How do you do light work?

I've done the shadow work, now how did I do light work?

Apr 01, 2026

One of the big questions I’ve received from people who have completed their Shadow Work Journal is “What’s next once I’m done?”

If you have heard of shadow work and practiced that, but can’t find any information on how to do light work, this article offers tips and guidance on how.

Light work is a way to engage with the contents and dynamics of your internal world that honors the part of your Self that meets the world (your ego, persona, and true self). This is achieved through practices and exercises that expand your light-self awareness, and through intentional, inspired actions.

Light work is important because it allows you to balance the polarity of your being. The shadow is an infinite ocean of unconscious depth. If you don’t pay attention, it can pull you into a vortex. If your ego is underdeveloped, shadow work can be dangerous.

“Carl Jung, who coined the term shadow, believed that human development included recovering a connection to the self, the transpersonal center, which Keila Shaheen is calling the light.” – Dr. Connie Zweig, PhD., The Light Work Journal

Meet Your Light Self

Spotting your light self often begins with noticing the moments, patterns, and qualities that reveal your innate brilliance and strength. Here are five steps to help you identify and celebrate the aspects of yourself where your light shines:

Recognize moments of flow & joy! These moments of flow often signal that you are aligned with your inner light. They reflect the unique ways you naturally excel and express your authentic self.
Observe positive feedback from people! The qualities that others admire are windows into your inner light.
Notice where you leave a positive impact! Reflect on situations where your actions consistently uplift or inspire those around you.
Tap into your passions! Your passions reveal how your energy transforms into tangible expressions of beauty and innovation.

You begin light work with observation first. In The Light Work Journal, a complete guide on practicing Light Work, you are given this Scale of Awareness for this purpose. (see below)

Many of us are living in the gray, not quite in shadow, but not fully in light either. This scale shows a spectrum that moves from Shadow (the states that fragment us), through Gray (the states where we’re disconnected or uncertain), into Light (the states that reflect our energy, clarity, and deeper self). The fifteen emotions on The Scale of Awareness are here to help you locate yourself, give your inner world language, show you when something needs to be held and explored (shadow work), and when something’s ready to shift and expand (light work).

In this way, you can see how shadow work is light work, and light work is shadow work. Your Light = your consciousness/True Self.

In nature, light illuminates the shadow. The same goes for the nature within our being.

Use The Scale of Awareness as a tool (a kind of inner compass). By locating where you currently are on the scale, you become more aware of how your emotional state is shaping your perception, behavior, and energy. This awareness helps you consciously choose how you want to respond to life, rather than unconsciously reacting from old patterns.

A light work practice can be journaling, reflection, nervous system regulation, harnessing and expressing your talents and gifts, and becoming of service to your loved ones and community. All of which are exercises included in The Light Work journal.

You can practice lightwork by dissolving dense/stagnant emotions, or alchemizing your pain into something rich and golden.

Light work is also radiating and directing your light onto people, projects, or things.

This practice expands your energy, helps you radiate at a higher state of consciousness, and stabilizes your internal state. You become less reactive, clearer, confident, and more intentional in how you move through your life.

Your relationships improve because you communicate with greater awareness. Your decisions become more aligned because they are not driven solely by emotion or conditioning. Your energy becomes more consistent because you are no longer in a constant state of reaction. You become a magnet to aligned opportunities, and set a positive example that inspires those around you.

Light workers know how to shine their light best: whether it’s through the way they show love to others, through acts of service in their community, through sharing their wisdom, or through being an inspiration to those around them. Because of this, their light is contagious. They know how to brighten a room’s mood or hold space for someone in distress and pain. Here are 7 signs you are a lightworker.

A Simple Framework for Practicing Light Work

Step 1: Observe Without Reacting
Begin by noticing your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors in real time.
Take a mental step back and simply observe what is happening. Is something asking to be held and understood? (shadow work) Or shifted and expanded? (light work). Use the Scale of Awareness.

Step 2: Regulate, Ground, & Protect your Energy
When you move from a state of wholeness and groundedness, you are protecting yourself and your energy. Take a few slow breaths, relax your body, and allow your nervous system to settle.
Regulation creates the clarity needed for intentional action. Use the exercises found in The Light Work Journal for examples.

Step 3: Choose a Conscious Response
Once you have expanded your awareness, decide on the best way to respond to life.
This may look like changing your tone when speaking, setting a boundary for yourself, offering your love, or making time for a soul-fuelling activity.

Step 4: Repeat Consistently
Your light builds with momentum. Small moments of awareness, practiced consistently, create lasting change over time.

Start your light work journey here with The Light Work Journal.

World peace,

Keila Shaheen