What is Shadow Work?
Shadow work is deep and emotional, and I believe these are the main reasons many of us avoid it. We actively steer clear of this work by ignoring subtle physical cues in our bodies, such as rising emotions in our chest that feel like anxiety, rib pain, chest tightness, or heat. Or maybe you’re avoiding situations or people that trigger certain emotions, like anger, grief, or fear.
You ignore it because it’s uncomfortable, and the energy of these things will challenge you and, eventually, bring change. But, we also subconsciously avoid it because it is now what I call an autopilot pattern – your action of avoiding has become so second nature that it’s like breathing for you. So, think of how difficult it can be to sit down one day and begin shadow work – something that’s been avoided for many years. It’s hard, right?
Shadow Work Journal Prompts
The stagnation that shadow work can bring because of its emotional work is why I’m here to help you with these 4 Shadow Work Journal Prompts.
I always recommend having a talk therapist (or some therapy that encourages the connection of your mind and body) while on this journey. Your therapist doesn’t have to be present during shadow work, but, as things come up, having a standing appointment will help you talk things through, understand yourself, and thus heal.
Use the 4 Shadow Work Journal Prompts below to begin your journey. Use a journal or notebook paper to write your prompts and findings.
How To Prepare for Shadow Work
- Grab your journal/paper and pen to write out these prompts and your answers.
- Sit and take a few deep breaths.
- Be Honest with yourself – this is the most important step.
- Ground yourself: Imagine roots growing from your feet, deep into the ground. Connect yourself with the earth and your body.
- Do not judge yourself – this is an opportunity to shine a light on the areas that you have long ignored.
- This work is to help you deepen your connection with yourself and engage in healthier patterns. These shadow work prompts can help you on your way to less anxiety and depression.
Shadow Work Journal Prompts
1. “What am I feeling in my body at this moment and why?”
Start with a body scan – this exercise will become your first Journal Prompt. Start with your feet, notice what the feeling is there. Are they cold, tense, in pain, itchy, or calm? You will do this for your legs, hips, stomach, chest, shoulders, arms, throat, mouth, eyes, eyebrows, ears, and head. Once you have checked in, write down what you notice.
This exercise is helping you to become more attuned with your body. When you connect with your body, you will listen to its cues more. For example, when you reached your hips during your body scan, how did they feel? Were they tense? If so, why? Take yourself back to your hips, or any other body part where you noticed tension, and close your eyes. Ask yourself, why am I tense here? What emotion am I feeling with this tension?
For example, when I began shadow work 10 years ago, I did this exercise and noticed tension in my abdomen and what felt like a plum seed in my throat. When I asked myself, “Why is this tension here, and what emotions live here?” After sitting with those questions, I realized I always sucked in my stomach to appear “fit,” and that realization opened up other things for me to work through. Other things like “Why do I feel the need to be fit? Where did that come from?” Or, the tension in my throat made me understand I had silenced myself. So, I asked, “Why do I feel the need to be silent? What am I keeping silent? Why do I feel my voice isn’t worthy of being heard?”
So, you see, this opens up many questions for deep shadow work and other potential journal prompts.
2. What Triggers Did I Notice Today or Any Other Day?”
This exercise shines a light on the areas we avoid – our triggers. We go throughout life being triggered every day, and sometimes we don’t realize it. This is why it is called “Shadow Work”: we are purposefully shining a light on the things we’ve forced into dark corners.
So, let’s think about it. What triggered you? Think about things you deem “small” or “stupid” because they could have a large root of an energy source that supplies them. Was it someone driving behind you who aggressively pulled beside you to speed up and cut you off? How did that make you feel? Why did it make you angry?
Maybe it was a coworker talking about their family drama. Or perhaps your throat closed up when a confident person, or someone known to have power, began speaking with you. Why did these things trigger you? What is the root of that trigger? Pay close attention to what triggers you – it could be something as small as a smell.
This exercise pairs well with the body scan. Notice and note how your body reacts to these questions.
3. What Happened During that Trigger? What Did I Feel, Think, See, Hear, or Smell?
As I said above, a trigger can feel big, like a panic attack, and can be as small as a smell. So, what did you feel, think, see, hear, or smell during your trigger?
Pay close attention to your triggers; many things happen at once. Your heart may quicken, you may develop pain in certain parts of your body, or you may become angry for the rest of the day – these are important.
Most of the time, especially at the end of the day, we become agitated, upset, or feel “heavy” because of triggers, but most of us think it’s because of a tough workday.
If you became angry or sad after an event, and you begin to notice this often, it is time to stop and ask yourself, “Why?” For example, a client said they were upset all day and didn’t understand why. I asked her, “What happened in your day or last night?” She eventually mentioned receiving a message from a troubled family member, but she didn’t make a big deal of it because it had very little weight. After speaking more, it turns out this family member caused her a lot of pain and trauma.
So, just seeing the family members’ message triggered my client so much that the rest of her day was tainted. This shows that there’s some inner work to do with the trauma caused by the relationship with this family member.
4. What Childhood Events Upset Me So Much That I Still Think About Them As An Adult? Why?
This is a bit of a deep exercise because it goes back to childhood. It goes back to a time when you were young and vulnerable, and the only protection for you was your parents. Be gentle with this process and work slowly. Do not engage with this exercise or with shadow work. to judge yourself. This work is to understand where you need yourself the most.
What is the moment from your childhood that you think of often? This can work with a pleasant, fun, or troubling memory. We can use these memories to understand what energy we’d like more of in our lives or understand the root of our pain.
When you have that moment of your childhood in your head, write it down.
There is a reason you think of this moment so often. Maybe you even have recurring dreams of this memory. This exercise can shed light on the things and patterns you engage in in adult life because of an incident in your childhood. It can be, again, something you deem small. For example, maybe an adult told you that your speech is “odd” or “weird and not right.” Could this be a reason why you communicate the way you do? Could this be the reason your voice feels small?
Bonus Prompt – What Healthy Action Will Help Me Comfortably Move Past What I Found During Shadow Work?
After shining a light on the shadow, it is important to not walk away. This is usually the time when most will expose the shadow, become overwhelmed, and walk away because the pain and work seem daunting. This work is important again because it helps us understand where we need to be and how to get there for ourselves.
It helps us understand how to give ourselves the love and protection we needed in those moments we shone a light on.
For example, if you found stagnation in your throat and it goes back to being silenced as a child, what can help open that area? What do you feel comfortable engaging in? Do you go to more events and try to talk to more people? Do you speak your feelings more often? Maybe you find your power in being who you are and speaking it.
Release the energy you found in your shadows.
Say to yourself, “I release the stress of yesterday. I release the anxiety of tomorrow. I take in the presence of today. I understand and thank the patterns my younger self developed to protect myself. I am now walking into myself and able to protect myself in healthier ways; therefore, these triggers and patterns aren’t needed.”
Repeat affirmations. What are your affirmations? If you’ve been silent, they can look like, “I AM. My voice is important. My words are strong. Who I am is important and beautiful.”
Shadow work is a way to introduce you to yourself. It is a way to bring yourself into the light and empower yourself. It can also be a tough road to walk at times. So, please know that I am here during this time of your life with my Shamanic Healing, Reading, and Craniosacral sessions.
Be gentle with yourself.
Recommendations to Help with Shadow Work
- Shamanic Healing and Readings provided by me, Erica Chinise.
- Craniosacral Therapy provided by Spenser Barnes and me.
- Somatic Healing, Sovereign Soul Coaching, & Tarot Readings with Spenser Barnes Healing
- Acupuncture. If you’re in the Louisville area, visit Turtle Tree Acupuncture.
- Talk Therapy. If you’re in the Louisville area, contact Julie Ciriano, LCSW, who provides EMDR.
- Biofeedback with Robin Aleksevitch.
