Shadow work is the brave practice of confronting and integrating the parts of yourself you’ve learned to hide—your anger, fear, shame, perfectionism, people‑pleasing tendencies and more. Rooted in Carl Jung’s concept of the “shadow self,” it involves meeting these usually unconscious aspects to bring healing and wholeness.
Why It Matters
Your shadow isn’t evil—it’s protective. If left unintegrated, it unconsciously drives your reactions, relationships and influences your self‑worth. True healing doesn’t come from fixing—it comes from facing.
When you engage in shadow work, you begin to:
- Address emotional triggers at the root
- Understand why you react or shut down
- Reconnect with your inner child
- Regulate your nervous system
- Stop abandoning yourself in discomfort
Mindset Isn’t Enough
Shadow work lives in the body. Triggers are often responses to past experiences where you felt unsafe or unseen. To fully integrate your shadow, you need somatic tools—not just mental ones. These could be breath work, body‑based rituals or grounding techniques.
Core Techniques
In my Discover Your Sovereign Self program, I guide you through:
- Shadow release rituals incorporating somatic practices
- Nervous system rewiring via breath work and grounding
- Inner child healing using journaling and meditation
- Trigger rewrites in real time to change patterns
Everyday Shadow Examples
- Snapping at your child when overwhelmed
- Freezing before launching something new
- Resenting your partner without knowing why
- Over‑apologising or avoiding conflict
These behaviours aren’t failures—they’re unhealed parts asking to be seen and integrated.
How to Begin Shadow Work
- Notice your triggers – Identify moments when you react emotionally.
- Ask: “When was the first time I felt this?”
- Sit with whatever memory or emotion surfaces.
- Journal freely—no editing.
- Meet that part of you with compassion, not judgement.
Some of the main journal prompts that I use on regular basis:
- “What is the discomfort in my body trying to tell me?”
- “What can I do to make you feel safe right now?”
Further Resources
- Healthline’s overview of shadow work – insightful guide to get started here
- Shadow work coaching by Rachael Besser – learn more here
- What is shadow work? What to know – read more here
- Shadow Alchemy: Integrative Shadow Work for Deep Healing – here
This is what Discover Your Sovereign Self is all about creating safety in your body so the real you can finally lead.
Ready to Begin your Journey with me?
Join my 6-week journey to reconnect with your nervous system, rewire emotional patterns, and feel safe to be seen.
