What Is Shadow Work? Meeting the Parts of Yourself You Learned to Hide

Most of us learn that certain parts of ourselves are more acceptable than others. Maybe anger got you into trouble. Perhaps sensitivity was something you learned to hide. Over time, those rejected parts can become part of your shadow self. But hiding them does not make them disappear.

This hidden territory is often referred to as the shadow. They are the emotions, impulses, memories, beliefs, needs and qualities that we have rejected, suppressed, cut-off from and denied.

What the shadow means

Your shadow can include feelings or qualities you have pushed out of awareness because they did not feel safe or acceptable to express.

Some are uncomfortable to face. Others may be strengths you never realised you had buried. Shadow work healing is about bringing these parts back into awareness rather than continuing to reject them.

Shadow work is the process of bringing greater awareness, compassion and integration to these disowned aspects of ourselves. It asks us to look beneath our habitual reactions and explore what may be operating outside our conscious awareness.  

How it shows up

The signs of your shadow self are not always obvious. You might have a surprisingly strong reaction to someone or keep falling into the same pattern without understanding why.

Becoming curious about these reactions, though, can help you see what might be happening underneath them. The shadow is not our enemy. It is often the part of us waiting to be understood. Not all of the shadow is negative. We can also repress positive or life-giving qualities. Perhaps you learned that being confident was arrogant, that expressing anger was dangerous, that being sensitive was weak, that taking up space was selfish or that wanting more for yourself was somehow wrong. Over time these qualities can become disconnected from conscious identity.

The shadow and projection

The shadow is the most denied aspect of the psyche; sometimes we would do almost anything to avoid confronting it within ourselves so instead we become highly skilled at projecting it or transferring it onto others.  We hide these deeply repressed parts of ourselves. Yet if we have the courage and the conviction to face the shadow and become accountable and responsible for it within ourselves profound healing and transformation takes place. When we truly understand that it is the ego that keeps us in separation via its judgement and condemnation, we can turn to the shadow as our way home. I once heard a speaker say “the ego always lies, while the shadow always tells the truth. At the root of all illusion and limitation is the fact that people tend to run from their shadows and listen to their egos” What powerful and profound words these are. The shadow is our perfect mirror and teacher of our unresolved issues. It shows us our triggers, patterns and wounding. It is one of the fastest paths to working on our self, setting us free to be our authentic self.

A shamanic perspective

For Kristy, what is shadow work goes beyond simply identifying unwanted traits. It is a journey into the shadowy waters of your being, where hidden parts can be met with curiosity rather than pushed further away.

The shadow can contain qualities we judge negatively but it can also contain enormous amounts of vitality, creativity, confidence, sexuality, assertiveness, playfulness, intuition and potential.

Shamanic imagery can help give shape to experiences that are difficult to put into words. Kristy helps you access and enter into relationship these parts hidden in the inner world.

Integration rather than perfection

If you are wondering how to do shadow work, the aim is not to eliminate parts of yourself you dislike. Integrating the shadow means recognising them and understanding what they have to show you.

For those curious about shadow work for beginners, simply notice your reactions without immediately judging them. The goal is psychic wholeness not another mask. It asks us to simply become more honest with who we are.

Next step

If you feel ready to explore a hidden or repeating part of your story, read about Shamanic Healing or book a session with Kristy.