About the Shadow

SHAME

Shame is the Shadow of the third chakra.  Guilt is “I did something bad”.  Shame is “I am bad”.  Shame takes away our power and confidence. Shame leaves us wanting to hide, run away, withdraw, or completely disappear. We can relive feelings of shame over and over in the body if we don’t deal with them. 

Shame, in the same way as guilt, lets us know when we are doing something that doesn’t align with our values. It can also keep us from behaving in ways that may result in us being rejected by others which is part of our tribe mentality.   This can be good or bad. But sometimes shame doesn’t have any purpose and is simply a result of us internalizing negative past experiences: being devalued, objectified, humiliated, or abused.

Shame is hidden in the shadows and the more it’s hidden, like fear, the stronger it grows.  When we can shine a light on our shame, bring it out into the open, identify and talk about it, we are able to heal it.  When we own our shame, we can stand more in our power.