29. Integrating Shadow Work and Energy Healing

Integrating Shadow Work and Energy Healing

"Shadow work, the practice of exploring and integrating the darker aspects of ourselves, is essential in energy healing. By acknowledging and embracing our shadows, we release blocked energy, fostering growth and self-acceptance. It's a journey to wholeness. 🌓"

Quote: "One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious." - Carl Jung

Shadow work and energy healing are closely related and work together to release emotional blockages and bring harmony to mind, body, and spirit. Shadow work involves confronting our shadow selves to understand toxic patterns and release energy. Energy healing taps into subtle energies to clear stagnant energy.

To recognize what shadow work is, we must first define the “shadow.” Sigmund Freud’s most famous trainee, Swiss psychologist Carl Jung, described the shadow as the repressed parts of ourselves, the parts we find unpleasant or cannot tolerate acknowledging. The shadow consists of the aspects of ourselves that oppose our characteristics, those things that we do like or want to be recognized for. If we see our shadow traits coming out, we try to avoid acknowledging those traits at all costs.

When we see those traits, we deemed to not be how we want people to see us, in others it can causes a strong negative reaction in ourselves. This is either because we do not want to acknowledge those traits in ourselves or because we resent that someone else is able to express that side of themselves while we cannot.

We cannot see our shadow clearly; it would be too painful if we did. It is because of this other people can identify our shadows more easily than we can. This can cause conflict if they comment on our shadow as it brings to light what we have repressed.

So, what is shadow work? It is the process of unification of our conscious self and those parts we have repressed. It is the integration of those traits we dislike with those we do like in ourselves. By doing the shadow work we become complete beings. One cannot know light without knowing the dark so when we delude ourselves that we are only one or the other we are not in balance.

Imagine you dragging a big bag containing your shadow behind you, you have been putting things in this bag all through childhood and into adulthood. If we are courageous, we start to let those parts out of the bag and begin dealing with them. We do this through the intentional, difficult process of facing our shadow sides and integrating them into who we are.

Benefits of Doing Shadow Work

This is hard and uncomfortable work, making the benefits of doing shadow work valuable.

Self-Knowledge

Our shadow aspects are not all dark, they have light sides to them too. But because we try to repress them, we label then all as dark. While we may fear that these aspects of ourselves are truly “all dark”, accessing the light sides of these traits can help us grow and become more creative. After all opposites are on a continuum too far on either side is to be unbalanced.

Improved Relationships

Exploring and learning about our shadow has the benefit of hurting ourselves and others less. Ignoring our shadow gives us a distorted view of the world, one that is based on attempting to maintain our self-concept, our sense of self. By doing this we are at risk of projecting our shadow onto other people, damaging our relationships in the process. This attempt to ignore our shadow is very demanding of our energy. That is energy we could have been putting to use in other parts of our life. When we begin integrating the shadow self, we get some of that energy back.

How to Do Shadow Work

The tools and techniques used for shadow work vary widely. Here are a few techniques to try:

• Recognizing shadow aspects: Begin by taking note of certain repeating behaviors in your life.
• Labeling shadow aspects: Now that you have recognized a pattern, try to backtrack and identify what is really going on, what brings this behavior out.
• Identifying the shadow aspects: Next try to figure out where/what the behaviors might be coming from.
• Owning the shadow aspects: Finally, accept these behaviors as ongoing patterns in your life and accept you are responsible for catching yourself doing them and then changing.

Shadow Work Exercises

• Exercise #1: Who I Am Not. The goal is to purposefully identify with the “negative” aspects of oneself. Start by listing five positive qualities you believe you possess. Now describe the opposite characteristics of those qualities. Next, envision how a person who has these opposite characteristics would behave. Then try identifying some positive aspects of how they might behave and what they might say to you if you met them. Finally, acknowledge the strengths that this person who is “opposite” to you does bring to the table.
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• Exercise #2: It-You-Me. In this exercise you will be working with projections. First, describe an ongoing source of frustration in your life in a few details. Then, share the situation with somebody, telling them your thoughts and emotions about the source of your frustration. Next, the person you shared with takes on the role of somebody else in the situation, your job is to tell that person taking on that role of participant in the situation, what you are thinking and feeling. Have this person take notes as you dialogue with yourself about the situation. Next, have them read their outside reflections to you about your process. Finally, work together to find the points where you may be projecting onto other people in the situation.

According to Jung, dealing with one’s Shadow is an ongoing process, more of a continuous negotiation than a conclusively fought battle or two. Jung did not expect people to conquer their Shadows, but rather to be continually working to notice and integrate their Shadow selves.

Quotes on Shadow Work

• “One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious.” – Carl Jung
• “Shadow-making happens in families and makes us who we are. It leads to shadow-work, which makes us who we can become.” – Connie Zweig
• “Your life will be transformed when you make peace with your shadow. The caterpillar will become a breathtakingly beautiful butterfly. You will no longer have to pretend to be someone you’re not. You will no longer have to prove you’re good enough.” – Debbie Ford
• “I would rather be whole than good.” – Carl Jung
• “It is only through shadows that one comes to know the light.” – St. Catherine of Siena

References 

• Bértholo, J. (2013). The shadow in project management. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 74, 358-368.
• Bly, R. (1988). A little book on the human shadow. New York: Harper.
• Chappell, S., Cooper, E., & Trippe, G. (2019). Shadow work for leadership development. Journal of Management Development, 38(5), 326–335.
• Cruz, A., Sales, C., Alves, P., & Moita, G. (2018). The core techniques of Morenian psychodrama: A systematic review of literature. Frontiers in Psychology, 1263.
• Johnson, R. A. (1993). Owning your own shadow: Understanding the dark side of the psyche. New York: Harper Collins.
• Jung, C. G. (1958). The undiscovered self. New York, NY: The New American Library.
• Kegan, R. (1994). In over our heads: the mental demands of modern life. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
• Ketola, T. (2008). Taming the shadow: corporate responsibility in a Jungian context. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 15(4), 199-209.
• Ladkin, D., Spiller, C., & Craze, G. (2018). The journey of individuation: a Jungian alternative to the theory and practice of leading authentically. Authentically. Leadership, 14(4), 415-434.
• Petriglieri, G., & Stein, M. (2012). The unwanted self: projective identification in leaders’ identity work. Organization Studies, 33(9), 1217-1235.
• Wilber, K. (2000). The collected works of Ken Wilber. Shambhala Publications.
• Wilber, K., Patten, T., Leonard, A., & Morelli, M. (2008). Integral life practice: A 21st century blueprint for physical health, emotional balance, mental clarity and spiritual awakening. Integral Books.

  

#ShadowWork #EnergyHealing #SelfAcceptance #JourneyToWholeness #EmbraceYourDarkness