Shadow Work
I don’t like the term ‘shadow work’ for it gives the impression that you don’t know what is going to emerge from the shadows of yourself.
This in itself, if you let it, can put the fear of god into you.
Like walking down a dark and unfamiliar alley where you just don’t know who or what is lurking in the shadows, behind walls, in the undergrowth and whether they are going to hurt you or injure you in some way.
The truth is that often the things that come up to be healed, i.e what a lot of people call the ‘shadows’, you are already aware of.
You know why most of it is pushed down by you. Often through fear, guilt, shame, sadness, frustration and embarrassment.
Maybe the incident at the time was just too painful for you to handle and so you tried to forget it and get on with your life.
Perhaps no one believed what you were going through and didn’t step up to help you and the only alternative was to try and forget it ever happened and move forward.
Perhaps because no one listened or believed you when you tried to get help, that you started to doubt yourself and began to think that maybe you were imagining it.
Maybe you were at the age when you had no idea how to manage it and process it.
You push it down to forget it and not to think about it again.
You did what you had to do to survive and to get on with your life and I commend you for this.
I did this many times in my life too, at the time it was the only thing that I could do.
Your mind, your body and your soul will help you to recognise and release what needs to be ‘set free’.
As you journey along your life path, memories of events can come to you from out of the blue. Please do not push them back down, let them stay for a few moments.
Recall it and face it - even if it feels uncomfortable.
Maybe you are triggered by something that you witness or experience, again don’t push it down, ask yourself why you are feeling this way.
Look at your part in it all. For there will be something there for you to work on. Be grown up and strong enough to own it.
Note what action you are being asked to take and do it.
And then forgive yourself, the situation and the others concerned.
Acknowledge all that you need to recognise about the situation and do the work.
Then you can let it go with love.
Check that you have cleared it and then thank it for showing up for you.
Sometimes this can take a bit more action than this. It all depends on what you are being shown.
However, with understanding, forgiveness, healing and love you can let it go.
Do it there and then. If you push it back down it will brew for a bit longer and then come back up again to be acknowledged and actioned.
Life after the healing
Often these things that we have pushed down to try and help us, are actually now hindering us in one way or another.
Stopping us from moving on, from doing our work, finding loving relationships, staying in a healthy relationship, making money and holding onto it, from living a happy, fulfilled and abundant life.
When you honour them, listen to them, understand them and your part and that of others in them, forgive and release them, then you will start to notice the differences in your life.
The subtle changes, the dramatic ones, the self worth that you feel, the love that you start to feel for yourself. The people that you attract into your life. The abundance that starts to flow in.
Your inner peace and acceptance.
All of this will start to emerge once you are on this healing journey of self.
Sometimes you need help to do this and that is ok
If you feel overwhelmed by the work that you need to do on yourself, then this is totally natural. You are not a failure and it is ok to ask for help.
Asking for help is not a sign of weakness by the way, it is a sign of strength.
If you feel that you could do with some help and guidance then this is the healing work that I can help you with, either on a healing session, an one to one programme or a Soul Quest Day.
For more information reach out to me at hello@isobelgatherer.com and I will be in touch and we can arrange to have a chat about it.
Sending you so much love and light, you have got this beautiful one, you can do it.