Seeing Your Shadow
February 2nd, 2010 | 
Author: In the U.S. today is Groundhog Day and at sunrise at Gobbler’s Knob in Pennsylvania, Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow, predicting six more weeks of winter. Perhaps it is easy for a groundhog to deal with seeing his shadow. He can simply hibernate for the remainder of the winter. How easy is it for you to deal with seeing your shadow, your shadow self? What happens when you hibernate from your shadow? How do you integrate the shadow self into working with business coaching or personal coaching clients?
Seeing your shadow can initially be uncomfortable. Even while writing that sentence I re-experienced the physical sensation of seeing my shadow self:
- My throat is tightening a bit
- My stomach is making noises (and only moments ago I finished lunch)
- My fingers are tingling from some anxiety as they touch the keyboard
As I am in the moment of this experience I am imagining what it would be like to hibernate from my shadow self.
My body is still physically uncomfortable, which is my clue that hibernating may not be the best practice when seeing my shadow. Yet, might there be some benefits of seeing your shadow? What could happen if you hibernated actively?
- Use the quiet that is possible in winter to learn from your shadow
- Ask what is good about your shadow, for those of us who are uncomfortable seeing our shadow
- Move into even more sunlight with your shadow, which will be with you anyway as, “You take yourself with you wherever you go,” and see what shows up in the brilliance of the sun
Notice what happens in your body when you read about the benefits of seeing your shadow? Here is my in-the-moment experience from going through the exercise and recording it:
- My throat opened up a bit
- My stomach stopped making noises
- My fingers are free from the tingling of anxiety
Comments are welcome on what you do when you see your shadow. And, in the spirit of Groundhog Day, comments are welcome on what you do when you see your shadow.
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Fear is one of the most complicated emotions we face. I agree – if we can learn to use our fear and work with and through it, it becomes a very different experience that can provide a surprising amount of growth and insight. If we let it scare us into our groundhog holes for the winter though, then we’re no more evolved than our groundhog friends.
Fear is not bad. It’s merely part of being human. But how we use it is what can set us apart from the less evolved.
Intersting concept. But I think the comfort or discomfort one finds in seeing their shadow comes from how well their shadow self relates back to their more visible self. If my shadow self and my real self are the same, I should be comfortable with who I am. When my shadow self is different then maybe I am not the person I thought I was, or the person I want to be.
Love your comment Susan; thanks so much. In fact, I’ve recently released a workbook on getting rid of guilt and fear and yes, fear is useful. Thanks so much.