This week in the game of Gyan Chaupar the dice lands on a heavy quality: Shame.
Not one we chase, or the one we want to sit with. But perhaps one of the most revealing squares of all.
Shame is a complex emotion. It doesn’t announce itself clearly. It hides behind overthinking, silence, people-pleasing, perfectionism. It sits quietly in the gut and asks: Was that too much? Am I too much?
But what is shame, really? Is it about wrongdoing? Or is it about how others might see us? Is it rooted in morality — or in social rules, expectations, and what we believe is acceptable?
Sometimes, shame arises not because we’ve done something harmful, but because we’ve done something outside the Overton Window — the range of what’s considered “socially acceptable.”
In other words: shame can be a reaction to going against the norm, not against truth. And yet — no emotion is pointless.
Shame, as uncomfortable as it is, holds something important. It reveals where our inner world and the outer world clash. It asks:
Where did I learn this was "bad"?
Who told me I must not be this way?
And... is it even true?
Shame is not meant to define us. It’s meant to reveal us — gently. To highlight what’s still raw, still hiding, still waiting to be loved.
The task is not to push it away, but to meet it. Not with judgement. But with curiosity. So this week, I invite you to ask:
When I feel shame — what am I really afraid of?
What story am I carrying about myself in that moment?
And... is it asking to be released, or re-written?
Shame doesn’t dissolve through more hiding.
It softens in the light of honesty and self-compassion.
Mantra for the week:
”I meet my shame with gentleness. I let truth take its place.”
As usual, below are our 4 thoughts and 2 questions about Shame.
4 thoughts on Shame
From Brené Brown
Shame derives its power from being unspeakable.
From Benjamin Franklin
What begins in anger often ends in shame.
From Vineeta
Start from a place of love, and gently clear the barriers of guilt and shame that keep the heart closed.
From Brene Brown
Shame is the most powerful, master emotion. It's the fear that we're not good enough.
Two questions about Shame
What is one moment of shame I’ve never fully unpacked — and what might it be teaching me?
How would it feel to offer myself kindness, instead of criticism, in that memory?
With honesty and softness,
Vineeta
If you’d like to explore these kinds of inner shifts through the ancient symbols and steps of Gyan Chaupar, you can message me or explore more at: gyanchaupar.co.uk