3 Types of Soulwork That Instantly Free You of Fear, Guilt and Resentment

Some of the most common myths that we believe — not just personally, but as a

collective species — include:

• Our circumstances are responsible for our pain.
• Other people are responsible for our pain.
• We are at the mercy of life, therefore, we have no choice but to suffer.

The less we question our beliefs, the more they consume our lives and misguide our actions. In other words, the more we keep ourselves mindlessly busy, the smaller the voice of the soul becomes. Thus, the more confused and misled we end up.

Soulwork is the process of rediscovering that inner voice again. It provides a map to your “true north” or inner center.

We all want to discover the source of our pain. Furthermore, we all want to STOP suffering. But for many of us this is an endless pursuit.

Soulwork shows that you don’t have to keep endlessly searching to end your suffering. In fact, your suffering can perish in an instant. In other words, you don’t need to spend your life trying to sacrifice, strive and fight in order to cease suffering.

As both a teacher and student of soulwork, I want to share with you the top three forms of soulwork that can be practiced, and combined, in any moment.

Please note that while these practices can permanently stop your suffering, they do require time, effort, practice, persistence and honesty.

1. SELF-INQUIRY

Self-inquiry is the process of questioning and examining your thoughts. This skill is rarely taught to us when we are young, but it is a core practice of soulwork.

Like anything, self-inquiry requires practice and persistence. It also requires that you be absolutely honest with yourself, otherwise you will not find it effective at all.

Here are some steps:

• Ask “What am I feeling?” 
• Ask “What is the thought that is causing that feeling?” 
• Ask, “What do I feel when I believe this thought?”
• Ask, “Do I 100% know that the thought __________ is true?”

elf-inquiry doesn’t have to be formulaic. You are free to choose what questions to ask. Other examples include:

• “Can I find proof that this thought isn’t true?”
• “How do I feel when I have this thought?”
• “How would I feel without that thought?”
• “What are my underlying beliefs?”
• “Has the emotion been created by my thoughts, or the circumstance itself?”

For an excellent examination of thoughts, I recommend Byron Katie or Noah Elkrief’s work.

2. SELF-OBSERVATION

Self-observation is the practice of witnessing your thoughts, feelings and sensations objectively. It involves cultivating present moment awareness and goes hand-in-hand with the other two practices mentioned in this article (self-inquiry and Shadow Work).

Self-observation can be developed through a formal meditation practice, bodywork practice (such as yoga or qigong), consciously breathing, or the practice of daily mindfulness. The goal of it is to simply become aware of what is happening within you.

3. SHADOW WORK

Many people have asked me about what elaborate rituals to incorporate into Shadow Work. My response is that Shadow Work doesn’t have to be a big complicated or detailed practice (if you don’t want it to be)! In fact, it can be practiced in any moment.

Shadow Work is the practice of identifying, accepting, loving and integrating the parts of you that you believe are secretly shameful, embarrassing, unacceptable, ugly or scary.

Often, this process involves the practices of shamanic journeying, soul retrieval and art therapy, but at its core, Shadow Work is about self-discovery, understanding and unconditional acceptance — whatever form that takes.

Ultimately, the purpose of Shadow Work is to bring unconscious beliefs, self-images, judgements, and impulses to light — and the goal is to understand and lovingly accept them. Repression of any kind is harmful to the body, mind and soul. This is about setting yourself free.

The main steps here involve:

• Becoming aware of what you’re physically feeling.
• Becoming aware of what emotion is attached to that physical feeling.
• Becoming aware of your surroundings and what thought triggered the feeling.
• Allowing yourself to fully experience your physical and emotional sensations without avoiding, distracting or suppressing them.
• Asking, “Why did I react that way?”
• Affirming, “I forgive myself, I accept myself, I love myself.”
• Asking, “Is that really me?” In other words, is the thought, experience, discovery, personality trait, action or decision really “you?”

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