Shadow Work & Emotional Blueprints: Transforming Through Emotional Architecture
“This stinks; I remember this feeling. It’s been with me most of my life.” Looking into the screen with a blank stare, his words fell silent as a few minutes went by.
“Remember when I said that this will be one of the hardest things you will ever have to do? That was to prepare you for this moment. All the exercises we have done so far were to make this moment possible. I apologize; I know it sucks, but at least you’re not doing it alone. That’s why I am here, so you don’t have to sit in confusion trying to figure out when you slip into old habits because it feels familiar or safe. He shifted uncomfortably as the look of awareness settled across his face; the light of recognition finally pierced the shadow of his behavior. It is hard to recognize the feeling of safety you get from running away or avoidance as the moment you abandon your own needs.” I said with my own recognition. Things that are bad for you can feel good when they have been reinforced your whole life.
Understanding Emotional Architecture: The Foundation of Healing
I used to think that this work was a lifelong process, something you would never be free from, but now, as I watch those who are willing walk through the doors of their own healing, I know that this is a deep rite of passage. Something that can be opened up, given you have the courage. It’s up to you to feel the uncomfortable pain and intense fear and choose to move beyond the blind spot that’s been hiding in plain sight most of your life.
“If you imagine someone who is brave enough to withdraw all his projections, then you get an individual who is conscious of a pretty thick shadow. Such a man has saddled himself with new problems and conflicts. He has become a serious problem to himself, as he is now unable to say that they do this or that they are wrong, and they must be fought against. Such a man knows that whatever is wrong in the world is in himself, and if he only learns to deal with his own shadow, he has done something real for the world. He has succeeded in shouldering at least an infinitesimal part of the gigantic, unsolved social problems of our day,” says Carl Jung from “Psychology and Religion” (1938).
Reprogramming Emotions: Tools for Transformation
As an alignment and empowerment guide with over 16 years of specializing in long-term chronic pain as a neuromuscular therapist, I knew the body was keeping much more than the score. Now, I help people shift their instinctive reactions to reprogram their Emotional Architecture. No matter the challenge, there is always a common link that needs repairing. The body’s natural instincts are in alignment with thoughts and actions; this is where the soul communicates and inspires.
Our emotions are like a blueprint for our actions. Where our memory and instinct are the ink and our body is the paper that they exist on,. The capacity to grow is dependent on our ability to build on our emotional experience to diversify and take accountability for those experiences that create repeated patterns of pain in our lives. When this happens, you finally have access to the foundations of your experience of this world and a wellspring of opportunity.
Facing the Shadow: Exploring Unconscious Patterns
It’s the unconscious part of ourselves—the physical intuitive knowing of who we are—that gets divorced from us when we are put in severe conflict. That protective behavior becomes the shadow. It’s the part of us that wants to victimize ourselves, point fingers of blame, or act out of nature to push others away. The part that gives up easily and decides that the effort is too much for recognition where none will ever be received.
Embracing the dark is a natural aspect of human nature. Each year, as the days grow shorter, we are pushed further and further into our relationship with ourselves. The coming fall and winter months mark a time for deep reflection, often soothed by a crackling fire’s illuminations and loved ones’ sounds.
Emotional Blueprints: How Feelings Shape Our Actions
This is the basis of subconscious adaptive strategies and protection mechanisms. You call it a shadow or a part, as it’s referred to in “Family Systems.” It’s our full knowledge of ourselves that gets trained and conditioned out of us by social structure, cultural adaptation, or religious foundations. It is essentially trauma work, but the more I work with subconscious narratives and trauma, the more I have to accept that the concept of trauma itself is a social condition made for these aspects to thrive in the dark instead of integrating into the light.
Healing Through Awareness: Navigating Emotional Architecture
When you can love and accept yourself fully, even in seeing your bad behaviors, you can grow beyond the lessons that broke you. It is a choice to allow the experience to make you if you decide to accept your actions and move forward in accountability. Breaking the spell of acceptable social rules will awaken your authenticity. It is brave to witness who you truly are and choose who you desire to become.
So here we are in this uncomfortable yet transformative moment. As Carl Jung said, facing our shadow isn’t easy; it’s about shouldering our part of the world’s unsolved problems. Through my work as an Alignment and empowerment guide, I’ve seen the power of reprogramming our Emotional Architecture. It’s about reclaiming our creative center and aligning our instincts with our thoughts and actions. So, as you navigate this journey, remember that you have the power to choose who you want to be in this beautifully simple yet complex life.
Join our monthly Elevation Session to explore the transformative power of reprogramming your Emotional Architecture. As an Alignment and Embodiment guide, I’ve witnessed the profound effects of reclaiming our creative center and aligning instincts with thoughts and actions. Dive deeper into this topic by visiting the QR code or link below. Remember, you hold the power to shape who you become in this beautifully simple yet complex life.
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