask, just ask “why”.
I’ll use one of my own as an example:
- Manifestation
- I am a successful author.
- Why do I want to be an author?
- I enjoy story telling. I love creating worlds and storylines. It provides me a sense of control over outcomes. I want to leave positive impacts on other readers. I know how magical it feels to be transported into another world to temporarily distract yourself from reality, especially when your reality isn’t so great at the time.
- Why do I want to be successful in this field? Why does the success matter?
- To feel seen. To connect with countless people around the world and bring a sense of belonging between us all. To be financially free enough to enjoy my days how I wish and only work for myself.
Questions I would ask to go deeper:
Why do I want to feel seen? What are my beliefs associated with wealth and financial freedom? What does success mean to me? Do I feel worthy of great success? Why or why not? Am I seeking validation outside of my own? Why do I need a sense of control? Why do I want to distract people from their pain while replacing it with inspiration? Why do I care to leave a positive impact on people?
If I answer all of the questions and continue to go deeper, this post would be way too long. I just wanted to provide an example of how you can go deeper and explore more of your own subconscious.
How to know you’ve gone deep enough
The more you break down your manifestation with more questions, you’ll eventually hit your root belief. The one belief that has created a spiderweb of more beliefs that may or may not be serving you. Depending on what beliefs you hold, it may bring up painful emotions. If that’s the case, it’s important to allow those emotions to flow through you and begin telling yourself new thoughts. You can also channel those emotions into creative or physical work.
The benefits of shadow work
- It shines a light on any potential limiting beliefs so that can you rewire those thoughts into something more beneficial.
- If your shadow work takes you to a dark place, you have the opportunity to transform that pain into something beautiful. Some of the most impactful art, music and films have been birthed from rock bottom. You can also use it to motivate you to achieve your goals - turning that pain into power.
- It helps you understand if you’re manifesting what you truly want. For example, if you’re manifesting a new car and you want a specific brand, shadow work will help you understand if you truly want that specific car or if you’re actually wanting something else. Maybe what you’re actually wanting is status, safety, influence, image, etc. Now you know to manifest those things instead and understand the type of car you’re wanting will likely be a byproduct of your manifestation anyway.
- Another great benefit is becoming more mindful and emotionally regulated. You’ll be able to be more effective in creating your reality and gain power over your emotional reactions. You start to identify less with your thoughts and see them as something separate when you discover your True Self.
- Shadow work causes a snowball effect. You may develop new friendships, relationships, or even change career paths. It may feel like your entire world is shattering around you but it’s only removing the old to make room for the life you actually want. It’s important to surrender and let it happen, trusting that whatever change is coming is for your benefit.
Overall, shadow work is crucial for gaining control over your reality so that you can live the life you dream of. Your shadow is always there, so ignoring it won’t do you any good. It’s empowering being able to fearlessly face every aspect of yourself. It also helps you connect with others on a deeper level, because you can only know others as deeply as you know yourself. Thus opening yourself up to more profound and exciting experiences.