10-Minute Shadow Work Routines: Morning & Evening Practices
Ten minutes is enough. These simple morning and evening flows help you regulate, reflect, and integrate. Small steps. Real change. If you’re brand new, start with What Is Shadow Work? A Complete Guide for Healing and Growth and Shadow Work for Beginners: A Gentle Guide for Empaths.
What you’ll learn
A 10-minute morning routine to set your day.
A 10-minute evening routine to release charge.
Safe pacing using your window of tolerance.
How to journal in three lines.
Where to go next if emotions spike.
Keep the safety map nearby: Window of Tolerance: A Simple Map for Feeling Safe Again.
The principle: less is more
Short, regular sessions beat long, rare ones. We titrate. We close well. For daily variety, browse Shadow Work Rituals: Simple Daily Practices for Empaths.
10-minute morning routine
Minute 1: Arrive
Feel your feet. One slow exhale. Name three colours in the room. See Window of Tolerance for why this works.
Minute 2–3: Breath
4-4-6 (inhale 4, hold 4, exhale 6). Shoulders melt 1% each exhale.
Minute 4–6: Move
Gentle Qi Gong: shoulders, spine, hips. Try the basics in Qi Gong for Emotional Healing: Move, Breathe, Release.
Minute 7–8: Meet the edge
Name one feeling or theme. Stop at 3–4/10 intensity. If anger appears, read Shadow Work and Anger: Making Peace with the Emotions You Suppress later today.
Minute 9: Three-line journal
“I feel… I need… One tiny step…” Use your Meraki Healing Journal.
Minute 10: Close well
Hand on heart. Whisper your name. One kind sentence to self. For people-pleasers, add Shadow Work for People-Pleasers: How to Stop Saying Yes When You Mean No to tonight’s reading.
10-minute evening routine
Minute 1–2: Downshift
4-8 breathing or humming exhale. Lights low. If sleep is fragile, see Sleep for Emotional Healing: Night Routines that Regulate the Day.
Minute 3–4: Shake & soften
30-second shake. Soften jaw, tongue, eyes. Name five shapes in the room.
Minute 5–6: Gentle release
Two easy stretches or tapping. If relationship triggers surfaced, save Shadow Work and Relationships: Healing Triggers with Compassion for tomorrow.
Minute 7–8: Three-line journal
“What stirred me? What did my body say? How did I care for me?” Open the Meraki Healing Journal.
Minute 9: Appreciation
Write one thing you did well today.
Minute 10: Close well
One slow sigh. Lights out. For looping thoughts, see Rumination: How to Stop the Thought Loops Your Body Feels.
Gentle prompts for your week
Inner child check-in: Two sentences a day. Then ground. Learn more in Shadow Work and the Inner Child: Healing the Wounds You Carry Within.
Self-love micro-acts: One small kindness daily. Read Shadow Work and Self-Love: Embracing the Parts You’ve Rejected.
Beginner’s refresh: Revisit the basics in Shadow Work for Beginners.
Safety notes (read before you deepen)
Stay near 3–4/10 intensity. Always end with grounding. If you feel flooded or numb for long spells, pause and get support. A good next read is Trauma-Informed Spiritual Guidance: Safe Practices for Sensitive Nervous Systems.
Recommended next reads
FAQs on 10 minute shadow work routines
Will 10 minutes really help?
Yes. Consistency regulates your system. Short and steady builds capacity.
What if I miss a day?
Begin again tomorrow. Healing is rhythm, not perfection.
Can I swap steps?
Absolutely. Keep a breath, a micro-move, and a three-line journal. That’s the core.
What if big feelings appear?
Pause. Ground. Journal one line in the Meraki Healing Journal. If needed, read Window of Tolerance.
How do I expand beyond 10 minutes?
Add one extra minute to breath or movement each week. For ideas, browse Shadow Work Rituals.
Gentle next step
If you’d like a calm, no-pressure next step, I can help you personalise these routines. Book your Free Soul Reconnection Call — a friendly space to map what you need now.
I look forward to connecting with you in my next post.
Until then, be well and keep shining.
Peter. :)
