What is “Shadow Work”?

The “shadow” or “shadow self” is a term that originated from Swiss psychiatrist, Carl Jung. Jung explained the “shadow self” as the unconscious thoughts, feelings, emotions, and personality traits we keep hidden deep within ourselves. The “shadow” is an accumulation of our upbringing and our desire to fit into the societal norms/standards we feel we must live up to in order to be accepted by the general population. Over the years, we have repressed these parts of ourselves so deeply that we do not even want to acknowledge that they exist in fear they will bring up uncomfortable feelings such as shame, guilt, disgust, remorse, grief and humility. The shadow is often a part of us that we consciously and/or unconsciously project onto others in our lives. Shadow work is beneficial for looking inward and deconstructing where these thoughts and ideas originated. This allows us to recognize which thoughts, mindsets, and self limiting beliefs we feel the need to reframe to ultimately free ourselves from the confined box we have forced ourselves to fit imperfectly into. We often find ourselves stuck in unhealthy, toxic patterns and negative belief systems due to our shadow self, and shadow work has shown to challenge your core values by bringing them into consciousness to being able to then acknowledge and actively work through them. By working through these Shadow Work prompts, I want to help others to identify and express their emotions, where they came from, and how they are affecting their everyday lives. I want to provide a boundless experience to allow others to explore a part of themselves they do not allow to come to the surface.