Facing Your Shadows to Find Joy

Welcome to the WHOLISTIC LIVING PODCAST: Episode 12
Aligning Body, Mind, and Soul with Elena Bensonoff

Hello and welcome to the podcast. My name is Elena Bensonoff – Quantum Medicine Practitioner, clinical pharmacist, and Health Expert. Today, I am going to share with you how we can courageously face our shadows in order to live a life full of joy.

Something we need to understand is we all have a shadow side. Without darkness, there is not light. Think about the yin and yang, night and day – there is balance in all things and it’s not that a bad thing is opposing a good thing – it’s contrast that is a necessary and valuable part of our human experience.

However, many of us beat that part of ourselves down, stifle it, hide it, and regard it with contempt and shame because it is the side that we blame for feeling sad, being impulsive, lashing out, or making mistakes. But we must love every aspect of ourselves, including our shadows.

To do shadow work, we must be in alignment with our purpose and allowing and supporting our journey on the Divine path we chose.

A major aspect of my work in this world is to help others to clear blocks and guide them to discovering their light and inner wisdom. I help people face and overcome obstacles so they can navigate life with flow and ease. Shadows can seem like a big obstacle. This kind of work takes courage.

It is courageous even to take the first step and acknowledge the shadows.

So how can we face our shadows to find joy?

The best thing to do is invite your shadow side into the light. After all, shadows, when brought into the light, are seldom as scary as they appear.

Maybe you’ve seen some version of the classic optical illusion in cartoons, when a big scary monster-like shadow appears on a wall, but in reality, it turns out it’s a cute little mouse casting the shadow and that feeling of relief washes over you. That’s how I want you to regard your shadow side next time you feel anxious about the process of acknowledging and healing your shadow side.

Let’s state this affirmation for healing the shadow side together, repeat after me:

“I invite my shadow side into the light.”

Repeat this any time you feel stuck in judgement of aspects of yourself and it will help settle your shadow side with love, so you can feel whole and move forward in life with inner peace.

Take some time in meditation and silence to examine your shadows.

Perhaps there are difficult childhood memories, relationship traumas, or ancestral wounds. Feel into your body. Listen to what your body is telling you. How do you feel? Is there any pain or heaviness that is asking to be released? Take several deep breaths. Relax from the top of your head, through your shoulders, and down to your feet. Emotions and feelings are messengers from our Soul. Our shadows are not to be feared, they are simply echoes of the past that need to be listened to, acknowledged, and released.

Courageously stepping into this space gives you the power to let go of anything that doesn’t belong to you. Make the practice of acknowledging and letting go your daily ritual. Let go of material things that you don’t use or no longer need. Let go of beliefs that don’t really make sense. Let go of relationships that don’t support you. Let go of any situations that don’t fulfill you. You will see that as these things fall away, your light shines brighter. Shadows cannot keep their power in the light.

Once you have recognized and began cleaning up your internal space, you can begin to set boundaries that will bring you joy. Setting boundaries is one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself. You are creating a system in which you respect yourself first, and then all others come in. If you are a giver and don’t keep your space sacred, then it will be very easy to burn out and go back into the old patterns that you have worked so hard on rebuilding.

It is important to fill the spaces where shadows once reigned with love and light. We can do this by daily choosing what we let into our hearts and minds. Speak words of love over yourself, mind, body, and soul. Remember what an amazing and powerful being you are. You have the ability to spread a contagious joy in this world. We need you to step into your role of restoration and a facilitator of peace on this planet. Make a point to surround yourself with supportive friends and mentors who will continually remind you of your true identity and call you up to a higher place.

Thank you for listening to the podcast today. I hope that you were encouraged to face your shadows and reclaim your joy. If you would like to learn more about me and my practice you can find me at wholistic.com.

Wellness Wishes,
Elena

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