Shadow Work Meditation: You Were Taught Not To Feel

Nobody told you directly, don't feel that. It was subtler. A look. A silence. Being told you were too sensitive. Over time, you learned which feelings were acceptable. The rest went underground. But you know they're still there.

This is a recurring theme I have to manage daily in certain situations. If you want help learning how to be and feel, go over to my profile.

Shadow Work isn't something to take lightly. Please set aside 20 minutes and/or visit this meditation in parts, allowing you to build a routine of asking the questions in this meditation.

Transcript

Nobody sat you down and said, Don't feel that. It was subtler than that. A silence. Someone changing the subject. Being told you were too sensitive. Or learning slowly that certain feelings made things harder for everyone. So you adjusted. You learned which feelings were acceptable and which ones to put somewhere else. The problem is. . . Those feelings didn't go anywhere? They just went underground. That's what we're looking at today. Let's start where it's safe to start. In the body. Get comfortable, Feet on the floor, Hands resting easy. Slow breathing through the nose, Let it travel all the way into your belly. And release it. No rush. Feel your body settle a little more with each breath out. In slowly. And out. Notice if there's any tension you've been carrying today. You don't need to fix it. Just notice it's there. You're safe here. Nothing you feel in this practice is wrong. Think about the last time you felt something and immediately pushed it aside. Not because you chose to, Just automatically, Like a reflex. Maybe it was sadness that came up and you told yourself to get on with it. Maybe it was fear. And you called it something more acceptable. Stress, Tiredness. Maybe it was her. And you turned it into distance. Where do you feel that suppression in your body right now? That pulling away from something? Stay there for a moment. Don't try to name it yet, Just notice the sensation. You weren't born knowing how to shut feelings down. You were taught. Maybe by a father who never showed his. Maybe by a culture that framed emotion as weakness. Maybe by experiences where feeling things fully cost you something. The conditioning wasn't malicious most of the time, It was just passed on. Generation to generation, Nobody questioning it. What feeling do you think you were taught, Most strongly, To keep to yourself? Don't overthink it. Whatever came up first, That's probably the one. And where, Even now. Does that feeling still try to surface? Here's what I want you to hold on to from this. The feelings you were taught to suppress, They're not signs of weakness, They're information. And when you cut off access to that information for long enough. You lose the ability to read yourself accurately. You stop knowing what you actually want, What you actually need. What's actually wrong? Reclaiming that isn't about falling apart. It's about getting honest with yourself. Quietly. Privately. One feeling at a time. That's what this practice is for. One final breath in. Let it go completely. Feel the ground beneath you. Feel yourself here. Present. Steady. Whatever came up in this practice, Let it stay with you gently. No pressure to do anything with it right now. Just let it be known. You felt something today that matters. Take your time coming back. Good work. Underneath every version of yourself you've ever performed. There's something steadier. Something that doesn't need an audience. That's what we're working toward. Take your time coming back. Good work. And remember this is deep work. If you feel called, Reach out. I'd be honoured to witness your being and becoming.