3-2-1-0 shadow work: What is 0 step??

Today, I went to an event of Bay Area Integral in Berkeley.  Today’s lecture was about turning poison into nectar tantra and the transformation of the heart.  Both of two lecturers, Ms. Sally Kempton and Mr. Marc Gafni were wonderful.  This article especially shows the 3-2-1-0 shadow work, which Mr. Gafni told us.  Have you ever read “Integral Life Practice: A 21st-Century Blueprint for Physical Health, Emotional Balance, Mental Clarity, and Spiritual Awakening?" (This book is so wonderful.  I was inspired a lot by this book.  Fortunately, I could meet one of the authors of this book, Mr. Terry Patten who was my facebook friend.  I was happy to talk with him!!)  If you have never read this book, I would like to explain 3-2-1 shadow work very briefly.  The purpose of this exercise is to undo our repression and reintegrate our shadow in order to improve our psychological health and clarity (p.41).  3-2-1 shadow process has the following three steps.

3-Face it (our shadow): In this process, we describe our shadow in as much detail as possible.

2-Talk to it: Next, we talk to our shadow (person, situation, image or sensation).

1-Be it: Lastly, we re-own our shadow.

I know this exercise very well and I try to do this when I notice that my shadow emerges in me.  However, I didn’t know the zero step…  His lecture gave me a breakthrough about shadow work.  O step is the following.

0-Take back to unique self: What do you think about shadow?  What’s the shadow?  There may be various answers in each individual, but he told us that shadow was unique self.  Each of us has a different shadow!! Shadow is unique self and unique energy.  It’s like our DNA.  Therefore, the aim of this step is to find our unique self.  For example, if my shadow is anger, my unique self may be strong power.  Let’s find our unique self hidden under our unique shadow.

Reference:Integral Life Practice: A 21st-Century Blueprint for Physical Health, Emotional Balance, Mental Clarity, and Spiritual Awakening