TURNING TOWARD THE LIGHT
Volume 25

“The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are.” ~ Carl Jung.

When the shadow of Covid-19 started its descent upon our world, it was without warning. The loss of control we all felt was real. We had spent years ignoring our emotions and not facing the truth in our relationships. This episode of staying put, is triggering our humanness – the emotions of fear and anxiety. Yet because we were unable to distract ourselves with TV, travel, chatting or shopping, our emotions may long start to overwhelm us.

In the past 3 months, have you worked through enough of your shadow? Have you taken this beautiful opportunity to become a better friend, a better human being?

Walking the path to being the highest version of ourselves takes effort, work and the heart to live and be our true authentic selves. However, we all come with the baggage of the past (programmed by self or others) and it’s imperative for one to come face-to-face with one’s shadow before we turn toward the light.

The Shadow Self

Carl Jung, who has written extensively about shadow work, had said, “The shadow is a living part of the personality and therefore wants to live with it in some form. It cannot be argued out of existence or rationalized into harmlessness. This  problem is exceedingly difficult, because it challenges the whole man and reminds him at the same time of his helplessness.”

Wherever we stand, in any direct light our shadow is cast.

In true spirituality, shadow work consists of we being open to witnessing our own shadow. This shadow side is something we often do not realize about ourselves… it is the part of us that witnesses the world and triggers the survival ego – of greed, envy, guilt and blame.

Many of us go to great lengths to cast a fake image of ourselves to the world, always wanting to appear likeable and supportive.

Some of us go to the point of changing allegiances based on the positions of power. Always done, with an ulterior motive to gain favors or assistance, or even love.

It’s ever easy for us to blame another for his shadow rather than acknowledging and looking within, toward our own shadow. But always remember, what we hate in someone else, we despise within ourselves.

Our shadow is WE, that which has not yet been shown the light of our consciousness and awareness. It’s ever dormant within, until externally triggered. The shadow represents the unhealed side of us from a turbulent relationship, an addiction to approval or our suppression of our true power.

Suppressing or hiding our shadow consumes so much physical energy that it creates disease and all manner of body aches. Feeling tired or overwhelmed is often the symptom of an overactive shadow self.

Until the day we die, each of us have our shadow or ego to live with. Try not to buy in too much into our internal bulls@#! and get looped into the incessant internal chatter. We all have the ability to transform ourselves by walking through our shadow.

The path through the shadow will lead us into the light.

The path through our shadow will bring us strength.

The path through our shadow is the only way toward our Higher Self.

‘Raw & Real’

Shadow work takes effort and time. Some things cannot be rushed, some people take longer and some people complete their layers quicker than others.

The more we open up the shadow, the more we acknowledge who we are and admit our emotions to ourselves, the more authentic we become. Now that we are acquainted with our shadow, we are ready to grow.

In shadow work, it is not just creating a safe space but rather, a brave space for change. A brave space is where we push ourselves out of our comfort zone and open ourselves up to the infinite possibilities of transformation. In this space, we remember our true authentic self, not a false self of our mind. A space of peace in which our soul meets our ego to be enlightened (enlightenment can mean shedding the layers of the false self).

Some people confuse authenticity with just speaking out whatever they feel. But Sarah Ban Breathnach said, “The authentic self is soul made visible.” Our soul is never brash, never harsh and never mean. Our soul is kind, patient, full of love, but gently blunt and sincere.

When I first started this soul journey toward my path of light 10 years ago, I was often harsh. Harsh to the world, harsh to myself. I put my emotions out in all my words, and even though I had sincere intentions, my shadow got in the way. I confronted my shadow often, but I rarely spoke my heart out purely.

It was through the recognition and awareness that I needed to be raw to myself first, to be real to my friends and family without any hidden agenda, and open my heart to myself – did I manifest a life full of love and opportunities for abundance.

Upon hindsight, those years of growing pains, depression and heartache were necessary. It was and still is a necessary path for the ascension of myself – to honor the soul I am, to walk my talk with compassion, and to speak kindly with integrity am I becoming more of my authentic self.

When we are ‘Raw & Real’ – we begin to see ourselves and others more clearly. We begin to recognize the reality of what truly is – and not what is in our minds and perceptions. We all wear differently-tinted glasses when we face the world. By being ‘Raw’, by speaking ‘Real’-ly, we become as who we are meant to be. We begin to hold a space of clarity, love, and kindness in our conscious understanding of the world.

Dissolving Hidden Knots

Once, I was facing a new situation in my life. My back started hurting, I couldn’t walk or move without pain for a week. My left shoulder too started hurting, and I couldn’t even feel my fingers. I took a week off to face myself, to heal.

As my husband (Scott, who is in fact a ‘hidden spiritualist’) massaged my hurt left shoulder, I asked him what that knot represented to him. He answered, “frustration and heartache”. I burst out in tears as I faced my own frustration; and oddly enough, within a minute that knot dissolved quicker than the 10 minutes he had been kneading it.

As I became real with my own emotions, they flowed away, and revealed a path of clarity I didn’t feel for more than two weeks. By integrating with my shadow, allowing myself to be raw, real and flowing with life, I felt a sense of wholeness. A sense of peace descended upon me as I contemplated on the appropriateness of the set up. By making peace with my internal conflict, I became whole once more.

Becoming real, becoming raw, becoming open bring new maturity, and that’s when we accept fully the responsibility for our entire existence and the creation of our lives.

The Only Path To Light The path through our shadow, is the only way to be authentic. The path through our authentic expression, is the only way to our Higher Self. Take this journey, with me… just imagine… Before time began, we were all One. One being, One light, One primordial Oneness. There was no you, no I, no in-between. No light, no dark, no grey in-between. And then we wanted to experience Experience. We split ourselves into billions of lights, billions of beings, billions of stars. We started tasting the sweetness, sourness, bitterness, saltiness, and spiciness of life. Duality was born.

The Higher Self

And so, our Higher Self is who we are, with our authentic power, our ability to master our own life. In our Higher Self, we possess the ability to see through ego, witnessing the Divineness within each of us billions of lights in all 7.8 billion human beings on this earth. Our Higher Self in this world, means living a fulfilled life, of service to others in whatever form it takes.

Where kindness comes before harshness. For kindness is goodness.

Where others come before self. For they are you.

Where love comes before fear. For fear is the absence of love.

Where service comes before profit. For when you serve, the Universe provides.

As there are 7.8 billion people on earth, there are in essence 7.8 billion different versions of Higher Selfs. Which all return to the One. When we stop seeing others as ‘others’, when we stop hurting others for it hurts us, when we can only love all – we become the Higher Self that we aspire to be.

Shadow Work

Shadow work takes time, years in fact. It takes patience and compassion. In the process of healing our own hearts, our own grief, we may realize that our shadow self contains the seeds of light and seeds of our own power. Loving it will bring our True Self to surface.

I end with the Twameva Mantra as a gift to all of us here:

“Twameva maataa cha pitaa twameva,
Twameva bandhush cha sakhaa twameva,
Twameva vidyaa dravinam twameva,
Twameva sarvam mama deva deva”

You Truly are my Mother and you Truly are my Father,

You Truly are my Relative and you Truly are my Friend,

You Truly are my Knowledge and you Truly are my Wealth,

You Truly are my All, My Divine of Divines.

Namaste.
The Divinity in Me, Bows to the Divinity in You.

SHADOW INTEGRATION MEDITATION Instead of pushing away our shadow, hiding away from our emotions, or walling up our feelings – it’s time to integrate our shadow into our life. Set aside an hour and find a safe space to work on your shadow. Be open to yourself. Give the gentle and firm intention to your heart and mind that you wish to meet and heal your shadow self today. This is the most important work you will do for yourself and your family. Be focused on your breath and your heartbeat. See a door in front of you, and find the courage within to step through the door of your heart. You have walled up your emotions for long enough. Take time to allow your shadow self to come forward into your consciousness. Allow the anger, the rage, the envy, the guilt or the pain to surface. There is no right and wrong at this point. The key here is to be patient with yourself. Feel through each wave of emotion. When you feel your body needs to take deep breaths, breathe away all the emotional turmoil. At this point, ask your shadow self: “What are you showing me?” “What are you teaching me?” Recognize that you created your shadow self for a reason – which is to protect you. But you are now safe and protected. Hug your shadow, and love your shadow. Then let it go.