Working out the Shadow

Lately I've been feeling alot of issues bubbling to the surface. Although I am learning from these experiences, and becoming more familiar with my own insecurities, I am very interested in learning, or at least reading about shadow work. What are some good practices that help us re-integrate the shadow that we tend to push away for so many years? What's a good shadow work practice?

Just a side note, although this isn't the answer by far: I've discovered that learning to meditate more and more can assist greatly. It helps ease the burden, pain and issues that bubble up by reminding us we aren't the center of the universe. Often when confronted with so many of my issues, emotions, conflicts, it's easier to get lost and just sink deeper into the web. I find that if I do try to keep that “witness,” to observe these emotions, it helps me to stop thinking so narcissistically, and in fact makes me more aware of them. I dunno, at any rate. I'd appreciate everyone's thoughts…

Re: Working out the Shadow

Hey man,

There are quite a few things I've been using myself for shadow. Yes, you are right, meditation can help greatly in putting the shadow into a perspective but it does little for direct healing. Integral Institute recommend the 3-2-1 process of shadow healing. This process can be practised in many different ways. You're starting to reown more and more of the shadow, communicating ABOUT it (in the 3rd person), talking TO it (2nd person) and then moving into first person and becoming (as fully and as wholly as you are able to) the shadow element.

Personally, I have found the Big Mind process to be a great variation on this process. I will talk directly from this part in me. I will name it, feel it thoroughly and wholly and really try to get into it. Once the voice is talking, I will push the boundaries. Often I'll just be identified with the feelings. Then I'll often stop, and place my hands on my stomach and feel my awareness directly into this area. Often pushing my awareness more and more into here lets me really feel what's going on. This is where the shadow work becomes much more feminine (masculine being the perspective from 500ft above, and feminine being the dynamic perspective of being and moving inside it). I will feel something arising, and I will let its frustration and its anger come out of me as best I can. Sometimes this involves me lying on my back kicking and flailing my arms around, really moving into it. It can sometimes be a violent process if it's something which has had very little breathing room in the past. When you're here though, you are in control. You can stop the process at any time, but the more you allow yourself to really feel it pulsing through your body and the more you try to move WITH it, the more you can start to own it.

I would say: Start a dialogue process with yourself. Start a dialogue with the “shadow” as that third person element of what is truly a first person energy. But let yourself feel separate from it. Over-emphasise how separate you are. Let yourself fully feel how far it is away from you. You are trying to remove the separation, yes, but you wanna shake it around a bit. As long as you're pushing AND pulling it.

Move into it as a second person direct contact energy. Talk to it. Put something in front of you to focus your energy on. It can just be a cushion, or a poem, or whatever. Let yourself get angry at it. Scream at it (the voice is very important in this process I find. I really helps to raise the energy of the practice). Feel right into that void between you. If you can, even move into a space that lets yourself be almost glad that there's such a gap between you. Honour it all, and let it yourself be completely fucking unreasonable. Be a prick, be a dualistic being, and let that be OK.

And by the time you own it as a first person energy (it may take some time for you to properly get here - but it's time well spent), you can really allow yourself the opportunity whenever you need to, to get into its skin. My bed has become my sanctuary for just kicking and screaming and balling my eyes out whenever I need to. Sometimes you feel totally pathetic when you've done enough work to get so close to it, but eventually even that feels OK.

If you do find yourself sinking into that web of being lost within these inner conflicts, just start by allowing the voice that is feeling lost to come out. Don't be afraid to use your body in this. Identify whatever it is that is screaming out to you in agony and pain. Squeeze a pillow, hit something, just be conscious and aware of the outlets of this pain to avoid other people getting hurt by them.

I wish you all the best with it. Shadow work can be an incredibly powerful and invigorating process to reown your humanity.

In light and love,
Marc

PS. I started to read a lot of Robert Augustus Masters for some good shadow re-identification. http://www.robertmasters.com/Writing_Section/essays.htm This page has some great essays which can really help you get into the mindset of working with shadow in this way. Check them out. Hope they help you as much as they did me :)

Re: Working out the Shadow

Thankyou Marc for the great reply. I'll check these links out. :)

Re: Working out the Shadow

There couldn't be too much more of an important topic, and I so appreciate everyone who is working on this level/matter, and thanks for starting this particular discussion and for reaching out open-mindedly for resources.

There is a Zaadz pod devoted to Shadow Work. I haven't explored it much yet, but I do respect Whitewave very highly. http://pods.zaadz.com/the_shadow_knows. If the link doesn't work, just do a Pod Search for The Shadow Knows.

Also I liked a book by Debbie Ford whose title escapes me now, I think it has the word Shadow in it, but you could find it by searching her on Amazon or even the Zaadz database.

These are not even the most profound helps I know of, just what comes to mind at the moment.

One crucial point is that the Shadow contains not only unpleasant stuff we don't want, but oodles of our magnificence, our best, our Divine Glory, that we repressed because it seemed dangerous, to our young selves. Going after that stuff provides additional strength and perspective in dealing with the less pleasant stuff.

Hope to carefully read and respond to all posts above in more detail later.

Blessings, OM Bastet

Re: Working out the Shadow

Also I liked a book by Debbie Ford whose title escapes me now, I think it has the word Shadow in it, but you could find it by searching her on Amazon or even the Zaadz database.

Re: Working out the Shadow

Yep it is…

Book:The Dark side of the light chasers, by debbie ford.

www.amazon.com/Dark-Side-Light-Chasers/dp/1573227358 - 245k

Yep, Pelle - i thought this book was useful too.