Emerging on the other-side of shadow, if there is such a thing, lighter, freer and more radiant. Whenever asked what it means to do shadow work, I am reminded of Psalm 23.

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.

Willingness to walk through our valley of death may make the difference between remaining on the shores of suffering or transporting to paradise. On one side of this valley is the present shadow self, protecting us from what lay within the valley of death: triggers, past traumas, anger, suffering, you get the picture. While on the other side of the valley resides paradise. How do we get there?

Processing shadowy baggage whilst letting it go. Not necessarily bypassing work left undone, instead of acknowledging shadowy self in all its disfigured faces while choosing to no longer serve the ego and its protective forces.

Walking through our valley of death, unearthing, unmasking, sorting through our past, we learn that we are all things. From the good to the bad and everything in between. We witness ourselves in others through their own traumas “that’s me too.”