shadows in retreat

I love going on retreats. Making the time to get away from the business of everyday life and spend time intentionally praying is powerful. It is also not for the faint of heart.
When I go on retreats I do them in silence, and there is nothing like spending a week only conversing with yourself to bring out whatever inner demons may be lurking inside. However, I have also found that meeting the shadow side of yourself head on helps to tame it.
I like to think of it like taking a walk at night. Shadows can take on scary forms, only to be comical when you actually get close enough to discover what they are formed by. Our inner shadows are much the same.