What do we mean when we talk about shadow and light?
There is a historic duality that creates a hierarchy with light as superior to shadow; with light symbolizing goodness, purity, holiness; and shadow symbolizing evil, dirty, and sin. This dualistic hierarchy has been used as a justification for racism, for war, for unthinkable hatred and violence. This dualism has not only fractured society—it has also fractured the inner-psyche. We are told (and thereby we tell ourselves) that there are parts of us that are better than other parts; there are feelings that are okay to have and feelings that are not. Aspects of our work with shadow and soul follows from the lineage of Carl Jung, but we are not exclusively Jungian, and draw from many models to craft our unique approach.
Our work is a de-stigmatization of shadow—it is a reclamation of what has been devalued in ourselves. ShadowLight Centering is a practice of self-reunion. Doing this inner-work gives one a foundation to help others do the same, to create a ripple effect in homes, workplaces, and communities; to dismantle these systems of inter-personal exclusion, judgement, violence. We see this work fundamentally as soul-activism.
We at Shadowlight Center are committed to deconstructing systemic traumas. We approach this by a de-colonization of the mind and body; a breaking down the artifices inside us that take the shape of judgement and bias and disconnection from the mind the body and the soul. This colonization has put humans not just in conflict within ourselves, but each other, and has put us in opposition to nature. It is like a sickness that is fueling humanity’s decline. Honoring nature, indigenous ancestors, and the keepers of indigenous wisdom are cornerstones of de-colonizing minds and bodies.
How does the shadow affect our behavior when it is not looked at or suppressed?
Often the shamed or rejected parts of ourselves are shadows motivating behavior and actions. For instance, let’s say someone has social anxiety. To deal with these unwanted feelings, they drink alcohol and this behavior over time has lots of consequences. Looking into the shadows, it is uncovered that underneath the social anxiety is a feeling of low self-worth. By nurturing and integrating this feeling of low self-worth, the anxiety diminishes as does the need to mask it with alcohol. We will guide you to welcome, befriend, and recover the lost or shamed parts. Shadow integration helps us reconnect and relate with these marginalized parts. By bringing attention and curiosity to the shadow we learn to sit with all that is us—recovering the assets and wisdom of these parts to engage in a process of becoming whole.
It can happen with our light as well—our light is the part of us that we see; who we feel we are, our hopes and our dreams. This too can get mixed with other people’s light and we lose sight of who we are. For instance, a client’s family always wanted them to be a doctor. This client always wanted to help the world, so they went along with their prodding. But somewhere along the way they felt lost and trapped in a career they didn’t want; it just didn’t feel like their dream, because it never actually was. Through the work they distinguished their light from the light of their parents and they came to learn that they always wanted to be a teacher—that was the way they wanted to help the world.
Learn to distinguish what is yours from what is not
We are permeable as creatures, and take on the unexamined shadows and light of our family of origin as well as society. Over time we can get clouded over by other people’s beliefs and energies. This becomes so convincingly a part of us that we mistake who we are for what it is not even ours, and then wonder why we can’t relate to ourselves. We wonder why we are living lives that don’t seem aligned, have trouble relating to others, or find ourselves in careers or in relationships that leave us feeling lost. In addition to holding what is not even ours, we hold the unprocessed grief of the losses we endure; people and pets, opportunities and ideas, the shamed parts of ourselves, the continued mistreatment of our earth, our ancestry; and feel directionless with the enormousness of it all.
Our unique integrated approach that draws from lineages of somatic psychotherapy, experiential and gestalt, psychoanalysis, cognitive therapy, art therapy, dance/ movement therapy, mindfulness, visualization, and potent clairvoyant grounding meditations that help you run your energy and understand your own energetic architecture. ShadowLight Centering will help to free yourself of the blockages in your channel and open yourself up to inspiration, direction, and authenticity—this work is a practice of self-initiation, of self-authorization, it is a homecoming to the clean and clear psychosomatic house of the mind and body and the soul.
Who this work can benefit:
Major life transitions and existential confusion
Grief over a loss, ancestral or earth grief
Trauma (ancestral, sexual, emotional, systemic)
Integrating plant medicine / psychedelic experiences
Uncontrollable anxiety
Sinking, heavy or depressive feelings
Feeling disconnected from self
Struggling with addictive tendencies
In need of healing from trauma you can or cannot explain
Inability to find your voice or creativity
Trouble communicating authentically and clearly
Challenges in developing a meditation practice
Desire for a deeper connection to your spiritual path or connection to earth
Develop greater body awareness
Learn breath practices to calm you down, wake you up, and/or gain precise clarity
What People Are Saying
“Jason introduced me to imagery work that helped me to identify family energy and wounds in my space with such palpable compassion and heart. This work has been transformative for me.”
— TM
“Corinne is thoughtfully accurate and present to the way I held old patterns in my body that were connected to my moods. By guiding me, always with gentleness and depth, I was able to grow into a state of being that was fully alive and completely me.
— SG
“Corinne finds a way to cause palpable shifts in not only the energy of my day, but also the greater picture of my life.”
— Angela Mulligan, Director of Creating Resonance
