The more light we bring, the better our shadows we can see. Holding space for both.
Shadow work is often a tricky subject to approach. Its many layers of elusive smoky mirrors and darkness make many of us fearful or nervous, and at other times lost and confused. We can easily get entangled in the shadow world if we are unfamiliar with its terrain or forge through alone without support. If I have learned anything as a Shamanic Practitioner, it is to hold reverent space for the shadows that show up for myself and clients.
I have spent a large part of my spiritual journey resisting the shadows that show up. Lost in a rabbit hole of mental anxiety, I would try to grasp onto any healing modality that would help me get rid of the dark shadowy energy and bring in more light. An understandable desire for sure; however one that is quite futile when understood more deeply.
The darkness showed up in so many ways. Sometimes it was a small seed of doubt, which my resistance fed and fueled so that the doubt became a much more consuming entangled energy that sucked me in. Sometimes it was the feeling of disconnect. When all I wanted was to feel connected to light and love, it seemed like the exact opposite goal to sit with and fully acknowledge the disconnected feeling I was having. I didn't like it, I didn't want it, and so I tried all I could to ignore it away, pretend it away, you name it. But the more I resisted the disconnected feeling, the more lost and confused I felt. Worse, I would even forget I existed, and would take on the identity of that disconnect as myself.
I spent much of my spiritual journey in this dualistic dance of energy until I learned to acknowledge and hold space for my discomfort. It took several rounds through the medicine wheel and healing sessions before I began to truly understand the value and power of holding space for these experiences without placing a value or judgement upon them. Many of us have been brought up in a western culture to pre-determine or judge experiences in life as "good" or "bad." When in fact, they are neither.
Something may feel uncomfortable, confusing, or sad, but that does not inherently make it a "bad" experience. Sometimes, often times, these uncomfortable experiences are drawing our attention to areas of our life where we need healing, or we need shifts and changes. As soon as we sink deep into the discomfort without the judgement, without the resistance, we begin to hold space for it to exist.
For some this can sound scary. The idea of holding space for something uncomfortable to exist sounds like the opposite approach one should take, especially when our conditioned response is to "run for the hills!" But the more space we allow for discomfort to exist, the more light we shed on it, the more clearly we see it. From there we can begin the journey of discovery and healing, never losing ourself in the process.
So how can we apply this knowledge and wisdom into our daily lives?
Creating a daily practice of checking in with ourself is a powerful and practical first step.
Whether you spend five minutes in the morning, or five minutes in the evening, take a few quiet moments to sit with yourself.
Breathe in, fill your lungs.
Breathe out, exhale stale energy.
Ask yourself, What am I feeling right now?
Try to locate in your body where you are feeling this energy.
Notice if this feeling is uncomfortable, or is it comfortable?
Do you enjoy it or not? Why or why not?
Would you or What would you rather be experiencing?
Continue this practice of questioning for as long as you need. You may wish to stop here, or there may be more questions that surface. When you find you have arrived at a place of understanding what feeling you are holding within and/or resisting, you can then breathe in, and hold space for all of it.
Now, imagine yourself as a loving mother. Your arms held out in an embrace, holding all that you just navigated and explored, all that you brought out into the light of day, with tender arms of compassion. For the intention of this practice, that is all that is needed. You simply hold these feelings in tender arms of acknowledgement and then carry on with you day. The feelings/energy of discomfort you identified will often dissipate just through this simple practice of acknowledging it and holding space.
However, there may be times where you notice a consistent uncomfortable experience is held within you for long periods of time. If you find this for yourself, it may serve you to seek the support of a trained professional to help you navigate more deeply into your shadow world and shift this energy in sacred space on your behalf. The approach remains the same, however. We hold space for all of our feelings and energy without judgement or fear, but rather acceptance and love. When we bring in this light, the better we can see the shadows, and then they're not so scary anymore. They no longer hold power over us.
Sending you much love and light as you journey through your shadow worlds.
-Emily
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