Hey friends, experience this guided meditation on embracing our shadow.
In this meditation, we go into the shadow, but we do it from a space that is loving towards ourselves. We just breathe in, noticing more space. The breath coming into the body is bringing in spaciousness, connecting through this lightness, this formlessness, this space, into our body. We bring ourselves to a calm space, to that still space inside of ourselves. We breathe in that spaciousness, air down into our heart, which is still, and there we merge with the realm of silence.
Shadow Work Meditation
For so long, people would say, you know, listen to the silence between the words, and there is always some sort of sound. And then I became aware to listen to the realm of silence, just like the realm of spaciousness that all things are in. There is the realm of stillness and interconnectedness, and there is the realm of silence from which all things are heard and felt.
From that space inside of ourselves, we can look at our shadow. I remember sitting on my porch, having a thought about someone, and immediately my mind went into attack mode. My next reaction was to shut it down, thinking, no, I’m not going there. For many years, I thought that was good, me not diving into feelings like jealousy or envy. But this time, instead of shutting it down, I brought it forward. I allowed myself to ask, “What was that feeling? What was that comment?” And I did it from a space of curiosity, not judgment.
I could see that the snarky comment came from pain. I could deal with that pain. I could love that pain. And from that loving space, I could trace back the anger, the jealousy, the envy, even the isms inside of me, not to judge, but to meet those parts of myself. “Every horrible thought you have is a thought that’s experienced separation and lacked love.”
Self-Discovery Meditation
I explored another thought about my brother and my family. I noticed feelings of competitiveness and anger, and instead of pushing them away, I traced them back. I saw that the anger came from moments in my childhood when he got to do things I didn’t. I felt unseen and unloved. From there, I could love that part of me that had been wounded, and when I did, the chains fell off. That snarky comment, those jealous or envious feelings, they were all connected to a part of me that needed love, and once I gave it, they softened and transformed.
Healing Guided Meditation
This meditation is about holding every thought, every reaction, every feeling in a space of stillness, silence, and love. It’s not about logic or fixing yourself. It’s about tracing feelings to their root and meeting them with loving attention. When we do that, even the thoughts we don’t like, the parts of ourselves that feel shameful, separate, or reactive, can be seen, accepted, and loved. We realize that no part of us has to wait to be loved by someone else. That love is already here, flowing through us, touching every part of who we are.
Emotional Integration Techniques
As we breathe in spaciousness and merge with the silence and stillness inside of us, we can let love fill our entire being. Every thought, every wound, every feeling, every ism, all of it can be held in love. That is who we are for ourselves and for life on this planet. And as we continue to embrace these aspects of ourselves, we become whole, free, and deeply, truly loved.
Watch or listen to the full guided meditation on embracing our shadow here:
FAQs
What is shadow work meditation and why is it important?
Shadow work meditation is looking at our shadow or any aspect of ourselves from a space that is loving towards ourselves. When we breathe in and notice more space, the breath brings in lightness, formlessness, and spaciousness into our body, helping us merge with the realm of silence, stillness, and interconnectedness. From this space, we can look at our shadow with curiosity, not judgment, and meet those parts of ourselves with love.
How can self-discovery meditation help me understand my emotions?
Through self-discovery meditation, we can bring thoughts and feelings forward and ask, “What was that feeling? What was that comment?” Instead of shutting down our reactions, we trace them back to their source, seeing where they come from. This allows us to explore insecurities, jealousy, envy, anger, or snarky comments, understand their roots, and love those parts of ourselves.
What is the role of stillness and silence in a healing guided meditation?
The space of stillness and silence gives the breadth to deal with emotions and thoughts. It is from this calm, silent, and spacious place that we can hold every thought, feeling, or reaction with loving attention. It allows us to face our shadow, bring wounded parts of ourselves into awareness, and meet them with love instead of judgment.
How do emotional integration techniques work during meditation?
Emotional integration techniques involve tracing feelings back to their root. Every horrible thought we have is a thought separated from some part of us and lacked love. By bringing these parts into the still, spacious, and loving space inside ourselves, we can hold every feeling, anger, jealousy, envy, or resentment, and love it. This process releases the chains that separate us from our true self.
How can I deal with thoughts or feelings I don’t like about myself?
We can allow any thought, snarky comment, jealousy, anger, to be in the space with us. By noticing it, feeling it, and tracing it back, we see where it comes from. It may come from being unseen, unloved, or from past experiences. From the space of love, silence, and stillness, we can meet these thoughts without judgment and bring those parts of ourselves home to our heart.
Can I heal myself without waiting for someone else to help me?
Yes. No part of us has to wait to be loved by someone else. That love is already within us. As we breathe in spaciousness and merge with silence and stillness, we can let love fill our entire being. We can love every thought, every wound, every feeling, and every ism. When we do this, we heal ourselves, feel deeply loved, and can extend that love naturally to others.