Shadow work

Shadow work is like exploring the dark parts of yourself that you do not usually show to others or even to yourself. This work is about finding the parts of your personality that you may have pushed away or hidden for various reasons.

It is kind of like when you have a toy or clothes that you don't like, and instead of throwing it away, you hide it under your bed or in a closet. You know it's still there, but you don't see or use it very often. Shadow work is similar - there are parts of yourself that are still there, but you don't really look at them because they make you uncomfortable, you feel ashamed or scared of them.

In grown-up terms, this means we all have parts of ourselves that we don't like to acknowledge or admit, such as our fear, anger, jealousy, and shame. These are called our "shadow" because they are like our inner self that is always with us but not in the light.

Shadow work is about shining a light on those hidden parts, acknowledging and accepting them, so you can understand why they are there, what purpose they serve, and how they affect your life. By doing this, you can learn to integrate them into your life and become a more complete and balanced person.

For example, imagine you get angry easily and yell at your friends or family members. You may not want to admit this part of yourself because you feel bad for hurting others or because you think it's not acceptable behavior. Shadow work will help you understand why you get angry, what triggers it, and how it affects your relationships. Through this exploration, you can learn to recognize and manage your anger in a healthy way, communicate your feelings better, and have more fulfilling relationships.

Remember, shadow work can be a little scary at first because you are confronting parts of yourself that you may not have seen or thought about before. But with patience, compassion, and guidance from a trusted friend or therapist, you can learn to embrace all aspects of yourself, even the parts you don't like very much.