In this Health Story Transformation series, we’ve explored how healing isn’t just about fixing the body. It’s also about loosening the grip of old identities, releasing the struggle, and creating a new story. Today we turn to one of the most powerful—yet often overlooked—parts of this journey: the shadow.
In Jungian psychology, the shadow is the collection of parts of ourselves that we repress, deny, or disown. It’s the anger you’ve buried. The grief you’ve hidden. The envy, fear, or even joy that felt unsafe to express. But shadow may be “positive” things too; your artistic ability, your empathy. Shadow comprises the things we hide from ourselves.
With healing, the shadow often shows up in surprising ways. Sometimes it hides beneath symptoms. Other times it emerges when the body begins to heal, and you face emotions you’ve long kept underground. Healing the shadow is about turning toward these hidden parts—not to judge or banish them, but to reclaim their energy and wisdom.
Why Healing the Shadow Matters in the Body
Many people come to healing focused on physical symptoms: fatigue, migraines, digestive issues, anxiety, or chronic pain. These symptoms are real and deserve care. But they’re often intertwined with deeper stories the body has been carrying.
The shadow is where these stories live.
- If you grew up needing to be the “strong one,” your shadow may hold the parts of you that longed for care, tenderness, or rest.
- If you learned to keep the peace, your shadow may carry unexpressed anger or inappropriate boundaries.
- If you built your identity around struggle, your shadow may hold the fear of who you’ll be without it.
Ignoring the shadow doesn’t make it disappear. It leaks out—through self-sabotage, recurring health crises, or the inability to fully trust your own healing. Healing the shadow helps break these cycles.
When the Body Heals but the Shadow Holds Back
One pattern I see often in practice is this:
- The body starts to improve.
- Inflammation decreases.
- Sleep returns.
- Energy rises.
- Symptoms fade.
And yet, the person feels uneasy. They wait for relapse and scan for danger. They tense when life feels too good.
This is the shadow at work.
Part of the psyche is still identified with illness, struggle, or survival. The shadow may whisper:
- “If I let go of this, who will I be?”
- “If I stop fighting, will I still be safe?”
- “If I feel joy, won’t it just be taken away?”
Until we meet these shadow voices with compassion, they will keep tugging us back into old stories. Healing the shadow allows the nervous system to relax into a new way of being.
The Gifts Hidden in the Shadow
Jung often said that the shadow is not just darkness—it is also where our unlived life waits for us.
This is especially true in healing.
- The anger you repress can become the healthy fire that fuels boundaries.
- The grief you avoid can open the door to tenderness and depth.
- The fear you deny can turn into wisdom about your own needs.
- The joy you suppress can become the energy that carries you forward.
When you turn toward the shadow, you reclaim parts of yourself that are essential for wholeness. This doesn’t mean indulging every impulse or wallowing in every feeling. It means creating space to integrate what hides within, so it no longer runs your life from the dark.
Three Practices for Healing the Shadow
Shadow work can feel daunting, but it doesn’t have to be dramatic. It begins with small acts of honesty and compassion. Here are three practices to begin:
1. Notice the Triggers
The shadow often reveals itself through triggers—the strong emotional reactions that seem bigger than the situation. Instead of pushing these away, pause and ask:
- “What part of me feels unseen right now?”
- “What is the deeper story underneath this reaction?”
- “Why did I react so strongly to this situation?”
By shifting from judgment to curiosity, you bring the shadow into the light.
2. Dialogue with the Shadow
Take 10 minutes to journal from the voice of your shadow. Write as if this hidden part of you had a pen in hand.
- What does it want?
- What is it afraid of?
- How has it been trying to protect you?
Often, you’ll discover that even the most sabotaging patterns started as attempts at safety. Meeting them with compassion unlocks the possibility of change.
3. Reclaim the Energy
Ask yourself: “If I no longer had to spend energy suppressing this part of me, what would I do with that energy?”
This question reframes shadow work from a burden into a gift. The energy that once went into holding back grief, rage, or desire can now flow into creativity, connection, and healing.
Healing the Shadow in Community
While much of shadow work is inner, it also flourishes in safe relationships. Sometimes we need others to mirror the parts of ourselves we can’t yet see. This is why healing often happens more deeply in therapy, spiritual communities, or workshops where shadow integration is welcomed.
In my upcoming Letting Go of the Story workshop, we’ll explore how the shadow shapes our health stories. We’ll use reflection, embodied practices, and group dialogue to meet these hidden parts with compassion. Because when the shadow is welcomed, your healing story opens in powerful new ways.
You Don’t Have to Fear the Shadow
Healing the shadow doesn’t mean dredging up everything painful or living in darkness. It means making space for the whole of who you are.
You are not just your symptoms.
You are not just your diagnosis.
You are not just your struggle.
You are also the hidden strength, creativity, joy, and wisdom waiting in the shadow.
When you bring those parts into the light, healing becomes less about survival and more about freedom.
That’s the invitation of this stage in the Health Story Transformation series: Healing the Shadow.
The next step is building a new story from this integration—one that trusts life, allows joy, and doesn’t require struggle as proof of worth.
Until then, ask yourself:
- What part of me am I ready to meet with compassion?
- And what might happen if I welcomed it home?
Because the truth is this: real healing is not just about eliminating pain. It’s about reclaiming your wholeness—even the parts you once left in the dark.
P.S. In the Letting Go of the Story workshop, we’ll walk this path together—meeting the shadow, releasing the old story, and creating a new one. Join the interest list here
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