How to Use Shadow Work for Success

Do you feel like you are not getting anywhere?
Success seems to depend on more than just motivation and knowledge. Find out how you can use the practice of shadow work to identify subconscious barriers that are holding you back – and finally act in alignment with yourself.

Shadow Work is the Path of the Heart Warrior.

Carl Jung

What is Shadow Work?

Shadow Work is the practice of diving into the ocean of your subconscious mind to loosen anchors of past trauma – so you can float effortlessly again.

When most people think of trauma that needs to be dealt with, they initially associate it with physical incidents only, such as abuse or an accident. But one of the most painful experiences of the human species is found precisely in what you can’t see – in our emotions.

Pent-up emotional wounds have often been repressed and forgotten because we have been taught since childhood that certain emotions are worse than others. We often suffer enormous emotional pain, but dismiss it as „normal.“ But just because something is normal doesn’t mean it’s healthy. Often, it’s these seemingly mundane wounds that hurt us the most and hold us back in life. In fact, most people are astounded when they realize the impact that certain „little events“ have had on their entire life.

Shadow Work as a Gold Mine

The word „shadow“ doesn’t mean it‘ s dark and scary. It just means that we have chosen to suppress or deny something, usually as a result of socialization, that was once innocent and justified. Like the girl who loves to be on stage, but grew up in a christian household that values modesty. She chose to bury her talent in order to belong. It has become subconscious. Therefore, you can think of shadow work as an underwater gold mine: As you dive towards your pain, you will unearth hidden gems and become more whole and ultimately more fulfilled as a person.

How Shadow Work Unlocks True Success

Motivational content will often tell you to take action despite of your fears and no matter what. But this method only works to some degree. The deep issues that really bother us remain untouched. Chances are, if you clicked on this post, you can feel this is true for you.

In this respect, one thing is important to know: When we bump into an obstacle, it’s not there to punish us. Our biological system is much smarter than that: It precisely shows us what still needs to be healed in order to move forward. This is where in-alignment action comes into play: Shadow work helps to illuminate this barrier so you can figure out what it’s about – and subsequently take action that TRULY catapults you forward. Ready to find out how? Keep reading.

The Exercise: Meet the Part of You That’s Preventing Your Success the Most

A little disclaimer to start with:

Some people think they can just read about something, and then the appropriate changes happen. This is NOT how it works! You actually have to do „the work“, i.e. this exercise, to initiate inner change. And I highly recommend it, because it’s fascinating!

What you need: Time (~ 1 hour), Pen and Paper

How to start: Close your eyes and get focused. Take a few deep breaths. Then mentally decide to explore the part of you that’s preventing your success the most. Open your eyes and become this part like an actor, not knowing exactly what it will be like. Don’t worry, it won’t be scary. The parts that „hold you back“ are usually your most self-loving parts!!

1) Questions

After you set the intention, answer the following questions step by step. You can answer them in spoken format, you can write them down, or you can use a mix where you speak and write down important keywords. The more time you take for each question, the more insightful the session will be.

• How do I feel in my body?
• How do I feel emotionally?
• Do I feel like I have a gender? (you may also feel like you have no specified gender or feel like something non-human)
• How old do I feel roughly?
• What is my view on success? Deliberately focus on the things that bother or hurt you about it. Some prompts: Am I afraid of it? Do I think I’ll end up lonely? Do I feel like people will only like me for what I deliver, not who I am? etc. Fully express your views on it.
• Am I currently in a childhood situation (go with any image that comes up)? If not, does it remind me of a childhood situation or a general climate of my childhood?
• What needs to happen first before I can allow success? Do I need friendships and secure connection? Do I need a sense of security, maybe financial? Write down these needs or memorize them, in order to use them for step two.
• Is there anything else I want to say?

2) Need-Meeting Visualization

Now close your eyes and imagine this part in front of your inner eye. How does it look like (go with any image that comes up)?

Now visualize meeting the needs you just wrote down/memorized, no matter what they may be. Specifically ask this inner part, how it wants its needs met. For example, if the part wants friendship, you could visualize an imaginary friend coming in and hugging that part. To help with this you can also ask yourself: „If I loved this part of me, what would I give it now?“

Do this until you feel a sense of relief, even if it’s small. This might mean you have to meet several needs in a row.

3) Implications for your life

Lastly, reflect on the insights you had during this exercise: What surprised you? And most importantly: Which implications does it have for your life? Maybe you feel like you need a new perspective on success, or you realize there is something you want to do differently. No matter what it is for you, any insight you gain about yourself brings you one step closer to getting what you really want in life.

Now Relax!

Well done! Now it’s time to take it easy. The deeper a shadow work session was (you will know when it was intense!), the softer you need to be with yourself afterwards. Your emotions have been examined and treated and are now surface bare. So be gentle with yourself and try to rest.

Shadow Work has become such a catalyst of my personal success and inner change in general. I learned to understand and deal with roadblocks I have been struggling with my entire life.

So, give it a shot! What do you have to loose?

2