Marianne Hill – independent Shadow Work practitioner and Trainer
At this time of year many of us are reflecting on changes we would like to make in our lives. In some instances New Year’s resolutions can bring about dramatic change, but many of us have also had the experience of resolutions being broken after a few weeks or months, and our hopes of change being dashed as the stresses and strains of everyday life overtake us. Continue Reading
Marianne Hill – Healing The Shadow Practitioner and Trainer
As we navigate the festive season this year – whatever it may mean to us,
I offer some poems and quotes exploring how we might move towards greater peace. Peace inside ourselves, in our relationships, and in the wider world. My reaction to world affairs can often be one of hopelessness – and this Christmas it seems there is much that could overwhelm us. I find the following quotes supportive when I feel this way: Continue Reading
Marianne Hill – Healing The Shadow Practitioner and Trainer
Some poems and quotes exploring love.
I do hope that something here will speak to you as you navigate your way through the Christmas season – whatever challenges and joys it may bring. Continue Reading
There are some situations which require us to be constantly alert and ready to take action to protect ourselves because our life depends on it. However, many people experience almost constant fear and anxiety even though they are aware that there is no immediate threat to their life or their physical wellbeing, they are aware that others would not feel such fear if placed in similar situations. This blog explores one possible source of such anxieties. Continue Reading
Fear is a natural and healthy response to life threatening situations. It is there to warn us about danger. Fear is not cowardice. It is a necessary warning system. It carries within it our survival instincts, instincts that have been honed by our ancestors for hundreds of thousands of years. Continue Reading
Blocking or ignoring our sadness can mean that we never get to a place where we can move on and allow our rejuvenation. It means that we don’t make space for the new, or for healing and fresh possibilities. Sadness allows things to flow, it softens and moistens us. If we don’t get the chance to feel it we can become dry and brittle. 
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Many people avoid fully feeling their sadness as they fear it is something that will overwhelm them and they may never find their way out. However, sadness is natural, and we find people naturally move out of it when they have been given support to feel their emotions deeply.
In our last blog we wrote about the importance of finding sufficient support if you are in a leadership role – whether that be the leading of others, or leading yourself forward in your life. We need to take in as much as we give out if we are to lead effectively and sustainably. In the same way that it is necessary to have vision and passion to be a good leader, receiving support is utterly essential. They are two sides of the same coin.
In this blog we speak about leadership – both of ourselves and of others. As we move past January 31st, the start of the Chinese New Year we move in to the ‘Year of the Green Horse’. For the Chinese the Green Horse represents Leadership. The horse is green to speak of Plant energy, which in Chinese Medicine represents growth, strength, movement and power, along with cooperation, flexibility and humour. 
The Horse too represents power, freedom and passion and is linked closely with Leadership.
As we said in our last blog, we believe anger is always motivated by love. Love of ourselves or others and a desire to protect ourselves or others, or to enable ourselves or others to move forward and live a rich fulfilling life with integrity and honesty. Think for the last time you were angry — what were you wanting to protect yourself from? Or what rights were you wanting to stand up for? Or what was being blocked that you wanted to move towards?