Shadow Integration: The Hidden Key to Raising Your Vibration

“Shadow work is the path of the heart warrior.” ~ Carl Jung

Integrating our shadow is a key part of spiritual growth.

But we don’t like to talk about our shadow. We prefer to hide, avoid, or deny it altogether.

However, as we have discovered through Vibrational Revelations™ work, frequency always reveals truth.

And the truth is until we can face and integrate our shadow, or lower frequency aspects, we will struggle to grow sustainably and our own spiritual evolution will always remain just out of reach.

Spiritual growth is not about self-improvement, and raising your vibration is not about becoming “better.”

It’s a process of integration. Of returning to wholeness. Remembering who we truly are.

Particularly in these times of extreme polarization, this is where many of us tend to go astray.

We believe that, in order to awaken, to become enlightened, we must focus only on the light. Live only in the light. Acknowledge and accept only the light. In doing so, we reject the darkness — in ourselves, in others, and in life itself — by default. Even if unintentionally.

We tell ourselves it’s “good vibes only.” We breathe a secret sigh of relief, believing we have protected ourselves, improved ourselves, sanctified ourselves. We’re stepping into our higher self. We’re on our way to enlightenment.

This is a common delusion of the spiritual bypasser.

The only way to grow, evolve, access and embody our highest potential, is to integrate — to become whole.

Of course, we prefer improvement over integration! Who doesn’t like to think of themselves and their role in their own life as “good” or “right” or “positive”?

But these labels confuse us. They lead us away from discernment toward judgment — of ourselves, of others, and of life itself. They keep us trapped in the vibrational frequency range of victimhood.

As mystic and spiritual teacher, Seán ÓLaoire says, enlightenment is not a black and white on-off switch. Enlightenment is a dimmer switch!

We are all made up of a myriad of light and darkness, it’s what we choose to do with our shadow aspects that makes the difference. Like yin and yang, we all reflect one another’s shadow and light. And we cannot be whole until we face our own shadow.

More than that, we cannot truly integrate our shadow until we bring it into the light through compassionate self-inquiry. With open arms and a compassionate heart, welcoming it as a part of who we are, as valuable as those parts we’d rather make friends with. 

Our shadow is not our “dark side,” the enemy, some kind of nemesis to be defeated.

Our shadow is our “repressed side,” the hidden, unwanted self who we fear to love.

This is the subtle art of shadow work. It’s less about “conquering our demons” than taking them lovingly by the hand and inviting them into the light.

When we do, we realize that, much like the classic cartoon shadow on the wall, the reality behind our projection is far less terrifying than it seems.

But shadow work does take courage. It takes courage to reach into the shadows and invite these hidden aspects of our being to rejoin us at the dinner table of our souls, just as they are.

Much like the proverbial “black sheep of the family,” what we need to realize about our shadows is that they are as important to the collective integrity of the whole as the so-called “good girls and boys.”

Healing the shadow does not mean covering over or quarterizing those parts of ourselves, it means making room for them to return home. To the light, where they may be seen and loved.

Symptoms of our shadow side wanting to be in the light include:

• Anger
• Resentment 
• Jealousy 
• Frustration
• Guilt
• Shame
• Fear
• Worry

All these symptoms are manifestations of resistance. Resistance to the parts of ourselves we refuse to accept. Parts that want to be loved but are going about seeking this love from the shadow space. Like an abused dog who will bite and bark, they all create a lot of discomfort for both the individual and those around them.

Do you recognize any of this behavior in yourself, or those around you?

Often, it’s easier to recognize the shadow self playing out in others.

The biggest challenge is to acknowledge there is an issue. That in itself is a huge step!

The key to holding our own and others’ shadow side in compassion is recognizing that, ultimately, all shadow starts with universal fears like death and abandonment.

Shadow integration is being able to look in the mirror and recognize that everyone we are in contact with is a mirror to self.

So the biggest question is...

What do we feel when we are around the father, mother, friend, coworker, or child who exhibits these behaviors and, in doing so, triggers us?

Until we develop compassionate awareness of the shadow in us all, we will likely remain stuck in the range of victimization (0-175 frequency), either disconnecting or over-identifying with our emotions, blocking our intuition, and sabotaging our connection with others.

In order to raise our consciousness to the level of heroism (200) and above, we must accept co-creative responsibility for all aspects of our reality.

Non-judgmental awareness and integration of our shadow aspects is the hidden key to unlock and expand into higher frequencies of awareness like flow, bliss, harmony, and illumination.

This is why shadow integration is so key to raising your vibration!

Enlightenment is not a journey of improvement. It’s a journey of integration.

Integration is about seeing one’s patterns, which can be a challenge. It is also about seeing how most of our patterns and shadow material we have inherited and imprinted from our ancestors.

This is why we use the Matryoshka (Russian) dolls to illustrate the journey to our inner essence (frequency of 1000) toward the truth of our inner essence.

Shadow work requires alignment with our purpose. It requires allowing and supporting our journey on the divine path we choose.

There are various approaches to shadow work — here’s what I recommend and why:

1. We can do this work alone. (There’s plenty of info out there, but it’s a mixed bag, so lots of Google-wading is required and it’s hard to identify our own patterns in isolation.)
2. We can be guided by a therapist or coach. (Hypnotherapy, in particular, can be a powerful tool for shadow integration. But, if you believe, as I do, that we are spiritual beings having a physical experience, then you recognize that this is much more than a psycho-emotional process. So you need to take care to find a therapist or coach who is well-versed in the spiritual nature of our human experience.) 
3. We can use vibrational frequency analysis to accurately identify our individual shadow areas for integration. We can surround ourselves with a supportive, loving, and like-minded community of people who help us understand with compassion where we come from, how we got to where we are now, and where we are headed in our lives. (This is my recommendation and this is why we created Vibrational Revelations™, a spiritual community like no other!) 

Together, we are on a journey to find answers, offer clarity and set a roadmap for all heroes, each on their own, unique journey, as this beautiful testimonial from one of our members shows:

You can book your personal frequency reading, here.

Or learn more and become a member of our community, here.

More practical tools to support you on your journey to integrating your shadow:

1. This 6-min podcast episode includes a daily exercise and affirmation to heal your shadow.
2. This blog guides you through 5 steps to transmute fear (shadow) and choose love (light).
3. This incredible interview below with mystic and spiritual teacher, Seán ÓLaoire helps you better understand the role that shadow has to play on this collective journey of awakening.

As Sean wisely explains, "If we lived only in love, we would be totally unaware that love exists. If we lived only in light, we'd be totally unaware that light exists."