Shadow Self – An Overview

We live in a world where we, and everything that surrounds us is in the form of energy – this could be explained in terms of polarity; light and dark, known and unknown energies that pertain to love, positivity and peace, as well as, what we will be focusing on for this topic; the hidden energies such as ego, fears, insecurities, i.e our shadow selves. 

Often, our shadow selves are something we may attempt to hide from the world and sometimes to a greater extent, even ourselves. In an attempt to assimilate with society’s standard of who we should be, we may shove our shadow selves into a dark corner within ourselves and pretend that it’s no longer a part of us. We often try to detach our public image from this part of ourselves, constructing internal stories about our shadows that give power to our inner critic which can give rise to manipulating our thoughts and behavior perhaps causing us to attempt to bind our shadow selves, but without fail, the shadows typically don’t stay bound for long and when they “slip out” of bondage, chances are, it’s not an enjoyable experience for any involved.

While we may believe that we are doing the world and ourselves a favor by ignoring our shadow selves, the truth is that our shadow will always be with us. It’s the part(s) of us that needs more love than any other, it’s the part that we need to pour conscious, replenishing energy into ourselves in order to finally fill the hole and feel whole. 

Where bringing in light gives us spiritual freedom and personal development, exploring the dark aspects about ourselves heals us from past wounds, emotional baggage and hurts that have stunted our emotional and mental growth.

The shadow is born within the intricate set of events that we experience often times in our childhood where conditions of any scale, macro or micro, existed when they either shouldn’t have or didn’t exist when they should have, ultimately aiding in the development of negative perceptions, thoughts and emotions to take root.  Our emotions to our mind-body connection, much like the on-board diagnostic scanner to a vehicle, lets us know what’s going on with us internally, but left unchecked, it’s possible that some emotions can yield undesirable behaviors that push against societal norms, adds suppression, avoidance, and a whole host of other action verbs to ignoring the check engine lights of our mind-body connection in order to focus on aligning with societal standards of what is acceptable in an effort to avoid standing out out from the “crowd.” This negation of self in addition to prioritization of societal standards aids in creating our shadow.

Exploring Your Shadow

Exploring your shadow means recognizing, observing, reflecting and accepting the shadow aspects of ourselves. These are the unhealed trauma triggers that often nudge and guide us through current experiences, much like the chain-clad Ghost of Jacob Marley to Ebenezer Scrooge in Charles Dickens’s novel, A Christmas Carol. 

While the process of getting curious, going inward and confronting this suppressed part of yourself may be challenging and a little painful, it holds the potential to give birth to a more aware, and healed version of yourself that is free from all the constraints and the bounds that hold us back from moving closer to our higher selves. 

What Happens After You Heal Your Shadow?

Higher Perspective – When we suppress our shadow, we block ourselves from having a clear view of all of the moving pieces that we experience in life in their true form. This distorted vision often causes hindrances for us in life. By striving to identify, understand and embrace our shadow self, we begin to embrace an intuitive view, and we no longer think from a place where we feel compelled to constantly have to protect our identity or be on guard to shield our ego. We diffuse the electric charge that our triggers ignite which in turn set ourselves free to begin to experience life in its fullest form. 

Reclaimed Confidence – Once we make friends with the metaphorical monsters under our bed we spark embers of radiant confidence within ourselves that allow for us to break free of previously ingrained limiting beliefs, and scarcity mentality, which not only gives way to a more empowered way of processing information, but also allows for the possibility of releasing stuck or stagnant energies as well as tapping into a higher states of consciousness. Surrendering to, instead of running from, the lessons of what our shadows are attempting to teach us allow us to see within ourselves, fully accepting ourselves knowing that we have the ability to navigate intuitively ourselves to where we choose to go in life without the disillusionment of lack mentality.

Elevated Self-Love – When we begin to truly accept ourselves and start viewing ourselves as we authentically are, without the external lens of others, we’re able to see beyond the illusion, discover energetic openings that help cleanse ourselves of blocks and usher balance into the two extremes of our deepest selves so that we may acknowledge and utilize our gifts and talents in a revolutionary way that allows us to envelop ourselves into an immersive experience of self re-discovery and love.