Shadow Work
What Shadow Work Actually Looks Like
Shadow work sessions usually start with something you're struggling with - a pattern that keeps repeating, a feeling you can't shake, a reaction that seems bigger than the situation warrants.
We use inquiry to look at what's actually going on. Not to analyse it intellectually, but to feel into it. What are you getting from this pattern? What would you lose if it changed?
Sometimes we work with imagination - personifying the shadow, having a conversation with it, seeing what it has to say. Sometimes it's somatic - noticing where you feel things in your body, what wants to move or be expressed.
The uncomfortable bit is that you usually discover you're getting something from the patterns you hate. There's a payoff you haven't wanted to see. That's not comfortable to look at, but it's also where things actually shift. Your shadows hold the keys.
How It Works Practically
Sessions are typically an hour, though sometimes we shift something in 20 minutes and other times we need 90. Everyone's different.
I usually recommend bi-weekly sessions so you have time to integrate between meetings, though some people find weekly helpful at first. We figure out what works for you.
Everyone's timing is different. Some people have quick breakthroughs, some need more time. There's no standard timeline.
Collective Patterns
Sometimes what you're working with isn't just personal - it's ancestral or collective. Shame around sexuality, suppressed anger, disconnection from the body. These patterns get passed down, and we carry them without realising it.
Working with these collective shadows doesn't mean you're healing all of humanity - though on a deeper level, it does. On a personal level, when you shift your relationship to these patterns, it affects your lineage and the people around you. Not in some mystical way, but practically - you stop passing it on.
What You Need
Curiosity, honesty, and a willingness to be uncomfortable. You don't need to believe in anything specific. You don't need to be "ready" or "healed enough." You just need to be interested in looking.
Curious?