Shadow Work! It's something I'll probably reference a lot on this channel. So what is it?
Shadow work is the process of awakening to the unconscious parts of ourselves that we repress and reject. It's facing the darkness within ourselves and making peace with our imperfectness.
I personally, always tried to live and strive for the light. Perfectionistic. self abandoning, using the next self help book to better myself. My journey of personal growth, has been motivated by the unconscious belief that I wasn't good enough.
What I think I was actually doing now, was trying to avoid my humanness by trying to live like a saint. And in the practice of spiritual bypassing, I got to be the victim and the hero all the time.
Turning towards and uncovering my shadow, then sitting with it, was uncomfortable.
BUT! In really facing off with ALL parts of myself. By looking at the parts I rejected and avoided and holding those parts with love and compassion. There was a softening.
Coming out that experience, the expression, "and so am I." has been resonate.
Someone does something self destructive, motivated by fear? I've done that.
Someone abandons themself to obtain love? I've done that too.
Someone judges and criticizes from a place of righteousness? Absolutely!
I would judge myself for doing these things (hence all the personal growth work). I'd feel shame or insecurity, that sense of unworthiness always lurking in the background. But in seeing the small, scared, wounded inner child driving those behaviors all that melted into was compassion, kindness, and gentleness. How could it not?
And by bridging that gap within myself, now seeing it in other people, all that is left is empathy and understanding. Could you imagine what world we could be living in, if we all just hopped off our high horses and hugged one another?
So yea, Shadow Work, hard but totally worth it.