Lesson 1 :: Defining Shadow Work & BEcoming One Self

Shadow Work is about the integration of Self and becoming one Self – not being fragmented within your mind, body, heart, and spirit. Perhaps you feel there are some parts of you that are acceptable and some part of you that aren’t acceptable. This is fragmentation and it’s the cause of all suffering, pain, depression, fear, and rejection. Shadow Work is not about changing who you are. It’s about feeling all your feelings deeply, healing your inner wounds, and accepting all part of your Self as you are right now, with compassion and love.

Lesson 2 :: Start Here

BEing Present with yourself and the truth of your safety in this moment is the foundation for this course. Establishing energetic boundaries, creating self-care rituals, engaging in little pleasures, giving yourself grace when you are triggered or feeling BIG feelings, allowing for everything in you to be looked at with curiosity… these are essential for creating a safe container for yourself to engage in deep inner healing and shadow work. You are not here by accident. Welcome!

Lesson 3 :: Fear Of Being Alone

Suppressed emotions lead to recurring triggers, traumas, codependency, depression, illness, and suffering of all kinds. You need to “feel it to heal it” and that’s exactly what we are here to do. Learning to listen to your feelings with love and compassion instead of fearing them, invites your feelings to be FULLY felt and released. Going inward and feeling your feelings puts an end to your chronic pain cycle and frees you up to create a life of peace, clarity, and joy.

Lesson 4 :: Primal Release

An important part of Shadow Work and feeling your feelings fully, is giving yourself permission to throw a fit and experience the full release of the emotions you are carrying in your body. Scream, cry, dance, yell, thrash in whatever way feels good and safe for you. This practice isn’t about anyone else (or for anyone else). This is yours to do, which means it’s also important for you to find safe places, spaces, and environments that are appropriate for this type of expression and release. This is a deeply clearing, cleansing and cathartic practice for anyone who is feeling anger, aggression, frustration, or resentment.

Lesson 5 :: Body Work

Part of releasing emotions from your body and healing from within, is helping your body move old, stuck, and stagnant energies out through body work modalities such as massage, acupuncture, yoga, lifting weights, dancing up a sweat, stretching, etc. Body work not only releases tension from your body and relieves built up stress, it creates endorphins that help you feel more alive, hopeful, and engaged in life with more clarity and joy, which then gives you stamina for going even deeper into your Shadow Work process.

Lesson 6 :: Nervous System Reset

Unprocessed emotions, past traumas, and toxic energies get stuck and cause chronic stress to your nervous system, which is the cause of your anxiety, depression, triggers and reactivity. When you have a really strong emotional reaction to something that causes you to feel out of control, it’s because this constant fearful feeling is embedded in our nervous system from past experiences, causing chronic dis-ease. Resetting your nervous system through the various modalities shared in this lesson is an essential part of doing Shadow Work for deep inner healing.

Lesson 7 :: Nature Therapy

Nature is one of your greatest allies and healers when it comes to doing deep inner healing work. Going inward, feeling your feelings, and tapping into the patience and courage it takes to engage in Shadow Work can be tiring, vulnerable, and raw. There’s nothing quite like going outside, breathing the fresh air, putting your feet in the grass, and turning your face toward the sun when you are in need of a respite and recharge. Even hanging out with your houseplants or looking out the window for five minutes does wonders for the heart and soul. Let nature be your guide, your healer, and your dearest friend as you heal from within today.

Lesson 8 :: Become the Observer

To observe your emotions, your shadows, your mind, your body – all aspects of yourself – is to bear witness to your own life, heart, and desires, with curiosity, compassion, and love. You are your greatest friend and ally. Who better to witness you, see you, and do this healing work with You, than You? No one knows the details of everything you’ve been through better than you. When you become the Observer, there’s nothing you need to do, there’s nowhere you need to go, there’s nothing you need to know. You get to just BE with yourself as witness, friend, and ally. Today’s lesson encourages You to be there for You, fully and completely, allowing all aspects of yourself to be seen without shame or judgement.

Lesson 9 :: Soul Food

Part of healing your inner world is learning to have an intimate relationship with your Soul – that ephemeral part of you that can’t quite be described but you know is there because of how it responds to beauty, art, poetry, music… You Soul is the part of you that feels love, connection, belonging, joy, and total freedom. It’s always right there within you, ready to delight in Life itself. Part of healing from depression, trauma, anxiety, and chronic illness is engaging in the beauty that surrounds you and feeding your Soul with it regularly. Find what delights you and keep moving toward it.

Lesson 10 :: Building Trust

Until you begin to feel safe within your Self and learn to trust your Self, you will continue to feel scared, depressed, and retraumatized in your struggle to trust others and feel safe in the world at large. Learning to trust and feel safe can feel like one of the trickiest and most confusing aspects of your healing process because past traumas, hurts, and experiences get embedded into your perceptions and create a smokescreen of mistrust and lack of safety. This lesson is a continuation of all the lessons that have come before as we explore how you can keep taking steps and creating small changes in your life that will help you feel safe, at ease, and more trusting of yourself and others as you heal and learn to live with an open, unguarded heart.