If you are someone who is looking to reach a higher self by delving into your conscious mind, it is vital to your personal development that you reach into your subconscious as well.
#Free shadow work journal professional
Whether you are getting professional help with a licensed therapist or working through a process of self reflection on your own, taking a shadow work journey will allow you to get just as much clarity as working on the items that you know you need help with, if not more. Who Needs To Do Shadow Work?Įveryone can benefit from shadow work. It only lies in wait until the next time you address it. Just because you have decided to stop behaving a certain way or focusing on a negative thing doesn’t mean that it doesn’t exist. It is the practice of keeping an open mind towards your inner self that still has some work to do. Working on your shadow is a healthy way to invoke some positive change. It is something that you essentially drag along – your shadow self – much like your past traumas and frustrations. Your shadow never leaves you, but you don’t notice it. Imagine your shadow as you walk down the street. We have these negative qualities stuffed down deep and they can have a significantly negative impact on your personal growth if you continue to ignore them. In general, the shadow would include things such as envy, greed, prejudice, hate, and aggression. It is what we can’t see in ourselves any longer, but still exists within our true self. All of the pieces of yourself that people or society taught you weren’t productive or attractive. In the context of Jungian theory, the shadow is the part of yourself that you have repressed. While the persona is the person that you present to the world (the best version of yourself that includes the mask you wear for everyone to see), the shadow is the opposite. Psychologist Carl Jung had a philosophy that included various archetypes including the Persona, the Anima or Animus, the Ego, The Self, and the Shadow. The best shadow work involves looking deep into the negative beliefs of your subconscious mind, so if looking through these journaling prompts makes you uneasy, you are doing something right. These shadow work journal prompts are insightful questions that are designed to get you thinking about things that may make you uncomfortable. As human beings, we tend to pass over the parts of ourselves that aren’t as easy to deal with, but if we don’t look into our shadow traits, we are missing out on important things that need to be explored. While on a journey of self-discovery, doing shadow work can be an incredibly powerful tool. Write your heart and feelings out and allow your shadow side to guide you on what healing and work needs to be done.These shadow work journal prompts are some of the best ideas for processing during mental health work, therapy, and while journaling. You may find yourself being drawn to only one or certain aspects of them and that’s 100% ok! They may even lead you to write more prompts for yourself. I strongly suggest shadow work for those who feel ready to dive into this and are getting the mental health support they need in addition to doing their shadow work.Īllow these prompts to be a guide for you. If you feel triggered by a certain prompt you probably need to focus on that one the most. In my opinion, shadow work is the truest form of self-love, as it’s about loving and accepting ALL OF YOURSELF.Īs a precaution, these journal prompts may cause triggers. The more shadow work you do the easier it is to notice your shadow side and honor it accordingly. While first getting into it can be uncomfortable and you may find yourself wanting to avoid it but it brings so much clarity and love into your life. Shadow work is so important as part of a spiritual journey. We all have a shadow side, it’s part of our human experience! But we can tend to ignore and repress our shadow side which can cause a lot of triggers and harm in our lives.
I love journal prompts for shadow work beginners or those who are looking to incorporate regular shadow work into their lives. I created some shadow work journal prompts for Leo season and the energy Leo season can bring us. Shadow work is the truest form of self-love there is as it's about embracing ALL OF OURSELVES, both light and shadow. You may be feeling more called to do this healing work right now and here is why! Shadow work is a passion of mine and something I love to talk about and share ways to start doing the work. Happy Leo season! I wanted to start a theme of journal prompts in shadow work for each zodiac season.