To me spirituality is about finding and connecting to my true self...
An essential part of finding and connecting to yourself is the ability to do your shadowwork
But First, what is "Shadow Work.... ?
Shadow work involves getting in touch with the parts of yourself that you've repressed — or what many might refer to as their "dark side." You likely have a dark side — psychology says that everyone does — but there's also a process that might help you work through that part of yourself. It's called "shadow work," and involves "diving into the unconscious material that shapes our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors," according to therapist Akua Boateng, Ph.D.. ( definition Source: Article by Tonya Russell)
The first thing I want to point out, is that Shadow work will always be an ongoing process... There is no "Grand finale" where you can say, "Oh yeah, I did it!"
I believe shadow work to be like maintaining cleanliness within your home and I'll explain to you why...
Let's look at ourself first:
You live in your body and through your mind/Spirit..
Your body is the house and your mind is the room you spend the most time in.
I'm comparing the 2, because just like in your home..
No matter how efficient you clean for the day... You have to do it again in a few. Because daily life causes dirt to come back in, whether we want to or not. You have to do the dishes after eating, clean the bathroom, sweep the house multiple times etc etc...
And in the exact same way this is how it works for our Self
In the literal sence we shower daily, brush our teeth, brush our hair... Etc...
Coming to shadow work:
We often think shadow work is related to things we have experienced in the past and never really dealt with or something along those lines... And yes for some part that is true. But I believe shadow work to be more of an accepting action.. accepting that these experiences have changed you on some level. Maybe for the better, but sometimes also in a not so nice way... I refuse to use the word worse, because these experiences don't make you bad. They helped you transform into a more wise version of yourself..you just have to see and acknowledge which parts had which effects... And use that information to your advantage..
And keep in mind that those experiences will forever be a part of who you are. This means that new experiences placed on top of this might give you new insights into the old one.. That's the reason why we sometimes think we have healed from a situation and all of a sudden we are struck down by it again... Something is triggering you to look at the old situation again and evolve from it one more time...
New experiences have effect on previous ones, in a positive as well as a negative way.. this could be an infite loop of information exchange between your younger spiritual self and who you are supposed to be..
Shadow work doesn't have to be hard, you just have to make it as much of a habbit as cleaning the space you live in...
Lots of love,
Cloé
