What can our dreams, bodies, and deepest emotional wounds teach us about who we really are?

In this episode of Do Life with the Dark Feminine, Layla Dawn sits down with Shikhaa Vij for a conversation about self-love, inner child healing, menstruation, dream interpretation, mediumship, manifestation, and learning to trust the messages that come from within.

Shikhaa shares how heartbreak became a turning point in her own journey of self-discovery and ultimately led her toward deeper self-love. She opens up about reconnecting with younger versions of herself, creating practices that helped her heal, and eventually turning her experiences into a self-love and menstruation journal.

You’ll also hear about practical tools Shikhaa has used throughout her own healing and spiritual journey, including journaling, EFT tapping, tarot, dream work, intention setting, manifestation practices, and inner child reflection.

- What does self-love actually look like beyond affirmations and surface-level self-care?
- How can inner child healing change the way we relate to ourselves as adults?
- Can dreams carry messages from our subconscious, ancestors, or spirits?
-How can journaling help with dream interpretation and emotional healing?
- What does it mean to view menstruation as sacred rather than something to hide?

00:00 Introduction to Shikhaa Vij and her journey
02:02 Heartbreak, self-discovery, and the beginning of self-love
04:55 Embracing menstruation as sacred and divine
14:57 Creating a menstruation journal
19:57 Inner child healing and reconnecting with past versions of yourself
24:46 Dreams, ancestors, spirits, and spiritual messages
35:03 Tools for developing dream work and mediumship
40:06 Cultural beliefs surrounding menstruation in India
44:50 Manifestation, intention, and synchronicities
49:49 Self-love practices and rituals
55:00 Closing thoughts and what comes next

Links:

Website: https://shikhaavij.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shikhaa._vij

Youtube: https://youtube.com/@shikhaavij

To order Flow with Love Journal:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HMLN83JQ

Facebook Profile: https://www.facebook.com/thedarkfeminine

Instagram URL: https://www.instagram.com/dolife_coaching/?hl=en

LinkedIn URL: www.linkedin.com/in/layladawn

What is shadow work, and how can it help you understand the parts of yourself you’ve spent years hiding?

In this episode of Do Life with the Dark Feminine, Life Coach and Dark Feminine Embodiment Coach Layla Dawn explores shadow work through the lens of Carl Jung, psychology, emotional awareness, identity, and personal growth.

Your “shadow” is not necessarily the bad, broken, angry, or undesirable side of you. It can include any part of yourself you learned to suppress because it didn’t feel acceptable, safe, lovable, or appropriate. That might include anger, ambition, sensuality, intuition, confidence, creativity, boundaries, vulnerability, your ability to say no, or even your capacity to choose yourself.

Sometimes the qualities we bury are the very qualities we need in order to feel whole again.

Layla breaks down how these hidden parts can develop through childhood experiences, family dynamics, social conditioning, relationships, and the beliefs we form about what we have to do to receive love, approval, belonging, or acceptance.

You’ll also learn how your unconscious beliefs can continue influencing your adult life through people-pleasing, perfectionism, emotional avoidance, self-sabotage, unhealthy relationship patterns, difficulty setting boundaries, jealousy, resentment, triggers, and repeating behaviors you consciously want to change.

Layla also shares a practical shadow work process: notice, name, understand, regulate, and choose. Instead of automatically reacting to a trigger, emotion, or familiar pattern, you can begin examining what is underneath it, where the belief came from, whether it still serves you, and what you want to choose moving forward.

You’ll hear practical shadow work exercises involving journaling, emotional awareness, identifying triggers, examining judgments, recognizing recurring patterns, exploring suppressed desires, and questioning the beliefs behind your behavior.

The goal of shadow work isn’t to become someone new. It’s to become more conscious of the parts of yourself you rejected, suppressed, or abandoned so you can decide what deserves to be reclaimed and integrated.

For Layla, this is also where shadow work meets the Dark Feminine: reclaiming your voice, intuition, sensuality, boundaries, anger, desire, ambition, power, autonomy, and ability to disappoint others without abandoning yourself in the process.

If you’ve ever wondered why you keep repeating the same patterns, struggle to say no, suppress your emotions, make decisions based on other people’s expectations, or feel disconnected from who you really are, this episode offers a place to start.

And if you’re ready to go deeper, Layla shares a free 7-Day Shadow Work Journal with guided daily exercises designed to help you uncover patterns, identify hidden beliefs, and begin integrating the parts of yourself you’ve kept in the shadows.

Shadow work is not about becoming darker.

It’s about becoming more whole.

Facebook Profile: https://www.facebook.com/thedarkfeminine

Instagram URL: https://www.instagram.com/dolife_coaching/?hl=en

LinkedIn URL: www.linkedin.com/in/layladawn

7 Day Free Journal

Summary

In this episode, Layla Dawn explores the pervasive issue of overconsumption, particularly in the realms of information, digital media, and material goods. She discusses the psychological and neurological factors that contribute to this behavior, including dopamine addiction and the impact of constant digital stimulation on creativity and mental health. The conversation also delves into various types of overconsumption, the science behind it, and practical strategies to combat it, encouraging listeners to shift from passive consumption to active creation.

Takeaways

Overconsumption is often hidden in plain sight.

Information procrastination can lead to stagnation.

We may not realize our addiction to consumption.

Digital media consumption can weaken impulse control.

The dopamine feedback loop drives our consumption habits.

Creativity requires mental downtime and space.

Implementing learned information is crucial for growth.

Setting boundaries with technology can enhance focus.

Mindfulness practices can help combat overconsumption.

Community support is vital for accountability and growth.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Overconsumption

01:38 The Cycle of Overconsumption

05:12 Understanding the Psychological Triggers

08:02 The Impact of Digital Media

10:20 Material Goods and Emotional Consumption

13:33 The Dopamine Loop and Instant Gratification

17:42 The Science Behind Overconsumption

21:38 Self-Reflection and Breaking the Cycle

30:17 Overcoming Analysis Paralysis

31:18 The Impact of Information Overload

31:46 The Importance of Downtime for Creativity

32:43 Mental Health and Cognitive Function

34:33 Creating Before Consuming

38:20 Strategies for Balanced Consumption

48:47 Accountability and Community Support

54:35 Embracing Imperfection in Creation

Links

https://youtu.be/f3B2zEKNF8M?si=-uaPFnp_eIHMKJ5P

https://youtu.be/31emlrbCi0o?si=IiHPJhHRvyFytjHE

https://youtu.be/dN6mVsmKiR8?si=mKBVlZVrkGziJN3o

Send us a text

Support the show

Do Life Website

www.layladawndoeslife.com

Certified Life and Business Coaching

Calendly - Layla Dawn

https://calendly.com/layladawndoeslife

Lumivitae Bottle

https://layla7859158384984.lumivitae.com

Join My Lumivitae Team

https://layla7859158384984.lumivitae.com/register

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100087296620862

LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/in/layladawn/?lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_flagship3_feed%3BPgTMeoJKSceLs9UXfCGN6g%3D%3D