Why you should explore your shadow self

shadow work & SHADOW SELF

What is the shadow self? 

Why should you work on it?

What are the benefits of exploring your shadow self?

What is Shadow Work?

Shadow Work is about developing self-awareness, self-acceptance, and compassion for yourself and ultimately others. Shadow work seen spiritually is the art of helping you see all the different parts of yourself, especially the ones, that have been suppressed and have been labeled as “unwanted” and “unloveable” as children.  For those with traumas, shadow work can be a way to work through trauma and accept and love the parts, that have been suppressed “into the dark”.    The Jungian

 definition of the shadow is the “dark side” of our personality because it consists of primitive, negative human emotions and impulses like rage, envy, greed, selfishness, desire, and the striving for power.

Exploring your shadow can lead to greater authenticity, creativity, energy, and personal awakening.

What are the benefits of Shadow Work?

Shadow self benefits

1. Gain more confidence and self-esteem

One of the great benefits of doing this inner work of getting to know and integrating your shadows is that you will gain more confidence and self-esteem. You show up as your fully embraced and embodied self, you will not play small or feel embarrassed about some parts of yourself anymore. Imagine all the inner freedom, that comes with this new step. More confidence, more self-esteem and therefore more self-love. 

Working with an experienced Coach and Mentor can help you see the parts of yourself, that you think are flaws even as valuable parts of your personality. Mostly it needs just a different perception and a change in mindset. 

If the shadows are really weaknesses, we better work on them, so you can learn to better manage them and become a more integrated, happy, and healthy person.  

The Shadow Self

2. Discover your hidden gifts and strengths

More than once in my Coaching with my clients we have discovered, that the flaws and “weaknesses” that they thought, they had are really hidden gifts, talents, and strengths. That´s when it is possible to shift the perception from: “I am too sensitive” to “I am actually having a very valuable gift in feeling others and I am able to react to it accordingly” Also there are some more valuable talents in your shadows, that you had no idea about it. 

Which hidden gifts can we discover in you? 

shadow work

3. Improve your mental, emotional, and physical health

Repressing the shadow self can lead to many problems, including mental, emotional, and even physical health problems. Mostly we are not even aware, that this problem may come from a suppressed shadow side, for example, problems with money mindsets, toxic relationships, and so on can come from the suppressed shadow self, that wants to be seen by you and integrated. 

Jung´ s Shadow self

4. Better Relationships

When you see and accept your shadows, you are more likely to accept the darker parts in others. 

When you tame your projections, you can see others for who they really are, and therefore you no longer see them as projections of the side of you that you dislike, suppress, or live in the darkness.

This makes you more tolerant, better communicating, and more understanding. This doesn´t mean, that you have to accept toxic behaviors. 

Other people’s behavior will no longer trigger you as fast as before, cause you also see their perspective and their darker shadows. 

benefits of shadow work

5. Authenticity, Integration, and Maturity

As long as we deny and keep suppressing our shadows and certain parts of ourselves, a sense of wholeness and unity cannot take place. 

We have to embrace ALL parts of ourselves, even the uncomfortable ones. 

Because a divided mind cannot give you peace and wholeness. 

Learning how to explore and manage your shadows can bring us closer to enlightenment and achieving mature adulthood.

why do shadow work

6. More creativity

When you integrate your shadows and let go of what pulls you down, a lot of energy is now available for you mentally, as well as physically, that you can use creatively.