the Kurations

spiritual & scientific curations & musings

[thekurator]

Shadow work 101

Carl Jung put it succinctly when he said, "What you resist persists." There's really no better reason to work on (or with) your shadow than getting out of a constant loop of confusion and anxiety that, most often discover later on, is completely...

Two months ago, that was how I started the intro for this post. I felt I needed to portray a sense of direction, like I knew what I was doing and had a fair amount of answers to questions that may come up.

But just over a year into shadow work, and I'm starting to come to terms with the fact that I don't always know what I'm doing, or have all the answers.

What I do have is an experience - one that has changed the way I see myself and the world around me irrevocably. I am learning more about myself than I ever imagined possible, and I already thought I knew myself pretty well. I am discovering new ways of thinking and challenging myself. And I'm changing how I respond to the world around me.

And with that comes a compelling need to share my experience with anyone trying to find their way in the world and isn't afraid to do the work.

Because it is difficult getting acquainted with your shadow, and no one has to go through all of it alone. Okay, maybe sometimes alone. But not entirely.

So instead of trying to be a know-it-all with a vague sense of direction, I've decided to keep this as real (maybe eventually as real-time) as possible. One thing I do know from this past year is that my life has never been the same again, and I wouldn't have it any. other. way.

And so welcome, to my journey of finding solace in my solitude.

Let's begin ✨

[thekurator]

Om Shrim Namah

So instead of starting at the beginning, I'm gonna start at where I am today (and maybe I'll catch things up as I go along.)

Day 7 of Activating the Divine Feminine: A Path to Wholeness meditation with Alicia Keys and Deepak Chopra was a reminder to listen to my inner voice, which is the Divine Feminine, and find my true calling. This really spoke to me because for a while now I've been trying to find my true purpose in life, something I never thought I'd be doing because since I was a kid I knew what I wanted to be doing in life. But things change, and here we are today.

What Alicia said at the beginning of the meditation really struck a chord -

"I got used to asking everybody else what they thought and I didn't know how to access that place inside of me that would tell me what I thought, so that I could be confident in what was rising in me."

This is so true. For most of my life I'd seek approval and validation from others, my self-esteem and confidence battered from various childhood experiences. Only when I paid no heed to these external validations and opinions, and went about things my own way, did I really excel lol. It's taken a fair amount of shadow work to even admit this to myself, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

I loved Deepak's explanation of the Divine Feminine - every experience we call bliss. And aptly so, when you think about it. Everything that's brought happiness into our lives, feelings of love, affection, gratitude and tolerance come from the Divine Feminine.

He continued -

"The Divine Feminine has reached you all your life. It draws your attention to beauty, to love and inspiration. It touches you whenever you feel warm-hearted. The emotions it generates are affectionate or giving, tolerant, accepting and appreciative. This silent voice holds great power. Life has deep meaning because the Divine Feminine is guiding you. A powerful mode of healing comes about when you value the gifts of the Divine Feminine. To do this, you need to notice them, feel grateful and appreciate the unbounded generosity of spirit. Being guided by the Divine Feminine will give you the highest calling, which is to follow your bliss."

Suddenly I feel like I've stumbled on the answer to a riddle I've been trying to solve my whole life - that the highest calling is to follow your bliss. Wow. Now, it's starting to make sense. When has it ever felt right to be miserable, unhappy and upset in life? Perhaps never, else there wouldn't be the incessant search for happiness in all ways, shapes and forms.

I guess I never realised that the Divine Feminine has actually been guiding me my whole life, telling me how best to live it and find my way to my own bliss. And when I felt completely lost, out of sorts, uninspired, probably confused and conflicted, I'd unconsciously chosen to silence my Divine Feminine, not knowing any better. In a way, that's brought me where I am today, and I couldn't be more grateful for the journey, because if not for the difficult moments, how will I know I've found my bliss? Lol at least that's how I see it.

This is my favourite line from the meditation session, that Alicia kindly reminds -

"It's time to wake up and listen. There's nothing to lose, and only love and fulfilment to gain. So be brave. Because it is all about you and discovering you and there's nothing wrong with that."

Be brave. Yes, I believe I can do that. ✨