The Importance of Shadow Working

What is Shadow Working? Working late hours?  Being a ghost buster?  No, not quite.
Shadow working is healing your Inner Child.

It is noticing what in life triggers your emotional response.  Thus, understanding why you respond in the way you do.  You ask, "What is a Inner Child?"  Is there some little toddler running around in a building?  Is it a young child who is in my house?  Is it some toddler running around inside of me?
To a certain degree-yes.

Your Inner child is the child like part of you.  This is where old tapes of negative emotions (anger, jealousy, bitterness, fear...), old thought patterns, and beliefs are stored playing over and over in your life.  This is your subconscious mind.  (Similar to a computer with programs.)

To spot your Inner child in yourself, watch for your little boy/little girl ways of feeling and acting.  The way you were treated by parents and others while growing up is stored up here.
These beliefs and thoughts of yourself stay here until you acknowledge them and release them.

By acknowledging and releasing the past beliefs, you become your own awesome parent to yourself.  You forgive your parents for trying their best with you as a child and you take over being your own loving parent.

In the words of Dr. Hew Len, a well-known doctor of Psychology, "The most important relationship you can have in your life is to be a good parent to your Inner child."

Your Inner child has been with you since you were created as a Divine spirit.  She/he has recorded every piece of data that has ever come to you.  She/he is like a computer, recording every emotion, issue, trauma, belief, thought, etc. and re-running the data through you until you release it.  When we do not "clean house" in our subconscious minds, we make our Inner child suffer with holding on to the negative data.  (Imagine holding on to the trauma of being teased in school, or the trauma of someone swearing at you, or the trauma of being rejected.)  When we do not acknowledge our Inner child when she/he feels a negative emotion such as fear, she/he suffers, which means we as adults also suffer.  After all, our Inner child is us as a young child.

The Inner child will gain your attention one way or another.  Dr. Edmund J. Bourne says, "To cultivate a healthy relationship with your Inner child, it takes four steps."  Here is my interpretation of his four steps:

1).  Facing, acknowledging, and releasing attitudes of criticism, rejection, and/or denial of your child inside of you.  Stop criticizing yourself-Inner child for not being able to do something or get something right or perfect.  Stop ignoring your inner feelings.  Just because something is hard for you doesn't mean you beat yourself up over it.  Be kind and accept that you have limits.

2).  Bring your Inner child out.  Imagine you are in a beautiful setting from your past childhood.  You are face to face with your Inner child.  (Maybe use a old picture of yourself at whatever young age you feel is right.  Example, keep a picture of yourself around at the age of 4 years old.  Every day, ask your Inner child, "How are you doing?"  "Do you need something?"  tell your Inner child that you love him/her.  Be supportive.  Sometimes it is wonderful to write a love letter to your Inner child.  Tell him/her how much you enjoy their company, how much fun you had in the past and will still have fun together in the present and future.

3).  When you are triggered in life (feel negative due to some occurrence), ask your Inner child, "What is your need at this time?"  "How can I help you?" Be still long enough to hear or know what you need.  At times, our Inner child feels fear.  You ask him/her, "Why? answer- because you grew-up around aggression and now facing someone 'aggression.  What can I do to help my Inner child get through this?"  the answer -, just give Inner child love and a big hug. And so, in your head you see the picture of yourself at (whatever age-4 yrs. old?) and you tell him/her, "You are loved.  You are safe.  You are worthy.  I love you.  And ask him/her permission to give them a hug.  When he/she gives it, give them a big hug. (You can wrap your arms around yourself at this time.)  To bring your consciousness back to your adulthood, take 3 slow breathes and name three different facts about yourself as an adult, out loud.  (My name is.... (Married name), I live at .... (adult- SD), My age is.....(35 yrs. old).

4).  Give your Inner child nurturing every day.  How?  What did you enjoy as a child?  Hikes or walks in nature, play with the dog/cat, buy yourself a flower, gardening, daydreaming outside while laying on grass, cloud watching, paint, etc.  Take time out from your busy schedule for your Inner child.

Dr. Hew Len has a wonderful "Inner Child meditation on YouTube.  https://youtu.be/5lHiWyWU-Eo

His technique is simple.  Ask for forgiveness from your Divine self, give love and be thankful.

He believes that if a person comes to you with an issue, the universe is also showing you that this negative way (issue) also is in you.  The person that causes you emotional upset in your life, is your teacher, showing you, you also have this same issue in you.  When this happens, it is wise to use his technique taught to you on his YouTube video.  (free).  This will "clean your house"-subconscious of this issue before it can cause problems in life.  This teaches you to accept what you have created in your life as far as your thoughts, actions, and words.  Each time you "clean house" you make room for inspirational thoughts.  This technique is also used for your already known negative habits, emotions, etc.  This technique is called Ho'Oponopono or “I Love You technique." 

 If you would like to read more about this technique, I have a blog paper on this.

 

Go to   https://www.reikiintheprairiellc.com/2020/01/hooponopono-or-i-love-you.html

You ask me, "What does this have to do with Reiki?" 

 

 Reiki energy sessions helps you to bring forth the emotional state you need to address and release.  Does this make you feel nervous facing your life lone and /or past life emotions?  It can be scary and overwhelming.
The longer those emotions are held on to, the more intense they are when they come out.  Emotions, when held on to and repressed will eventually come out in an explosive form (panic attacks, rage, etc.) or as disease and pain in the physical body.  All disease and pain will show up first in the energetic bodies.  When you receive a Reiki energy session, the Reiki energy will balance your chakras.  (Chakras are your bodies energy zones that act to take in any energy it meets. (Emotions, people, things, etc. recording everything.))  Reiki is an intelligent energy, where it knows exactly where you need it the most.  By clearing out blockages in your chakra system/energy system, releasing repressed emotions from the chakras, the energy system and the cells in your body, Reiki energy helps you to acknowledge the repressed emotions.  Reiki energy brings it (repressed emotions) to your attention.  It's up to you to release the repressed emotions when this occurs.  A Reiki energy session is beneficial for your mind, body, energetic system, and your spirit.  Reiki energy and the client taking part in his/her own healing is the way to create harmony in one's life.  I end this article with wise words.  A healthy body, mind, and spirit will provide you with healthy thoughts.  Healthy thoughts will provide you with a healthy, fun-filled, enjoyable life.
To enjoy life is harmony in life.

To read more about Reiki energy healing, please go to my blog article  https://www.reikiintheprairiellc.com/p/what-is-reiki.html

Sources:

*  Dr. Hew Len meditation, YouTube
* "Zero limits" by Joe Vitale and Dr. Hew Len
* "Memory in the Cells" by Luis Angel Diaz
* "The Anxiety & Phobia Workbook" by Edmund J. Bourne, Ph.D.
* “The Chakra Handbook" by Shalila Sharamon & Bodo J. Baginski

 

Disclaimer by Reiki in the Prairie LLC and Cynthia Bergsbaken copyright 2015

I am not a psychologist, psychiatrist, or medical doctor.  These articles I have written, are from reading and experiencing them.  Many of these articles are my own experiences with my own inventions to heal as well.

If you have a medical condition-physically/mentally/emotionally, please see a qualified medical doctor.  Do not substitute my articles for proper medical care.  You are too important to the world.

I have used all procedures I have written about and have found them to be helpful as tools to help myself become a better person.   I am sharing them with you because used as a tool, they are helpful in Shadow working on ourselves.  (Shadow working is healing our inner shadows that are unconscious or subconscious.  Inner shadows are our belief systems, our thoughts, our behaviors, our life experiences.)

I created this blog for my Reiki clients originally.  Combining these tools with Reiki creates a happy, healthy person.  These tools, when used alone are also beneficial!

Written by Cynthia Bergsbaken of Reiki in the Prairie LLC, March 18, 2020.
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***All original content is copyrighted by Cynthia Bergsbaken, Perceptive Blogger & Reiki in the Prairie LLC.

Reiki in the Prairie LLC is a legal Entity under law, 2015.

April 11, 2020

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