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Shadow Work Colorado, Taming the Shadow of Fear!

Shadow Work Colorado, Taming the Shadow of Fear
Have you ever been on the verge of launching yourself into a new project but felt like something was stopping you? Have you recognized that fear is keeping you back from something? At some time, we all experience this fear of putting ourselves out there – whether it is for a new job, a new love or a new way of being seen. One of the things I love about Shadow Work® is that we acknowledge and integrate fear rather than trying to push it away or avoid it. 
I’m going to be writing about the quadrant of the Magician that we use in our work. If you haven’t listened to the model of Shadow Work® that we use, I encourage you to listen to it at this youtube link so that this makes sense. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRKggJAQPks
An aspect of the Magician archetype deals with fear. This is a part of ourselves that we all have, called the Risk Manager. The Risk Manager’s job is to keep us safe. Most of us developed risk managers when we were very young to keep us safe in our families. The Risk Manager helped us to put parts of ourselves into our shadow bags that weren’t safe so that we wouldn’t get hurt.
So here we are, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 or more years later, wanting to express more of who we are in the world in some way. NOPE, says the Risk Manager, that is definitely NOT safe. Yet we might not recognize that voice as a part of us that is trying to help. It might sound like a critical voice, or it might just be a feeling that keeps us stuck. So year after year, we wonder why some parts of us remain stuck.
The key is to identify, acknowledge and communicate with the fear through our Risk Manager (RM). If we can make friends with this part, we may just be able to change our perception of what it is we are afraid of. The Magician quarter is all about perspective. So, following are a few steps you can take to access your Risk Manager, get a greater perspective, and tame your fear!
1.  Identify what you want that you are feeling stuck or afraid of.
For example: “I want to market my business and be more successful”
 
2.  Ask yourself – what is the risk if I get what I want? 
For example: “I might be rejected and I might fail.”
You can either ask yourself and get quiet and wait for the answer – or you can use a non-dominant hand writing process. I learned this from Lucia Capacchione’s books and have been using this method for a couple of decades. Write the question with your dominant hand and then switch the pen into your non-dominant hand for the response. This helps us to access those parts of ourselves that are less known (subconscious).
3. Acknowledge the Risk Manager for keeping you safe for so long.
For example: This did happen when I was small. Thank you for helping me and keeping me safe all of these years. (Let this acknowledgement be as authentic and deep as possible. the RM has worked hard for us and may have never been acknowledged before!)
4.  Ask yourself – is there a way that the risk is ALREADY happening in my life? 
For example:  Yes, I feel like I am failing just by NOT putting myself out there!
5. Ask yourself – am I willing to take this risk giving that there is a way that it is already happening? Risk Manager, are you willing to let me take this risk? Is the benefit worth the risk? Really feel into this. Be honest if this is a risk that you and the RM are willing to take. Better to be honest about the fear and not move forward than to beat yourself up about why you SHOULD move forward and then stay stuck.
Shadow Work is about integrating all of ourselves and letting go of shame. If we can truly embrace our Risk Managers, we can let go of some of the shame around our fear. We simply can make an empowered choice for ourselves.
Shadow Work Weekend in Boulder – 
April 29,30 and May 1
 
We have another Shadow Work weekend scheduled for April 29, 30 and May 1, 2016 in Boulder, CO.  Early bird pricing of $335 ends on March 15, after that the price is $385.  
 
Please help spread the word.
If you are interested, please contact us  to reserve your spot. We will send out more details as the date approaches, but it is Friday evening, all day Saturday and Sunday until 4pm. Please see Shadow Work Weekend information.
This will be a weekend full of Shadow Work visualizations, group exercises and center work processes. Several people will have an opportunity to do a center work process. Also, it has been our experience that holding the space of the container and playing parts for others is also healing and transforming. We will be offering several visualizations and meditations on Friday night to ground us in the energy of the four archetypes: Sovereign, Magician, Lover and Warrior.
It is a great opportunity to do this work in community, as we believe that
it takes a village to do our work! 
 
Mark Daly, JD, PCC and Jeannie Gunter, MA, PCC are certified Shadow Work ® facilitators.
This is a great opportunity if you have a partner who might be interested in the work as it is a co-ed container. We have really loved doing this work together as a couple as a way to support and deepen our relationship. Of course individuals are welcome as well.
People are experiencing personal shifts as the result of being part of this work.
Testimonials
Tom from Denver says
“I’ve been struggling for over two decades 

with an issue that I revisited many times during my personal development work journey.  While working with Mark and Jeannie in the container that they co-created I was able to recognize a piece that had been missing all of these years and have finally made peace within myself around that issue.  With a new clarity and direction I’m finding that certain events in my life are no longer a struggle and my path is clear.  Mark and Jeannie are a wonderful, dynamic couple-both deeply soulful and loving beings.  

Together they bring a wonderful balance of masculine and feminine, warrior, sovereign, lover and magician, tenderness and strong edge and are very open as learners all the while.
  I trust Mark and Jeannie completely and highly recommend them!”
Our experience is that even if it is not your turn to do a piece of center work, there is a lot to be gained from being in the container, playing parts for others, and witnessing the process.
We hope that you can join us and see if the group is a good fit for you! It is not necessary to have experience with Shadow Work to attend the practice group. What is helpful is to have done enough of your own personal growth work that you are ready to dive into work In this type of symbolic container. 
 
If you are uncertain whether this is the right container for you, please reach out to us – we are happy to have a conversation with you! Shadow Work Colorado.
Many Blessings!

Jeannie Daly-Gunter, MA, PCC
(303) 653-3097