Roya R. Rad - Do You Know Your Shadow (Dark) Side?

Here is a little article from Huffington Post on the importance of shadow work - it's nice to see Jungian psychology hitting the mainstream. Admittedly, shadow work is common to many psychologies and spiritual practices, but Jung popularized the concept of the shadow and made it the centerpiece of his individuation process.

Do You Know Your Shadow (Dark) Side? 

Roya R. Rad, MA, PsyD - Transpersonal and positive psychology

What is the "shadow"? This is a term that was first used in psychological context by Carl G. Jung. He described the shadow as a denied part of the self, a part we repress because we have been given a message that it is "bad" or "evil" or that we need to feel shame and guilt if we have it. 

All of us have a shadow part, and it is not something that an "evil" person possesses. The shadow or the dark side of us is what gives us a perspective to the light side and makes us a whole human being. When we start doing shadow work, our personal growth process gets easier, since it brings out our hidden powers and turns them into light.

We have all been hurt because of these hidden shadow sides, which have been repressed and denied. When they get repressed, they control us; when we bring them out and learn to work with them, we are in control. Some of us have learned to take this pain and hurt and to bring a sense of balance to our disordered parts of the shadow. We do this because we want to feel a sense of liberation from unnecessary pain and sorrow. Through our shadow, we can face our hurt, fear and anger and learn how to live from our fullest functioning individual self, one that is content with his life and where it's taking him. One that is positively functioning to his fullest. 

In order to do shadow work, you may find these steps helpful . . . .

Go read the whole post.