Shadow Work and the Integration of the Shadow Self

If you've spent 5 minutes in any Spiritual U space, you know shadow work is foundational here. Many people avoid shadow work because they just want to skip ahead to the manifestations. They opt to half-ass their shadow work if they do it at all, because they are so focused on the outcome. 

Think about shadow work as a caterpillar going into a cocoon. If the caterpillar doesn't go into the cocoon, it can't turn into a butterfly. Doing your shadow work is you going into your cocoon. 

Here's the thing… there is no cheat code for your spiritual evolution. There is no bypass button for your shadow work. It's has to be done, and the more you avoid it, the more it will sneak up on you and infiltrate different aspects of your life. 

So, let's talk about shadow work and what happens when you are finally able to integrate your shadow self. 

What is shadow work?

Shadow work was a term coined by Carl Jung back in 1912. He noticed that people had suppressed feelings, trauma, and pain that covertly came out and sabotaged their progress. 

Generally, shadows live in the psyche or subconscious mind because we intentionally or unintentionally push them there. 

By intentionally going into this dark and secret part of your mind, you can work through the suppressed feelings, trauma, and pain so that you can process and heal them. 

During your shadow work, you may discover your shadow self (no, this isn't your internal evil twin). Like your inner child, this is a part of you that lives within you. 

Doing your shadow work helps you to integrate your shadows and shadow self into your whole self so that it no longer covertly sabotages you. 

The Shadow Self

The shadow self is also a term created by Carl Jung. This is the part of you that is hidden or suppressed. For one person, their shadow self could be the version of themselves that survived a trauma that needs to be processed. For others, it could be an inner truth about yourself that you suppress, such as an LGBTQ+ person suppressing their queer identity. 

Like a child who isn’t getting the love and attention they need, your shadow self will act out to get your attention. It doesn’t want to stew in this pain any more than you do, but unfortunately, that's its job. 

You might start doing your shadow work and find that you have more than just one version of your shadow self. Like a tree whose roots grow deeper into the soil as it grows taller, as you grow and evolve spiritually, you’ll dive deeper into your psyche. 

Ways to Do Shadow Work

Therapy is always number 1 when it comes to dealing with trauma. Unfortunately, finding the right therapist can take some time, so in the meantime, try some(or all) of the following tips to do shadow work.

Journaling About Your Shadows

One method of diving into your shadows is to journal. Journaling is great for processing your thoughts and emotions because you can see them in black and white. Just like talking out your feelings, journaling helps you get your thoughts and feelings out of your body so you can move on. 

Some people can just jump right into journaling and open the floodgates to their thoughts and feelings. For other people, especially those who are new to journaling, it can sometimes feel like having writer's block, as if you are looking at a massive mountain and not knowing where to even start, so you just stand there and stare at the blank page. 

If this is you, look into getting a guided shadow work journal. There are many great ones out there, but here’s the Spiritual U Guided Shadow Work Journal. 

Guided journals take you inch by inch through your shadow work mountain, so you never need to look at a blank page hoping thoughts will come to you. It can also be a quicker or more structured way to go through the shadow work process. 

Meditation to Find Your Shadow Self

Meditation, like hypnosis, can guide you into the psyche so you can discover what is lying hidden in the darkness of your mind. Shadow work meditations can provide a more comfortable and structured way to go into the psyche and connect with the shadow self as well. 

Sometimes, events can trigger our shadows to come up like a tornado, forcing us to face them, which can be a rough journey. This is exactly the reason a lot of us avoid doing shadow work because something like this has probably happened at one point or another. 

But when you intentionally go into your shadows, especially when you’re doing mentally well, you move through this process with greater ease and comfort. 

Better yet, it can help you guide your shadow self into the light so you can process and integrate your shadows into your whole self.

If you’d like to try a shadow work meditation, here is one of my free guided meditations. 

Express Your Shadow Self

Like journaling, there are multiple ways to express your shadow self. For example, people with PTSD, like Lex, find painting to be incredibly helpful. It offers a creative medium to express feelings without having to directly communicate them. 

But more than finding an outlet for your shadow self, you can give it something it needs. Just like you might play dress up to bond, connect, or heal your inner child, you can find an activity your shadow self deeply needs and do that activity. 

You can also take your shadow self on a visualization journey during your meditations. Take them out of the darkness of the psyche and bring them to your mind palace or an enchanted forest. 

Expressing your shadow self in constructive ways gives it the love and attention it needs, so it no longer throws those self-sabotaging tantrums. 

Integrating the Shadow Self

Once you reach a point where your shadow self is seen, heard, and able to process the shadows, it can integrate into your whole self. 

You become familiar with its needs and how to support it when something triggering happens. You can also use the lessons you learned from your shadow self to progress further on your spiritual or personal journey. 

Doing shadow work can be a tough road, but it doesn’t have to be so bad. There is so much to gain on the other side of this journey: discovery, growth, and manifestations… but you won’t be able to fully experience them until you get a little uncomfortable and do the work. Check out the Spiritual U offerings page if you need guidance along the way.