Because shadow integration sessions with me are like invisible surgery, I ask my clients to take extra care with themselves following our time together. Many clients experience symptoms of their changes for several days to a week following our session.

 

Part of what I do is to give your human body permission to release patterns that no longer serve you. Though these old patterns have led to suffering, keep in mind that your system has become accustomed to them, and so moving them out will likely cause a brief period of upset as you arrive at your new, more integrated state. Know that it is a normal and healthy part of the healing process to experience temporary periods of intense emotion and hypersensitivity, sometimes accompanied by physical symptoms such as fatigue, abdominal discomfort, changes in bowel movement, and / or increased bodily tension.

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Do your best to have patience with your rapidly changing embodiment, and know that it will pass, just as a mother experiences the pain of giving birth. 

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Here are a few ways that I suggest taking extra care of yourself during your time of recovery and regeneration: 

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- Behave as if you were nursing a cold: drink as much pure water and herbal tea as you can, sleep / rest as much as possible, eat lots of vegetables and fruits, limit consumption of alcohol, sugar, and caffeine. 

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- Allow yourself to cry. A lot. Do your best to breathe deeply as you cry, letting the sobs be deep. Know that you are healing in profound ways by doing this. 

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- Talk about your experiences in our session with loved ones, and/or write about them in a journal. 

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- Exercise in a way that is fun for you. Yoga and dance are especially good. 

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- If you experience intense unpleasant emotions, try automatic writing about them: write as fast and as much as possible on a separate sheet of paper about whatever comes to mind (it may sound like "I hate..." "I want to die..."), and do not censor what you write in any way. Be as unattached as possible to what lands on that page. Then, shred, tear, or burn the page. 

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- If you are so inclined, try drawing or painting the intense and unpleasant emotion, again without censoring what you do. Explore the colors, shapes, and images that arise out of the emotion with a sense of open curiosity. 

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- Above all, cultivate an inner attitude of gentle kindness toward your fragile, emerging, and radically transforming self. 

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- If you still feel stuck, please contact me and I am happy to send along further resources or have a conversation.