Celebrating the Shadow and the Light

“Shadow is not good or bad, only inescapable.” --David Whyte, poet

Today I was taking a walk when I noticed my shadow and wondered what would happen if I looked down and my shadow didn’t exist? The thought made me flash back to a time, many years ago, when I was having recurring dreams about Dracula. 

I was in training in Eurythmy, an expressive, therapeutic form of movement developed by Rudolf Steiner. The process led me to surrender layers of old, negative patterns and reexamine my sense of self. One night I went to a restaurant with a friend and told her about my Dracula dreams. There happened to be lots of mirrors in the restaurant and as we stood to leave, I looked into a mirror and didn’t see my reflection. 

I was petrified. For a moment, I nearly believed that I no longer existed. 

Of course my reflection was there, just as my shadow is present today. I have an external shadow, cast by the sun, and an internal shadow side, inherent in my human nature. 

But why am I thinking of shadows in the middle of summer?

Perhaps it’s because of the recent July 4th holiday, which I spent at a cottage in Michigan with family. In spite of Covid-19, everyone seemed to welcome the chance to let loose a little and connect once again in person. We relaxed our pandemic habits slightly, and I noticed that I felt a surge of guilt and worry afterward. 

Should my daughter and I have stayed home? Will we get sick now? 

But that’s the shadow. It’s where fear and judgement and criticism live. It feeds on regrets and blame and catastrophic thinking. Often it shows up in unexpected ways. My shadow tried to steal the joy I had experienced after celebrating with my family.

Yes, we are still required to be careful and thoughtful about our interactions, but carefulness doesn’t have to be a heavy, fearful experience. 

Shadows only exist in the presence of light. In moments of darkness, there is always something clear and illuminating wanting to come through. Therefore, I can accept my shadow side with a little more lightness. 

I can meet it from a place of love and forgiveness. 

On a larger scale, the current pandemic is like a shadow that we don’t want to face. But in the words of David Whyte, it’s not good or bad, only inescapable. 

So how do we surrender to the shadow? 

I use the analogy of listening to an old radio. Remember fiddling with the dial as the tuner tried to connect with a station? You had to be quiet and listen through the static in order to get a clear connection. 

You can use your breath like the tuner on a radio. When you find yourself feeling critical, out of sorts, desperate, or like you can’t take any more, make a conscious decision to return to your breath. 

Breathing enables you to surrender to the light so that shadows no longer overtake you. It brings you in line with the higher vibrations of forgiveness and acceptance. 

Whalebreathing is especially helpful because the whales are among the oldest beings on the planet. They serve as energetic recordkeepers, able to plumb the deepest depths and at the same time hold a higher, expansive vibration. 

I invite you to support yourself in these challenging times with a remote Whalebreathing session. During this 90-minute appointment, I will listen to your story or, more specifically, how your body tells your story. As I connect vibrationally, I may ask further questions about what your body wants you to know. It’s a wonderful practice that will reconnect you to your heart center and allow a fuller expression of love and joy and harmony.

Please call me for an appointment, and in the meantime, keep looking for the light.