Manifestation and Shadow Work: Unlocking Your Full Potential

What if the key to manifesting your dreams wasn’t just about setting intentions or creating vision boards? What if the real magic of manifestation and shadow work lay in stepping into the energy of your desires and clearing the hidden blocks that hold you back?

Manifestation becomes more powerful when it’s embodied—when you feel your desires as if they’re already real. But to truly align with your dreams, you also need to face what’s lurking in the shadows: the fears, beliefs, and patterns that keep you stuck. By combining embodiment with shadow work, you can unlock the full potential of your manifestation practice.

Let me share how my husband and I manifested the seemingly impossible—a home of our own—and how shadow work and embodiment helped us make it a reality.

Manifestation Through Embodiment: Feeling Your Desires

A confident woman standing in golden light, embodying the energy of her desires.

Manifestation is more than just wishing for what you want. It’s about stepping into the version of yourself who already has it. Embodiment means aligning your thoughts, emotions, and actions with your desires.

For example:

If you’re manifesting confidence, how does a confident version of you stand, speak, or move?
If you’re manifesting abundance, how does it feel in your body to live in financial freedom?

Embodiment anchors your desires in the present moment, making them more magnetic. It signals to your subconscious—and the universe—that you’re ready to receive.

Explore how embodying archetypes like The Queen or The Mystic can help you align with your goals and desires in this post on fantasy archetypes.

When my husband and I set our sights on buying a house, we didn’t just dream about it—we embodied the feeling of living there. We used the pictures and texts from the real estate agent, calling them “the sacred texts,” and imagined every detail: which room would be what, how it would feel to live there, even what it would smell like.

We did it in a playful way, looking at the “sacred texts” weekly, holding onto the energy of possibility, and staying open to how it could happen. Embodiment made it feel real, even though, in reality, it should have been impossible—he was on welfare, and I was freelancing. But we refused to let that stop us.

Shadow Work: Clearing the Blocks

But embodiment wasn’t enough. I had deep-seated beliefs that I needed to confront first.

A woman journaling in a dim room with symbolic shadows on the walls, representing shadow work and transformation.

As someone who grew up in a somewhat poor family with a single mum and my two siblings, I didn’t have much self-belief when it came to money. The idea of buying a house felt enormous—almost impossible. A voice in the back of my head kept whispering: “Money only comes when you struggle. You have to sacrifice your mental and physical health to succeed.”

These beliefs showed up as self-doubt, procrastination, and self-sabotage. They were like invisible chains, holding me back.

Shadow work helped me uncover where those beliefs came from and reframe them.

I used journaling to explore the roots of my doubts and meditate to connect with a new narrative. I talked openly with my trusted people to anchor these new beliefs further. Slowly, I began to realise something vital about manifestation: it demands irrevocable belief, a non-negotiable decision about your desire, and an openness to how it will come to pass.

My Journey with Embodiment and Shadow Work

Looking back, our house felt like a miracle—but it wasn’t. It was the result of combining shadow work, embodiment, and unwavering belief.

There wasn’t one big, life-changing moment. Instead, there were many small moments of realisation, often after the fact. Reflection was key. Each step we took—from visualising the house to exploring alternative financing options with the real estate agent—came from a place of belief and aligned action.

At one point, my husband even cancelled our flat. We had three months to make it happen, or we’d be homeless. That bold decision turned our manifestation into a non-negotiable reality.

When the bank said no, we stayed open to other possibilities, and the real estate agent kept coming back with creative solutions. Our belief and embodiment opened doors that logic said should stay closed.

How to Combine Embodiment and Shadow Work

A journal, crystals, and a candle on a table, representing practical tools for manifestation and shadow work.

Ready to try this for yourself? Here’s a broad overview of how to bring shadow work and embodiment into your manifestation practice:

Uncover Your Shadows
- Reflect on what fears or beliefs might be holding you back. Ask yourself:
  - What’s the worst thing that could happen if I achieved my dream?
  - When did I first learn this belief, and is it really true?
Reframe and Release
- Identify limiting beliefs and reframe them:
  - “I have to struggle to succeed” becomes “I can create success with ease and alignment.”
- Use journaling, EFT tapping, or meditation to release emotional blocks.
Embody Your Desires
- Visualise your dreams as already real. Ask yourself:
  - What does it feel like to already have this?
  - What aligned actions can I take today?
- Take small, inspired steps that align with your vision.
Integrate Both Practices
- Start your day with embodiment (e.g., visualising and stepping into your dream energy).
- End your day with shadow work reflection to uncover and release any blocks that surfaced.

Grounding yourself is a powerful first step in aligning with your desires. Learn how to create a grounding ritual in The Foundation of Your Magic: A Grounding Ritual to Begin Your Journey.

Your Next Step: Step Into Your Hero’s Journey

Combining embodiment and shadow work can feel like stepping into the hero of your own story—facing challenges, unlocking your potential, and becoming the person who lives the life of your dreams.