Hayes Minich

“9. Presence. Presence is an overused word that is accompanied by a lack of understanding. Presence is the experience of the present moment, the experience of this very moment in time, but is before me, when I am experiencing parentheses even as I read this line parentheses. Breathing is an extremely important part of being present you are present, you cannot simultaneously worry about the unknown future or being anxious about your mistakes. Presence is now, this moment, this breath, this current experience.
The benefits of practicing presence arise out of untangling yourself from the stories in your head. We don't experience the things that happen to us, we experience what we tell ourselves about what happened to us. Shut up often these stories are filled with your imagination, padded with drama to make it a better story to tell.
HOW DOES THIS SERVE YOU IN RETURNING TO WHOLENESS?
In Western culture we have only been learning about presence in the last few decades, yet learning to be present in the moment is important. To be present now in this moment will support you in detaching from how you have seen yourself, as you allow your new way of being to be fully expressed.”
― Michelle Wadleigh, Shadow Work: A Spiritual Path to Healing and Integration

“7. Journaling
Using your journal as a place where you can purge miscellaneous upsetting thoughts, where you can release what has you worried, or where you can say what needs to be said without fear of judgment will support you in freeing stale and stagnant energy.
Journaling throughout shadow work will help you free yourself so you can make room for what's to come. Think of your journal as a place where you can take things like pain or confusion or anger out of your body and onto the page. A journaling practice is great for many things, but specifically it is a very supportive process for shadow work.
HOW DOES THIS SERVE YOU IN RETURNING TO WHOLENESS?
Some of your shadows have lived inside of you for an exceptionally long time. Journaling is a wonderful way to release some of the energy attached to these shadows. In a journal, you are free to express yourself without concern of any judgment or criticism.”
― Michelle Wadleigh, Shadow Work: A Spiritual Path to Healing and Integration

“5. Mindshifting Affirmative Prayer, Also Called Mindshift
Affirmative prayer or mindshift is the act of speaking a word of affirmation that captures your undivided attention and sets the intention of shifting your mindset. Science has now proven that the body and the mind work together and influence each other. For further investigation into the science, check out How God Changes Your Brain by Andrew Newberg, MD, and Mark Waldman. When we speak an affirmation or prayer, our mind and our body are affected simultaneously. Learning to keep your mind and your word synchronized to support life-affirming ideas will support you not only throughout the journey of this book but beyond and throughout your life.
Our world is created out of our words. Our words, fully ingested, will be acted upon not by some superstitious power or deity, but by the universal vibration that creates. Remember, everything is created twice: It's first created in your imagination and then in form or in opportunity, or healing. This regularly spoken word helps you align with your highest and best, preparing you for improved health and happy relationships. And an often-negated perk is that as you raise your understanding and improve the texture of your life, it impacts the world at large-for there is no private good. We are all in this together.
HOW DOES THIS SERVE YOU IN RETURNING TO WHOLENESS?
The spoken word creates a new inner landscape, one of love, compassion, and acceptance, when used properly.
And, very specifically, when you are able to, speak the words of the affirmative scripts out loud with all of the feeling you can give to them. This makes it easier for you to feel the vibration and power of these words, and shifts are more predictable when we are passionate about what we are saying.”
― Michelle Wadleigh, Shadow Work: A Spiritual Path to Healing and Integration

“6. Blessing
Let's take this word out of the realm of religion and instead begin to use this word as an action that we take to add love, hope, and renewed possibility to a given situation. Consciously blessing something changes the way we engage with it. For example, if you are someone who doesn't like taking medication, but your body requires that you do, if you bless the medication, your body receives it differently and interacts with it in a way that leads you to greater health experience. A deeper resource for how your body responds to your thinking is It's the Thought That Counts by David R. Hamilton. If you are struggling with an individual, blessing them instead of condemning or judging them will alter how you see them.
To bless something or someone is a way of raising your sight as you anticipate a life-affirming outcome. You cannot condemn someone while blessing them. When we condemn, we close down, but when we bless, we open up. Blessing someone or a situation changes the dynamics of what is before you.
HOW DOES THIS SERVE YOU IN RETURNING TO WHOLENESS?
To bless yourself, others, and your shadow is to change the energy around them.
Your shadow will reveal itself more easily when blessed.”
― Michelle Wadleigh, Shadow Work: A Spiritual Path to Healing and Integration