Mirror Mirror on the Wall…

An Introduction to your Shadow Self

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One of my final projects for my yoga psychology certification this summer is to write a personal reflection paper focusing on shadow work. It’s a difficult assignment because our shadows are uncomfortable and not something we care to explore. It’s also a very big topic and this is just a brief introduction.

According to Carl Jung, depth psychologist, the shadow self is the part of your personality that contains all the sides of yourself that you don’t want to admit you have - the parts you don’t like about yourself. These are aspects of ourselves that we consider unattractive and unappealing. Quite often we keep these more negative aspects of ourselves back in the “shadows” or just out of sight of our conscious minds because we don’t want to think about them. We’re sort of aware of them but choose to ignore these aspects of ourselves.

Our shadows are formed due to our attempts to conform to cultural and society norms and expectations - our desire to fit in. Therefore, our challenge is to begin to turn towards these negative qualities, try to understand them and then integrate them back into ourselves so we can use them in more productive ways.

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One of the ways the shadow manifests itself is by the projection of these qualities onto other people in our lives. We look at others and we see the qualities we don’t like in ourselves. 

Are you interested in discovering your own shadows? One way is to take notice of places where you judge, criticize or gossip about others. 

A great place to begin to uncover your shadow side is through your meditation and journaling practices. While in meditation, begin to notice places in your body and mind that you tend to ignore or reject and try to turn toward these places. Really notice them and give them a name.

Self-reflection through journal writing is one of the best ways I know to learn more about our shadows. Here are some questions to ask yourself to help you start to notice your shadow traits. I recommend you sit for a few minutes and think about each question and then get out your journal and write down your answers:

  • What disappoints or irritates you about others?

  • What do you keep to yourself and not share with others?

  • What emotions make you uncomfortable?

  • What makes you angry?

I encourage you to begin this journey towards your true self. If we want to live with more authenticity and integrity as well as develop better connections with others, it’s important to learn to take responsibility for ourselves and our own emotions and behaviour.

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References:

Ashley Turner (YPS-300 Yoga Teacher Training) - Introduction to Shadow Work

Memories, Dreams, Reflections by C.G. Jung

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I’d love to hear from you so please send any comments or questions to me at sharon@sharonashtonmindfulyoga.com. Feel free to share this email with anyone else who may be interested.

Are you interested in life change & mindset coaching? If you are interested in exploring new ways to bring joy into your world and live your best life, please email me to set up a complimentary 30 minute coaching session/discovery call at sharon@sharonashtonmindulyoga.com or visit my website coaching page.

You can download your free Find Your Inner Coach Guide including a guided visualization and journal prompts here:

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“When Sharon and I started working together, I was surprised by how quickly I started seeing changes and results. Her coaching has helped me gain confidence in my professional life and I now feel like I have what it takes to keep operating my business on a daily basis, while staying true to my values. Through heart-centred conversations and guidance, Sharon always has the right words. I definitely recommend her services.” — Vicky Drolet, Quebec, Canada

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You are also invited to join my free Facebook group The Journey Within Mindful Yoga and Life Change Community here where we can connect to share resources and short mindful yoga and meditation practices:

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