Introduction
If you landed here from Instagram, welcome. That post was just the beginning. This is where we go deeper—into the heart of shadow work, how it affects your body, your emotional patterns, and your hormonal balance as a woman. This isn’t surface-level self-help. This is real integration.

Shadow work is the practice of bringing awareness to the parts of yourself that have been hidden, suppressed, or shamed. These parts often live in your unconscious mind and, when unaddressed, can quietly shape your emotions, reactions, relationships, and even your health.

Rooted in the teachings of Swiss psychoanalyst Carl Jung, shadow work invites us to integrate—not eliminate—the forgotten parts of ourselves. It’s not about fixing what’s broken. It’s about becoming whole.

What Is the Shadow Self?
According to Jung, the shadow is the “unintegrated self.” It includes everything you’ve had to repress in order to be accepted or survive: anger, desire, grief, shame, or even your natural confidence and voice.

For women, this shadow often forms early. We’re told to be quiet, gentle, agreeable. As a result, we internalise the idea that assertiveness, rage, sexuality, and strong boundaries are undesirable.

Over time, these suppressed parts don’t just fade—they solidify. They leak into our triggers, our reactions, our bodily tension, our symptoms. They can live in the womb, the gut, the throat. They can feel like depression, anxiety, or emotional reactivity.

This is why shadow work becomes so vital—not just as a spiritual practice, but as a physical, hormonal, and emotional healing journey.

What Is Shadow Work?
Shadow work is the process of gently and consciously meeting your repressed or rejected parts. It helps you:

• Notice what triggers you—and why

• Break free from looping emotional patterns

• Make room for your full range of emotion

• Reclaim the power, passion, and wisdom you buried

It’s not a quick fix. It’s a compassionate return to your truth.

For example: If you’re constantly triggered by people who are loud, confident, or unapologetic, shadow work asks—what part of you has been silenced? If you self-sabotage when something good is coming your way, shadow work asks—who taught you you weren’t allowed to receive?

It’s a process of reparenting, rebalancing, and unlearning.

How the Shadow May Affect the Body
Though it begins in the psyche, the shadow can be deeply embodied. Many women find that unprocessed emotions manifest through physical symptoms—especially when stored in the nervous system or reproductive organs.

While there’s no clinical proof that shadow material causes illness, many somatic therapists and trauma researchers suggest a strong mind-body link. In particular, unacknowledged emotional wounds may correlate with:

• Hormonal imbalances (e.g. PCOS, PMDD, endometriosis)

• Burnout, adrenal fatigue, and chronic exhaustion

• Skin and gut issues

• Sensory overload or shutdown

• Difficulty regulating emotions

Trauma that lives in the body often shows up cyclically—before your period, in moments of stress, or when you’re finally still. If you’ve been treated for these symptoms but nothing helps long-term, exploring the emotional and energetic root may be the missing piece.

Tools for Shadow Work
Shadow work doesn’t need to be dramatic or performative. It can be quiet, tender, and slow. Here are some ways to begin:

1. Somatic Journaling – Instead of analysing your thoughts, write from the perspective of your emotions. Start with prompts like: “My fear says...”, “My rage feels like...”, or “The part of me I hide wants to say..."

2. Nervous System Tracking – Learn to recognise your stress responses (freeze, fight, flight, fawn). These can point to unresolved trauma and shadow patterns. Track them without judgement.

3. Body Scanning – Sit in stillness and scan your body for areas of heat, tension, or numbness. Ask gently, “What are you holding here?” This builds a somatic relationship with your shadow.

4. Breathwork – Use practices like box breathing (4-4-4-4), long exhales, or 4–7–8 breathing to regulate your nervous system. Creating safety in your body is what allows deeper emotional material to rise.

5. Mirror Work – Stand in front of a mirror and look into your own eyes. Speak gently to the parts of you that feel unseen, dismissed, or too much. This can be powerful for re-parenting the inner child or meeting the inner critic.

6. Reading & Study – Deepen your understanding with these foundational texts:

   • Owning Your Own Shadow by Robert A. Johnson – A concise Jungian intro.

   • Women Who Run With the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estés – Archetypal stories of the wild feminine.

   • The Body Keeps the Score by Dr. Bessel van der Kolk – The science of trauma in the body.

   • Healing the Fragmented Selves of Trauma Survivors by Janina Fisher – Practical tools from somatic therapy.

A Feminine Approach to Integration
Traditional shadow work often focuses on psychology and language. But many women need to move, feel, and ritualise their healing.

Try:

• Somatic movement – Slow, intuitive movement (even just swaying or shaking) can help your body release stored emotion.

• Ritual baths – Add herbs, oils, or flowers. Water softens the body’s defences and helps transmute stuck emotions.

• Womb connection – Breathe into your womb space. Place your hands there and ask: what am I holding?

• Cycle tracking – Use a journal or app to track when emotional patterns arise. Many shadows surface in the luteal (pre-menstrual) phase.

• Creative expression – Use art, sound, poetry, or movement to express what doesn’t have words.

You don’t have to explain everything you feel. Sometimes, your body leads—and your mind follows.

Solitude Is Essential
Healing can’t happen in constant noise. Shadow work requires intentional space—away from performance, people-pleasing, and the expectations of others.

Being alone doesn’t mean you’re broken. It means you’re listening.

In solitude, we meet our shadow. We hear the parts that whisper instead of scream. We face what arises when no one else is watching.

This is why being okay with being alone is a superpower. Solitude is not emptiness—it’s alignment.

Final Thoughts
Shadow work isn’t about fixing yourself. It’s about becoming more whole. The parts of you that feel inconvenient or “too much” may actually be your greatest teachers.

When you stop abandoning yourself—and start listening with compassion—you begin to reclaim your energy, your body, and your truth.

This is your invitation to begin.

References:

• Jung, C.G. (1959). Aion: Researches into the Phenomenology of the Self. Princeton University Press.

• Johnson, R.A. (1991). Owning Your Own Shadow. HarperOne.

• Estés, C.P. (1992). Women Who Run With the Wolves. Ballantine Books.

• van der Kolk, B. (2014). The Body Keeps the Score. Penguin Books.

• Fisher, J. (2017). Healing the Fragmented Selves of Trauma Survivors. Routledge.

Disclaimer:
This content is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Please consult a qualified healthcare provider for personalised medical or psychological support. Shadow work can bring up intense emotions and may be best explored with the guidance of a licensed therapist or somatic practitioner.

- vagigi