Shadows and How to Clear Them

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What are shadows?

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Shadows are the unconscious parts of ourselves that we suppress, deny, or reject, often because they feel unacceptable or uncomfortable. These can include hidden emotions, desires, or traits that influence your thoughts and behavior without your awareness. Basically, it’s the rough stuff that you’ve experienced that you shoved deep down into your shadows because you weren’t able to deal with them at the time.

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When we shove them deep down, they are still a part of us, but we no longer have control. This is why they show up unexpectedly in the form of triggers. It’s like a pressure cooker. Eventually, you have to let out the steam or it’ll blow. 

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There are a wide range of methods available for shadow work. There are journaling techniques, meditations, mirror work, somatic work, automatic writing, hypnotherapy, and even workbooks that serve as a fantastic way to clear them. Below is just one method, the method I use, for my clients when we clear shadows together.

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When to use this method

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You can use this method, which is just one of many, when you are dealing with any regular shadow or regular trauma. If it’s easy to go through the steps and it flows nicely, this is a great tool. 

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You can also book me and I can walk you through this process, helping you to clear a shadow (or a layer) in session.

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When NOT to use this

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It’s not recommended to clear shadows on your own that stem from complex trauma or if you are met with resistance during this process. In that case, we recommend using someone trained in complex trauma. Our suggestion is Taryn, Feehan, DipCAH, IEMT, NLP. 

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Trauma

• Definition: Results from a single, overwhelming event (e.g., accident, natural disaster, assault).
• Duration: Typically short-term or one-time exposure.
• Nature: Event-based and situational.
• Impact: Can result in PTSD but might not involve ongoing relational dynamics.
• Symptoms:
  
  • Intrusive thoughts or flashbacks of the event.
  • Hypervigilance or heightened startle response.
  • Avoidance of reminders of the event.
  • Emotional numbing or detachment.

Complex Trauma

• Definition: Results from repeated, prolonged exposure to trauma, often in interpersonal contexts (e.g., abuse, neglect).
• Duration: Long-term, chronic exposure over months or years.
• Nature: Relational and systemic (e.g., ongoing abuse from a caregiver or partner).
• Impact: Leads to Complex PTSD (C-PTSD), with deeper emotional and relational disruptions.
• Symptoms:
  
  • Difficulty regulating emotions.
  • Chronic shame, guilt, or low self-worth.
  • Problems with trust and relationships.
  • Dissociation or feeling disconnected from oneself.
  • Persistent feelings of unsafety.

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If You’re Feeling Nervous

The idea of shadow work can feel intense, but the reward is freedom from what is holding you back. And, friend, it is infinitely easier to spend an hour or less with this energy so it can be cleared forever than it is to carry the weight of it for the rest of your life. My own clients have said one session of shadow work has done what decades of therapy cannot. They are simply different modalities. 

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Take it slow, trust the process, and celebrate every piece of energy you free yourself from along the way. We raise the vibration of the planet one shadow clearing at a time. You’ve got this, you magical being!

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If you start the process below and discover the reason behind the trigger or shadow is from a complex trauma, it’s safe to let go of the energy and sit in your sacred space until you are ready to emerge. Then book someone like Taryn who can help you clear it safely.

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How to Clear a Shadow

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1. Set a Safe Physical Space

• Why: Shadow work can be emotionally intense, so it's important to feel grounded and secure.
• How:
  
  • Find a quiet, private space where you won’t be interrupted. No pets. No humans. This is your time to focus on you.
  • You can light a candle, burn incense, or set the vibe with instrumental music if any of that feels good.
  • Ground yourself with deep breathing. Eyes closed. In through your nose, out through your mouth. Allow each breath to become slower and slower, deeper and deeper.

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2. Establish Your Sacred Space

• Why: This provides a safe-feeling space to explore the icky feelings.
• How: 
  
  • Think about your most ideal outdoor environment. Lake? Forest? Beach? Another planet? It can be literally anything or combination of anything that brings you joy.
  • The first time you establish this space, spend just a minute or two thinking about the layout and what you will find there. Close your eyes. Really get into it.
  • This space should just be for you and no other people.
  • Your sacred space is living. You can change any part of it anytime you’d like.

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3. Define Your Intention

• Why: Intentions create clarity and purpose for the process.
• How: 
  
  • Choose the event or feeling you’d like to focus on.
  • Choose one per session and take breaks in between!
  • Write your intention in a journal dedicated to shadow work.

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4. Identify the Trigger

• Why: Triggers point directly to unresolved parts of the shadow.
• How:
  
  • Reflect on a moment where you felt angry, defensive, or jealous.
  • Journal about this trigger: What happened? How did you feel?
    Example: "I felt defensive when my friend gave me feedback because it made me feel like I didn’t know what I was doing and that made me feel ashamed."
  • Be honest! No one will read this but you.
  • Keep it short and to the point while allowing yourself to feel these emotions.

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— From this point forward, your eyes will remain closed until the end. — 

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5. Stroll into Your Sacred Space

• Why: It’s a feel good sandwich. We will start here and end here. It’s safe.
• How: 
  
  • With your eyes closed, allow yourself to see and/or feel elements of your space.
  • Take a minute to notice details. Have fun! Enjoy it! It’s your most perfect creation after all.
  • Find a cozy place to sit or lay down in this world you’ve created.

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6. Notice How it Feels

• Why: This allows you to fully embody that energy so you can clear it.
• How: 
  
  • With your eyes still closed, allow yourself to feel this energy in a big way.
  • Replay the trigger in your mind to help.
  • Notice everything you can about it:
    
    • The location in your body
    • The color
    • The shape
    • Any movement
    • Does it radiate or stay in that location?
    • Notice anything else that comes up
  • There are no wrong answers.

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7. Talk with Your Shadow

• Why: Direct communication with your shadow fosters understanding.
• How:
  
  • While focused on the details you have just discovered, ask your shadow the following questions (remember the energy is answering, not you, so just ask and allow the response):
    
    • When did you first show up?
    • How old was I?
    • What purpose did you serve by showing up?
    • Can you show me what event caused you to show up?

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8. Enter the Scene

• Why: This is where we heal the past version of yourself which will, in turn, heal the current you. If we heal it when it happens, you aren’t able to carry it with you through the years. It will be as if this event never happened to you although you may retain the memories of it.

• How:
  
  • Once the shadow has shown you the event, allow yourself to walk into that scene.
  • Pause the entire scene except for the younger version of yourself. Remember, this is not you. This is another version of you.
  • Walk over to the younger version of you, and ask them any of the following questions you feel applies to the situation, one at a time:
    
    • What do you need most in this moment to feel…
      
      • Loved
      • Safe
      • Understood
      • Etc
    • Asking one question at a time, allowing that prior version of yourself to answer.
    • Once they answer, give them what they need.
      
      • If they ask for a hug, give them a hug.
      • If they ask to feel safe, tell them they are safe and you are there.
      • If they ask to feel loved, tell them how much you love them and how wonderful they are. Use details.
    • Go through all the questions that feel best to ask until there are no more answers.
    • End with, “What do you need most in this moment?” to capture anything else. Keep asking this until you have responded and there is nothing else they need.

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9. Heal Them with Light

• Why: This provides the energy they were lacking which in turn gives you the energy you were lacking. How cool is that?
• How:
  
  • In that scene, conjure a ball of white light energy in your hands.
  • Infuse the feelings of each item they needed in that moment. Really feel each one as you infuse more light into this ball.
  • When you are done, gently place this ball into them right where you first felt the feeling from the shadow. 
  • Watch as the light and warmth spreads throughout their entire body.
  • Tell them they now have each of those feelings in themselves they can call upon whenever they’d like for the rest of their incarnation.
    
    • This means you now have this, too!

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10. Transition back to Your Sacred Space

• Why: This is the start of the integration process.
• How:
  
  • If it feels right, tell them how much you love them and let that scene fade from view, finding yourself back in your sacred space.
  • Look around and find a few things that bring you joy.
  • Think back on your original trigger.
  • How does it feel now? Can you find it or is it gone?
  • If the feeling or image feels less than before (lighter, duller, further away, etc.), you’ve cleared a layer. Well done! You can repeat this process with that same trigger to clear another layer when you’re ready.
  • If the feeling or image is fully gone (the memory is likely still there but with no emotion— sometimes feeling like it happened to someone else), then you’ve cleared the shadow. Well done! Once this is cleared, it can never come back. You couldn’t bring it back even if you wanted to. Way to go, rockstar!

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11. Transition Back to the Physical

• Why: Because that’s where we live, silly.
• How:
  
  • Sit with gratitude for as long as you’d like in your sacred space, enjoying the view.
  • When you’re ready, slowly come back to the room before any screens.
  • Take some slow, deep breaths and just notice how you feel.
  • Welcome to the new you!
  • Take some time right now to journal how you feel. This is part of the integration.
  • You may have some more realizations in the hours and days to come. Just enjoy them as they come up. It’s all part of the process.

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