November 2022 Week 2

We continue our studies of the 4th Klesha - Dvesha, Hatred. This is the repulsion felt towards any person or object that is a source of pain or unhappiness to us. How can we avoid the suffering we create by trying to avoid that which is repulsive to us? Something we have an aversion to?
Amazing that the work I am doing this week with the cleanse lines up perfectly with this Klesha - Shadow Work. What the heck is that?
“Unless you learn to face your own shadows, you will continue to see them in others, because the world outside of you is only a reflection of the world inside of you.” Carl Jung
The shadow is simply the dark side of someone's personality. And what is dark is always known only indirectly through projection. That is, one discovers his dark side as something belonging to others: friends, relatives, fictitious characters, etc. The shadow is a trait, desire or emotion, whether positive or negative that is unacceptable to an individual’s conscious ego and as such remains unexpressed and hidden in the unconscious.
Psychologist Ken Wilbur said: Shadow work either-
-Makes you negatively hypersensitive, easily triggered, reactive, irritated, angry, hurt or upset. Or it may keep coming up as an emotional tone or mood that pervades your life.
-Or makes you positively hypersensitive, easily infatuated, possessive, obsessed, overly attracted, or perhaps it becomes an ongoing idealization that structures your motivations or mood.

It is important to know your shadow isn’t a flaw or a mistake - instead, it’s a natural part of who you are. Shadow work is, at heart, about developing self-awareness and ultimately, self - acceptance and compassion.
Once again we are brought back to the first Klesha, Avyida, spiritual ignorance. If we are not “spiritually fit”, we not be self aware and will be pulled into an outward focus for our “happiness”, our energy will be exhausted by our reaching for pleasure and pushing away the negative circumstances in our lives. Our time together as a “hygge” Calm Crew is an attempt at giving you and me the opportunity as a community for gentle self awareness, self acceptance and compassion. Together we can free up our energy of avoiding or judging so we are fully present and joyful in our moments, not missing what is right in front of us!


As I said last week, this way of living for me needs much spiritual support!! Our intention this month: I commit to my spiritual path is my reminder to stay the course and keep doing the work!
Can you see any “shadow” parts of yourself that may be showing up when you have a strong reaction to something or someone? Take the time to identify what is behind the feeling and see if possibly it is a disowned part of yourself. Take the time to do this weeks practice or at least listen to my dharma at the beginning for a little more of an explanation of the connection of Dvesha and Shadow work. In order to be honest with ourselves in this way we need a spiritual path of some sort. What is yours? How can you be committed to it? Again, as I said last week, we all have our unique approach to living spiritually centered and this is a perfect time to commit to ourselves as we approach the busy holiday season over the next couple of months. We need to give ourselves the gift of a true commitment to our spiritual path and to living from the inside joy and then out to others!