Doing Shadow work

[Rishabh R]

Can anyone tell me how to do shadow work and how to integrate your past and present self to cure obsessions,rage about past issues?

[mandyjw]

Because the cure we seek is a complete change of perspective about these past issues, we must seek the feeling of healing and integration we are looking for in the present. That means seeking a better feeling with disregard to what the subject is about. Because we keep thinking about past issues unintentionally we practice the same perspective and keep them active in our thoughts as a block or a trauma or trigger of some kind. This is why it's important to drop certain subjects that you cannot find a good feeling perspective about, and instead seek the feeling that you DO want, rather than choosing what you think about based on your thoughts of "importance" of the subject. 

While to some this may seem like avoidance, it's going directly to the source of the healing you seek, and recognizing that the thoughts we have about these issues are like a dog obsessively licking a sore, not allowing it to heal. Its attention to the issue, is actually perpetuating the issue and preventing healing. 

Meditation and making a list of things to do every day that make you feel amazing is the kinder equivalent of putting a cone around the metaphorical  dog's head so it has to leave the sore spot alone. 

Eventually, sometimes, when ready to be released the subjects of issue come back to you and are seen in such an incredibly loving, wholistic, healing perspective that there's a huge emotional release. Then you realize that the thinking about it in a way that felt bad WAS the actual avoidance. 

Abraham Hicks is an amazing teacher who teaches this perspective from a lot of different angles. You can search her videos on youtube, and I particularly find it incredibly helpful to search for particular subjects. Her videos on the topic of obsession are absolutely amazing as most people have a real shameful/sore spot perspective about that issue. 

Edited April 2, 2021 by mandyjw

[Nahm]

On 4/1/2021 at 8:24 AM, Rishabh R said:

Can anyone tell me how to do shadow work and how to integrate your past and present self to cure obsessions,rage about past issues?

What’s a past & present self? 

Explain that to me like I don’t have one, and want to understand your beliefs. 

[Rishabh R]

Past self means my emotional state  after hurtful situation in the past and present self means my current emotional state.

[Matt23]

I recommend investigating IFS therapy (internal family systems therapy).  It's basically working with subpersonalities, including those aspects of oneself that come from the past  (like a 5 year old self, the 15 year old self, the 25 year old self, etc.).  It has revealed a lot for me. 

I also agree with what I think is the sentiment in what you're saying (partly).  In that I've come across many people talking about what the shadow is and what shadow work is supposed to do, but have rarely come across actual tangible and practical exercises for doing shadow work, which I feel annoyed at. 

Edited April 3, 2021 by Matt23

[Lyubov]

therapy with a conscious professional who is holistic and accounts for spirituality in their practice and has awakened themselves. the modality itself usually isn't what is most important I've found. 

[NatureB]

Teal Swan has at least 2 amazing videos for Shadow Work.

An exercise I do when I find someone expressing a quality that I hate, is to ask myself "when was a time that I had that same quality?" That way you let go of the anger at yourself and the other person simultaneously.

[oMarcos]

Forget whatever someone ever said about shadow work. Get yourself a pen and start to write whatever comes to your mind, pure self expression, don't let yourself hide anything, just keep writing.

Edited April 10, 2021 by oMarcos

[StarStruck]

On 1-4-2021 at 2:24 PM, Rishabh R said:

Can anyone tell me how to do shadow work and how to integrate your past and present self to cure obsessions,rage about past issues?

Read Teal Swan's books on shadow work. It is amazing.

[Rilles]

Watch this and read her book Dark Side Of The Light Chasers, do the exercises.