The term "SHADOW" was first used by Carl G. Jung to describe the repressed or denied part of the Self. Robert Bly popularized this idea in A Little Book On The Human Shadow. Bly says that we were each born into a "360 degree personality." As infants we expressed the full circle of our human nature, without editing or censoring. As we grew up, however, we learned that certain slices of our 360 degree pie were unacceptable to the people around us. Maybe we were shamed for crying or punished for being angry. We may have been ridiculed for wanting attention or acting proud of ourselves. So, we learned to repress those slices of our pie. According to Bly, it was as if we threw them over our shoulder into a bag, which we've been dragging around behind us ever since.

Most of us have issues in the bag which slow us down in some area of our life. Some of us can barely move because we have so much in the bag. We define Shadow as everything we have stuffed into the bag. It may be "positive" parts or "hurtful" parts. The SHADOW is all those parts of ourselves we have split off, repressed, hidden away or denied.

You can identify your SHADOWS by looking at what you project onto others. When you deny a trait in yourself, you tend to be very aware of that trait in other people. This means that you are most alert to those traits in others which reflect your own SHADOWS. You may react irrationally to one of those traits in others which reflect your own SHADOWS. You may react irrationally to one of those traits in someone else, blowing things out of proportion. So, you can begin to identify your SHADOWS by looking at those things which annoy you in others. Another way to spot your SHADOWS is to look for things you find yourself doing by accident. No matter how hard you try to keep your bag sealed, your SHADOW may leak out in a way that seems beyond your control. For example you may promise yourself that you're going to spend more time with your family, yet it seems that you're spending more time at work. You may find yourself jumping from one self-defeating relationship to another. You may ignore your own rules about eating, drinking and smoking. When you repeat a pattern of behavior involuntarily, it may be a sign that your SHADOW is running your life!

You can also notice the traits which you admire the most in others. Who do you look up to? Who are your idols? We often project our GOLDEN SHADOWS onto others, and get stars in our eyes, because these people represent the qualities we have disavowed in ourselves out of a false sense of modesty. You could say that we paint other people with our SHADOWS, for better and for worse.

You can spend much of your time just keeping things in the bag, you don't have enough energy to live the way you want. It is believed that every SHADOW contains a kernel of inner strength (GOLD) which can be used to power our lives. Your SHADOWS are like a GOLD MINE of creative useful energy. We can uncover this GOLD and harness its potential.

We believe it is proper and useful to have a SHADOW BAG, and to keep some SHADOWS in the bag. But when the weight of the bag slows us down and prevents us from being who we really want to be, it is time to open its contents and see what needs to come back out. Most often people who are working on their SHADOWS (SHADOW HEALING) want something that falls into one or more of these categories:

• to understand why they behave in a certain way,
• to get help or support for unfolding more of themselves,
• to work with feelings like fear, grief, anger, shame, guilt,
• to break through old patterns of behavior,
• to reframe shadows into allies
• move thru blocks to get to the other side,
• create opportunity & joy from stagnation & frustration,
• to learn healing methods,
• to learn facilitation techniques.

TO LIVE THE LIFE YOU WANT TO LIVE - FULLY

A SHADOW HEALING PROCESS generally involves the exploration of deep emotions. Our feelings hold a great reserve of power that we can tap, if only we can learn to handle them safely. Each human emotion is like a doorway that can open up to an expanse of internal energy.

SHADOW HEALING teaches you the circuitry of emotional energy. Once you know a circuit, you can use it to guide the currents of your emotions to power your life.

SHADOW HEALING is a personal growth process which brings your hidden powers out of the SHADOW and into the LIGHT. Most of us haven't reached our full potential as human beings. Scientists tell us that we only use about 11% of our brains. What percentage of our hearts do we use? What percentage of our spirits? Who among us could not use more?

We all have powers hidden within us. We don't allow ourselves free reign to express all that is carried by our bodies, our minds, our hearts and our spirits. We have all been hurt, and we have learned to hide parts of ourselves so we don't get hurt again.

SHADOW HEALING is a way to explore the inner landscape and discover the GOLD that is hiding in the SHADOWS. It is a way to become more and more who we really are. SHADOW HEALING is a way to face the hurt, the fear, the anger, the shame, the guilt, and learn how to live more fully. Most of all, it is a way to love ourselves for the journeys we have chosen.

Anger opens us up to our ability to set our boundaries. It helps us learn when to say yes and when to say no. It keeps us from getting trapped in unhealthy situations and it helps us know who we really are.

Sadness is a doorway to our connection with other people. It opens us up to love, revealing our vulnerability and desire for loving relationships. Sadness helps us connect with the spiritual realities we hold sacred. It helps us stay in tune with our bodies and with nature.

Fear can help us detach from a situation and look at it objectively. Fear can be a wonderful advisor, which creates new options for our futures and counsels us about the present.

Joy can inspire us to live our dreams. Joy can give us courage and direction when we are lost and bless us with the knowledge that our lives have real meaning

SHADOW HEALING is only done in a group after a strong sense of safety and trust has been built among group members. Exposing parts of your SHADOW can feel risky. To effectively work with your SHADOWS, you need a place where you feel safe - a place where you can trust others. SHADOW HEALING provides you with such a place.

A SHADOW HEALING CONTAINER is the circle in which safe processing can be done. Building a safe container means that outside pressures must be temporarily set aside, so you can see clearly. In the group, everyone agrees to withhold judgment, to examine their own prejudices, and to refrain from giving advice. It means that the group members learn how to appreciate and learn from the different journeys we have each chosen. Feeling the depth and power of love in a truly safe SHADOW HEALING CONTAINER is often an inspiring experience. Once you feel the safety of a SHADOW HEALING CONTAINER, you will find it quite natural to begin your own SHADOW HEALING PROCESS with whatever issue you choose.

You might not want to dive into your SHADOWS alone either. Trained facilitators can help you break the job down into manageable parts, so you don't lose your perspective. SHADOWS can be very seductive. A trained coach can help you remember the overall goals you have chosen for yourself. On a SHADOW HEALING WEEKEND you can also share the path with others who will help motivate you with acceptance and encouragement.

You might also want some protection while you are vulnerable in your SHADOWS. You might want to start your new growth in an environment that is not influenced by judgment, peer pressure or criticism.

You may want to learn from watching how others process their SHADOWS. When you see others finding the courage hidden within their fear or the power in their anger, you may be able to apply that learning directly to your own situation.