SHADOW WORK

Shadow work is a psychological term for the process of exploring the more dark, unconscious aspects of the self, and is often represented by the aspects within ourselves that we tend to reject, deny or ignore. The goal of shadow work, then, is to recognize, confront and integrate these parts of ourselves, leading to greater self-awareness, self-acceptance and personal growth.

In my own journey, there has not been a system so profound as The Gene Keys to help me re-define a healthy relationship with fear itself in all its various expressions. In the context of this system, shadow work involves deeply exploring the Shadow” frequency of each key in your Hologenetic Profile. The Shadow represents the lower-frequency state or the unconscious reactive patterns that can keep us stuck in fear-based behaviors.

Here is a simple step-by-step to begin your journey utilizing the Gene Keys system:

1. Identify Your Keys: Review your Gene Keys Hologenetic Profile and make note of the Shadows associated within each of your keys. Each Shadow will represent a core potential challenge or obstacle that needs your attention in order to break free from these lower frequencies and reveal the Gift within the challenge itself.

2. Explore The Golden Path: Deeply explore the meaning of each of your keys through the Art of Contemplation and make note of the way you are experiencing these different themes express in your own life. How do you see these archetypes being expressed within you? How can you see them playing out in your thoughts, words and actions? This will give you a clearer understanding of the impact that each Shadow represents holistically and how it may be manifesting in your life.

3. Reflect and Observe: Live your life. Only with more awareness. As we spend time observing the thoughts, behaviors and reactions in our day-to-day life we begin to recognize the Shadow patterns as they get triggered. We learn to be honest with ourselves, understanding that this is not a failure or signpost of being the world’s shittiest human being.

4. Journaling: Writing about your observations can be a powerful tool in shadow work. Note down situations when your Shadows are triggered and how you react. You can also write about feelings and thoughts associated with these patterns to track your own cycle of growth in every phase of the lunar cycle.

5. Meditation & Contemplation: Not to be redundant, but blending the right-hand path of meditation with the middle path of contemplation can be a delicious way to play with the different energy frequencies rising within us at different times of the day, week, month and beyond. It is different than being out-and-about in the world and interacting with others. Sometimes it can be more challenging to take the time to sit in our aloneness. This is where the real transformation potential is though, and you can use the space and stillness of your aloneness to feel deeper into these more subtle and deeply seated Shadow patterns that may actually be having more of an impact on you than you realize on a day-to-day basis. All you have to do is sit quietly, and allow for anything (or nothing) to arise within you. Just notice, just watch. Just breathe.

6. Embrace and Accept: Recognize that each Shadow contains a Gift. They are arising for a very important reason, to give you the opportunity to transmute them. Your fear is not something to be cast away, it’s for you to embrace. Let me say that again. Your fear is FOR you to embrace. When we embrace each Shadow with compassion and understanding, we begin to truly accept ourselves for who we are rather than who we’ve always tried to be.

7. Transform the Shadow: The ultimate goal of shadow work, if we could say there is a goal, is to come into true oneness with you. The primary objective is to transform the energy of the Shadow into the higher frequencies of the Gift and Siddhi. This transformation happens through our commitment to gentle self-inquiry, patience over time, and wielding the higher light of our inner awareness.

Shadow work is a deeply personal and sometimes challenging process. If you are anything like me, then maybe a little more challenge than you expected. Wherever you find yourself starting your shadow work journey, the most important thing is that you do start. It’s important to come to the table with permission to start wherever our starting point is. There’s no reason to try to fix it or figure it out. It’s better to accept it, give it some needed self-love, and release it back so you can create the space within for a new and higher pattern to be integrated through this new level of self-compassion.