Please read the Shadow Teacher article first to learn more about shadow animal teachers, and also to see if you’re ready to do this visualisation yet or not.
Visualisation to your Shadow Teacher
1. Find a quite place that isn’t too bright, and slow your breathing down. Focus on breathing deeply into your gut, and also breathing out slowly. Focus on this and relaxing your body, particularly your shoulders, feet, forehead and muscles. Some people find it helps to imagine stress leaving them on each exhale.
2. Imagine that you are in a clearing. You can feel sunlight on your skin In this clearing there is a black bowl of water. You sit in front of it. You look down and see stones with Y and N carved onto them. You ask the bowl ‘am I ready to meet a shadow teacher?’
3. If you receive an ‘N’, simply recharge your body in the clearing and then quietly leave. If you receive a ‘Y’ stand and see a path open up in your clearing. It may be a shadowy path, a bright path, fringed with trees or something else.
4. Before you walk down the path, imagine a gentle, warm and comforting light come and fall around you like a cloak. It protects all of you, and reminds you that you cannot be seriously harmed or hurt in your visualisation, and that you are connected to the divine. If you like, ask for the protection from particular deities or other animal teachers that might help you.
5. Walk down the path that appeared into another clearing. Sit down and patiently wait, respectfully, for the shadow animal to appear.
6. When it appears, school any irrational responses as best as you can and remember to be respectful. Ask it any questions you may have, or wait for it to speak to you. You may consider questions like ‘why do I fear you?’ ‘what do you have to teach me?’ ‘will you help me overcome my dislike of you?’ etc. The animal may reply in the language you speak, or it may reply in an obscure way through body language, smell, sound or something else. Be patient, and if you are confused, don’t be afraid to ask for clarity.
7. Take your time with the animal, and then once you feel finished, or you feel the animal has ‘finished’ with you, respectfully and humbly thank it for its presence.
8. Walk away from the clearing, back into the clearing with the bowl. Sit down facing away from the path, and focus on your breathing, and the feel of your surroundings.
9. When you feel ready, open your eyes and write down your experiences and thoughts, and any questions you might have for later. If you feel shaken or are still feeling frightened or uncomfortable, engage in some grounding exercises: Have something to eat and drink, watch some comforting videos, or listen to some of your favourite music.
10. You can do this meditation whenever you want, your animal/s might not always be willing to meet with you though. Be patient and remember that time is not your enemy.