Firstly, I'll drop a disclaimer here: I'm not a doctor or a scientist. All of this information is for informational purposes only. Please consult your physician about any medical/mental/health issues.
If you read my other blog post, then you know that I believe that shadow work is the process of exploring and understanding the parts of ourselves that we tend to hide or suppress. That is a HUGE task. To expand on this, these parts of ourselves include: emotions, thoughts, sensations, behaviors, and experiences. Understanding these areas of ourselves are HARD. Shadow work is not a linear process, it does not follow set guidelines but once you start doing the work the process begins to unfold.
To help with this, I've created my Shadow Work Tea Collection, which you probably already bought if you're reading these instructions -- but anyway! Below, you will find the prompts that belong with each of the 12 tea blends included in this collection. This process can be as chaotic or as ritualistic as you feel it needs to be. I've explained my process at the very bottom of this post for anyone unfamiliar with tea, but it can be as simply as going through these prompts in your head while you make and drink your tea or you can have an extremely detailed plan of action in a notebook at the end of this process.. it all depends on how YOU work.. which is the point of Shadow Work. You want to find balance and peace within yourself, not try to completely change your character.
As always, I'd love to hear from you about this process, but no pressure! Without further ado.. your meditation prompts:
1. Aries
Explore: Develop a deeper understanding of yourself by reflecting on your accomplishments and failures.
Address: Which do you tend to focus on? Why?
2. Taurus
Explore: Evaluate the people around you and the environment you are in to understand where you are held back.
Address: What changes do you need to make? Will you or are your burdens something you want to keep?
3. Gemini
Explore: Use your dual nature and charisma to find the balance between fitting into your current environment and being true to yourself.
Address: Do you need to alter this balance to be happy? What changes can/should you make?
4. Cancer
Explore: Look at the story behind your emotions to gain insight and better understand yourself.
Address: What strong emotions did you experience today? Why are these stories important to your day today? Will they affect tomorrow?
5. Leo
Explore: Draw on your courage to face any obstacles and make decisions from a place of strength.
Address: What goals are being affected by these obstacles? What decisions must be made to move forward?
6. Virgo
Explore: Develop discipline and focus to make forward progress towards your goals.
Address: What excuses are you giving yourself? Would you accept them from someone else?
7. Libra
Explore: Look for the harmony between all your opposing forces (Work/Life/People/Hobbies) to find balance in your life.
Address: Are any of these forces out of balance in your life? What changes need to be made?
8. Scorpio
Explore: Use your intuition to find out what’s going on beneath the surface and gain better insight.
Address: What is the current situation in your home? What possible reason could there be for this? How are you affecting it?
9. Sagittarius
Explore: Uncover your inner truth and use it to guide your actions.
Address: What is your ONE truth? Do you currently live by it?
10. Capricorn
Explore: Be patient and trust in the process as you work towards setting achievable goals.
Address: Stop. Breathe. What is the next step? Don't focus on the next until this step has been taken.
11. Aquarius
Explore: Know yourself and be honest with yourself when it comes to making decisions.
Address: What recent decisions were made for you? For others? Are you happy with these decisions or do you need to readdress them?
12. Pisces
Explore: Listen to your intuition and use your self-awareness to create meaningful change.
Address: Sit and think; who have you noticed needing help? Is it you? How can you help this person?
My Tea Process
Boil your water. If the water is too cold, you'll get weak tea.. if it's too hot, you'll get scalded tea. Either way, not a pleasant drink, but not the end of the world. 212° is the point at which water boils, if your tea wants to steep below that, pour your boiling water in your cup and wait a minute or two to add your tea. While the water boils, I fill up my reusable tea strainer, but you can also use disposable bags, or tea spoons, or whatever. Combine your water and tea and use the steep time on your label to brew the best cup.. I recommend a timer.
My Shadow Work Process
First thing's first, I have the memory of a goldfish, so I grab my handy-dandy.. notebook! I like some spontaneity in my life, so I blind pick a tea blend. Now, I write down my explore and address prompt at the top and middle of the page. I like to title the page with the zodiac sign it signifies, but that's not really required. Once my notebook is ready, I focus on the tea itself. Check your tea label, and heat your water to the temperature listed for your tea blend. While my water is boiling I begin meditating on the Explore prompt. I keep this train of thought through the entire brew process. The point of this is to be grounded and immersed in the prompt before I ever start writing. Once I sit back down at my notebook with my tea cup, I begin sipping my tea and writing my feelings and responses down. My goal is to have the Address prompt answered before I finish my cup of tea. That's my new focus for the week!