Shadow Work Is The Foundation Of Personal Growth

The most authentic spiritual path is the one that leads back to yourself: shadow work. I believe so fervently in the shadow path that most of my energy is spent researching, reflecting, discussing and sharing this field, this is why I refer to myself as the Shadow Hunter.

Shadow work will emphatically make a significant difference to your wellbeing, your outlook, your relationships, and your soul. It is the code behind the framework of personal growth or spirituality: know thyself. Shadow work will expand your awareness, increase your vibration, and reconnect your mind, body, and soul.

Behaviours Are Programmed Early In Life

We are complex beings, with most of our behaviours shaped or programmed during the first seven years of our lives. Our brain development begins in utero and there is an extensive body of scientific evidence to explain that our brain circuitry develops in response to our mother’s feelings and stressors. After our birth brain development is influenced by our dominant caregivers’ behaviours and our close environment. Our childhood experiences—wondrous, happy, sad, or frightening— shape our perspectives and behaviours for the rest of our lives. Every child will experience events that cause emotional pain or trauma, which in shadow work is referred to as a wound. With every good intention to protect, nurture, and love our children, we need to understand that this aspect is an integral part of the human experience. The experience we, as a soul, choose each incarnation.

The Answer Lies Within Us

All ancient spiritual texts direct the seeker to the self. You are the Source of all of your answers. The shadow or wounded aspect of ourselves plays a large role in how we play this energetic game—live life—but the big obstacle in the way of successfully playing and creating in the game is the unrealised shadow. The way we react to situations is informed or programmed by our childhood wounds; our reactions seem fair and reasonable to us because we are not conditioned to look at why we react the way we do.

Shadow Work Illuminates Hidden Aspects Of Our Behaviour

Shadow work integrates and brings balance to the unseen, darker, or hidden aspects of our characteristics—characteristics that that show up when we are triggered, or have our buttons pressed. Our shadow influenced behaviour: rage, shame, tantrums, humiliation, sulking, controlling, bullying, are all examples of the shadow taking the stage.

An exchange of dialogue or behaviour that correlates with a wound is felt within our bodies; this is known as a trigger. The trigger reminds us of our unhealed wound; it is our body’s signal of emotional pain or discomfort. For most people, a disconnection between the body and mind happened a long time ago; signs and signals from the body to the mind suppressed or ignored.

I’ll illustrate a simple example. I am assertive and often take the lead. As a young girl, I naturally did this – you could say it was in my genes – but I would be admonished and belittled for doing so. Thinking this was not the way to behave if I was to be included and loved, I withdrew from showing initiative or telling people what to do. I was quiet but helpful. Or so I thought.

From my teen years onwards many people called me bossy. It hurt. It really made me bristle. I could feel smoke come out of my ears! Shadow work showed me the root of the pain, and I learnt to integrate this fabulous trait back into my being. Shadow work reconnects our mind and body to understand the signs and signals, to allow our soul to lead the way.

The Effect Of The Hidden Shadow

The unrealised shadow plays out in our everyday lives. Traits that people mirror to us or that we project onto others belong to us. The aspects of others that really irritate, upset, or rile us are in some way connected with our hidden traits and matching wound.

The correlation is often not direct but within the spectrum of the trait. For example, you may find bossy people really, really annoying because you too are bossy or because your soul is calling you to be more bossy. Our relationships are plagued with mirroring and projecting, reactions and confusions as the shadow interferes; seeks to be illuminated and integrated.

Nobody can judge the behaviour of the other because none of us knows the wounds the other carries. Only you know the dialogue in your mind. Becoming entirely responsible and accountable for that dialogue is your path to maturity, peace, balance, and wholeness.

The Shadow Is An Integral Part Of The Human Experience.

It is a constant exploration for expansion and a constant expansion for exploration. The vital point that is rarely raised in our society is this: our shadow side seeks to be realised, to be integrated and united with our light side, to create wholeness, balance.  Wholeness is peaceful, harmonious, curious, and creative; it brings the depth of understanding a being requires to know their purpose.

The journey to wholeness starts with a commitment to shadow work.