Insight is a critical part of anyway spiritual practice because it is through insight that we learn about ourselves and understand where and why we may not be fully integrating our intentions into our inner being and changing our lives or creating the future we’ve been dreaming of. 

Doing Shadow Work is exactly the insightful work we all need on an ongoing basis. 

So, what is shadow work? The answer is nuanced and complex but here’s a quick rundown:

Shadow work is the act of considering the parts of ourselves that aren’t pretty. It’s understanding that they are actually what makes us whole and by ignoring them or pretending that they aren’t there, we are only holding ourselves back from growing and manifesting. 

Shadow work can feel hard to do because there are so many mixed messages about how to do it and most people that we are sharing this world with aren’t actively doing the deep work that is exploring one’s shadow. It can feel like swimming upstream to be the only one in your circle of people who is doing the important work of self reflection.

Shadow work can also feel difficult because we are drudging up long buried memories, the bits of ourselves that we are ashamed of, and facing that which is uncomfortable to face. 

By now you may be thinking, okay, so what do I do? How do I do it?

You can do shadow work just by pausing before reacting. Considering what you were about to say and why. It can be that easy. It can also look like working with a lunar cycle or your energy centers to consider a moment from your past and how you can reconsider that moment as a moment of strength instead of one of weakness. Shadow work can look like using a tarot prompt for reflection or just seeing yourself as you are and acknowledging your fall from grace earlier in the day. It can look like apologizing to yourself or others. 

There is no one way to do shadow work. It’s the act of seeing the parts of self that you’d rather not see, understanding the story of those parts, and working to write a different future for yourself based on what you’ve learned. 

Always remember that there is no shame in putting a pause to your shadow work, too. Some memories are best explored with the help of a therapist or other professional. Some you may not be ready to recall. That is all okay and perfectly normal (if there is such a thing as normal!). Your shadow work can be about the relationship you have with your body or your cluttered work desk. Or, it can be a whole process of digging into your relationship with your parents. There is no too big or too small in shadow work. 

Insight comes after intention and integration and is the third key to creating a life filled with possibility, delight, and enchantment.