25/06/2024
The shadow cannot be “let go of”, pushed, prayed, rationalized, or manifested away. It must be fully explored, held, learned from; and most importantly, deeply felt, in a safe and compassionate environment.
Only in this way can the darkest parts of ourselves be invited to move through, or rather with, us into a more hopeful future. True healing is integration, not bypassing.
I had a dream last night where I was in a dentist office waiting room. A dental hygienist pulled me aside and started telling me that I just needed to “think positively” in order for my teeth to be fully cleaned. I instantly became angry and rejected the message.
When I woke up, I was thinking more about this dream image, the rejection by my dream ego and why it might have been coming up for me right now. I’ve been seeing so many advertisements lately with shallow messages promising “deep healing”. Spiritual “teachers“ or coaches with little of their own training or experience claiming to help people who are suffering, teaching them to “let it go” or simply “manifest a brighter future”. Or worse, claiming to do shadow work when they really don’t know what they’re opening up in people’s psyches…which can be very dangerous. This may be an unpopular opinion…but whatever you decide to do, please protect yourself with boundaries and research. If you want to work with someone, do research on their credentialing and training background. A good healer has been trained in a long-term wisdom tradition or master’s level educational program by a qualified teacher, themselves. And even then, it’s not always a perfect system. ALWAYS trust your own intuitive guidance on this matter. A true healer will not make you feel drained or exploited in finance, body, or especially soul. They will help you to feel challenged, but also confident and secure. They will help you embrace the wholeness of who you are, shadow and all. A true healer is always doing their own depth work, and realizes that they, too, are always a student on the path right along with you. The best mentors will gently help broaden your experience, while always guiding you back to your own inner wisdom and light, time and time again. So protect yourself, practice solid boundaries, and most importantly trust your deepest inner knowing. ✨
