What happens when the parts of you that you’ve judged, shamed, or hidden become the very parts holding your power?
In this episode, I’m joined by Tani & Leslie Rogers, founders of the Light Dark Institute, to explore what shadow work looks like when it’s embodied — not just intellectual.
We talk about the difference between “light work” (healing, changing, improving) and “dark work” (radical approval, embracing what is), and why trying to “fix yourself” can unknowingly create more disowned parts.
We also explore how shadow work can profoundly impact sexuality — not through explicit sexual technique, but through power, shame, desire, boundaries, and nervous-system truth.
If you’ve ever felt confused about your desires, afraid of being “too much,” or trapped in patterns of people-pleasing, control, shutdown, or judgment, this conversation offers a deeper lens: your shadows aren’t the enemy — they’re an invitation back to wholeness.
In this episode, we explore:
- What “shadow” actually means (and why it’s different for every person)
- Light work vs dark work — and how they can unintentionally conflict
- Why judgment and repression create blind spots (and “boiling over”)
- How sexuality is often the most shamed and exiled part of the psyche
- Power dynamics, dominance/submission, and the real meaning of “kink”
- Safety, consent, boundaries, and why container creates freedom
- How aversion and charge can point to shadow material worth exploring
- Why relationships can become mirrors for unowned desires and fears
- The role of humor, play, and “life as play” in integrating shame
- “Dark awakening” — reclaiming protected, unconditioned parts of self
- Why this work can be deeply spiritual (even when it’s not framed that way)
- How Light Dark Institute offerings work (workshops, intensives, couples work)
- The future direction: bringing this work into nature and the wild
As you listen, I invite you to notice what lands in your body:
Where do you feel contraction, charge, curiosity, resistance, or longing?
Those signals may be your next doorway.
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