The Dark Season Isn’t Something to Fear: Finding Strength in Shadow Work
As the days grow shorter and the nights stretch longer, it’s natural to feel a shift. For some, fall feels cozy and grounding. For others, it brings up heaviness, grief, or that familiar whisper of the inner critic.
Here’s the truth: the dark season isn’t something to fear. It’s an invitation. A chance to pause, shed what no longer serves (just like the trees), and reconnect with the parts of yourself you’ve been avoiding.
This is the heart of shadow work—not a punishment, but a pathway back to wholeness.
🍂 What Is Shadow Work, Really?
Shadow work isn’t about fixing yourself. It’s about getting curious about the parts of you you’ve pushed away—the grief, the shame, the anger, the unmet needs.
Those parts aren’t here to ruin your life. They’re here to be seen. To be heard. To remind you of your humanness.
When you meet your shadows with compassion instead of judgment, something shifts:
The grief softens into tenderness.
The inner critic quiets when it feels understood.
The masks you’ve been wearing start to feel less necessary.
🕯️ Seasonal Shifts as a Teacher
Fall is nature’s reminder that letting go is sacred. Trees don’t fight to keep their leaves—they release them, trusting in the cycle of rest and renewal.
We’re invited to do the same. To notice what we’re holding onto that no longer feels aligned. To create rituals of release—whether that’s journaling, burning old stories, or simply breathing deeper into the spaces we’ve been holding tight.
This isn’t about forcing change. It’s about allowing space for the true self to emerge from underneath the layers.
🌙 Mindfulness, Creativity, and Movement for Shadow Season
Here are a few gentle practices to work with your shadows this fall:
Mindfulness: Sit quietly with your inner critic. Instead of shutting it down, ask: What are you afraid will happen if you’re not in charge? Notice what arises without judgment.
Creative Expression: Write a letter to your grief. Paint with darker colors and notice what emotions surface. Let your shadows have a voice.
Movement: Try a slow, grounding yoga flow or restorative shapes. As you settle into stillness, imagine your body as a tree releasing what no longer needs to be carried.
💛 Coming Home Through the Dark Work
The dark season isn’t about losing yourself—it’s about remembering who you are underneath the masks, the critic, and the grief. When you allow space for the shadow, you create room for light.
This is where the real coming home begins.
✨ Want Support Through This Season?
You don’t have to navigate the dark work alone. Together, we can use mindfulness, creative expression, and movement to help you soften into the shadows and reconnect with your true self.
Explore with me in 1:1 Aligned Living Coaching – personalized guidance for shadow season.
Keep tending to your light — it’s already enough. ✨🌿
With warmth,
Jess 🤍
