Hi! I'm Caroline, founder of Earthen Soul Work. I love trees, sunshine, and shadow work!
What is shadow work, you might ask!? Carl Jung famously said, "Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate." Shadow work is the process of making the unconscious (often referred to as "the shadow"), conscious... of learning what it is that we don't know we don't know about ourselves!
My own personal journey with shadow work has been extraordinarily rich. It's ushered me through dark nights of the soul (deep, uncomfortable, frightening transformation... ultimately for the MUCH better!); helped me to understand my own patterns and the ways that I unintentionally create the conditions for conflict in my life; and brought me into much deeper connection with life - as a living, breathing, moving, conscious force that is interconnected with every single thing.
So what led me to shadow work? Let me tell ya, it wasn't very pretty. Many years ago I hit an emotional and mental rock bottom. I was exasperated with the world looking so different than how I felt it to be. I was frustrated that I kept finding the same unhealthy relationship dynamics with person after person. I ran from my suffering for years, until I finally gave up. I didn't know what else to do - so I let it consume me.
Luckily, I found the teachers and the helpers that I needed. They taught me how to be consumed by my pain, grief, and shadow. Then they taught me how to make space for my shadow. Eventually, they taught me to become curious about it, to befriend it, and to love it. The shadow work and embodiment practices I learned help us to turn our most difficult and painful emotions into incredible wisdom. They help us not to run from ourselves, but to be ever more present and loving with ourselves. And they help us to become very savvy students of the greatest teacher, Life.