What inner gifts might be waiting within you, hidden deep in the dark yet ready to emerge into the light?
In the newest episode of A Path To Call Your Own, my guest Brianna Brown & I discuss shadow work and reconnecting to the inner child as pathways to awakening these hidden gifts.
The term “shadow” originated in the work of Carl Jung, the great 20th century psychologist. In Jung’s work, the shadow is a region of the unconscious mind where aspects of our personality that were judged to be unwelcome, inappropriate, or unacceptable during the early stages of our development go into hiding.
Jung believed that every human being, in the process of growing up, has a natural tendency to develop a “persona” – an outward personality shaped around fitting in and gaining approval within our family, community, and the wider culture. As a result, any aspect of our being that does not fit within that safe & culturally-approved persona migrates into the shadow.
It’s sometimes assumed that the shadow is often home to only “dark” or “negative” impulses, such as anger, aggression, or selfishness. But the shadow can also be a treasure chest of beautiful, positive, and redeeming qualities that were simply not deemed acceptable in our childhood environments.
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Let’s say you grew up in a home that was dominated by a very serious, somber atmosphere. You may have received the message (whether spoken or unspoken) that your desire to play, to laugh, to dance, to be silly was childish and needed to be toned down for you to be acceptable in your family household. As a result, the playful, fun-loving side of your personality may have hidden itself away in the shadow.
To engage in “shadow work” is to peer into these hidden-away parts of your being, to bring them into the light, and to integrate them in your life in a healthy way. For the person above who grew up in that overly-serious home, their shadow work may consist of rediscovering their inner child’s capacity for joyous play, for uproarious laughter, for outrageous silliness.
Reconnecting to the needs and desires of our “inner child” is another doorway into reawakening aspects of ourselves that were once cast aside. Visualization journeys that take us back in our imaginations to meet our inner child can be a powerful healing practice. In these experiences, we can ask our inner child how they want to be supported, how they wish to be loved, what they desire to express about themselves. The knowledge gained in these meetings with our inner child can provide powerful wisdom to address the hidden wounds and secret longings of our adult selves.
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Doing this work of exploring the shadow and the inner child is the main topic of conversation with my guest Brianna Brown, a spiritual mentor and soul-body alchemist, on the newest episode of the A Path To Call Your Own Podcast.
In this interview, Brianna shares her own spiritual healing journey & what led her into her current work with clients, which incorporates healing trauma, stepping into personal sovereignty, integrating the shadow, breaking free from social constructs, and discovering inner harmony.
We both share personal stories of engaging in deep shadow work, as well as experiences of learning how to reconnect to the child within – recognizing ways in which that child might not have been seen or loved as they properly deserved, and offering love & awareness to the gifts of our inner child: a sense of play, freedom, joy, and wholeness.
To learn more about Brianna’s work, follow her on Instagram: @brianna.r.brown
“Episode 30: Shadow, Inner Child, and Cultivating Inner Harmony with Brianna Brown” is available now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, SoundCloud, or the A Path To Call Your Own website.
Podcast Links:
Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/30-shadow-inner-child-cultivating-inner-harmony-brianna/id1494628757?i=1000526708003
SoundCloud:
Spotify:
Matthew Foley is a life coach, soul path guide, writer, teacher, and podcast host living in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Asheville, North Carolina. His mission is to guide individuals on life’s hero journey towards purpose and authenticity. In 2019, he became a certified life coach and founded A Path To Call Your Own, a coaching business where he works with individual clients and groups to discover their purpose, connect with their creativity and spirituality, and share their gifts with the world. A life-long writer and poet, Matthew recently released his fourth poetry book Mountain Medicine and frequently shares articles and poetry through his website and weekly Pathways Newsletter. Matthew is also the host of the A Path To Call Your Own Podcast, where he shares conversations with fellow spiritual seekers and wisdom for navigating the spiritual life. To learn more about Matthew’s writing, meditation offerings, and coaching work, head to his website.
