Oh hi. I’ve been wanting to write to you for a while now. And this time it’s about inspiration because I think it’s such an interesting gift.
It’s something that we often enjoy receiving but don’t always know what to do with once it downloads into our experience. When I was little, I thought that being inspired was something that just simply happened. You’d wake up with a genius lightbulb over your head and two weeks later you were a millionaire. It’s true that ideas can come in that way, unexpected and received with excitement. And of course, as children we are a lot more open and playful so it makes sense that I (and maybe you?) came to this conclusion back then. But we also need to check if our radio dial is turned on. And by radio dial, I mean our intuition. Intuition being our strong sense of knowing that sits deep in our gut but depending on the state we're in; we don’t always notice it.
I experienced this when I was speaking to a group of education professionals last month in Sudbury, Ontario. I was onstage and I realized that what I was sharing in that moment was truly inspired. I have been speaking to various groups for a few years now but last fall, I received an inspired idea to combine my wellness talks with my stand-up comedy routine. I thought, why should they be separate? Most people like to learn about wellness and most people also like to laugh, right? Not a bad combo. And suddenly there I was, combining the two things. I also noticed something very important: I was in a place where I was ready to receive the idea when it came in. It was like something dropped into my inbox, ready to be opened. I should probably add that back in the fall I suffered from a concussion so if none of this is making sense, maybe the hit was worse than I thought? I kid, but hopefully you’re starting to connect with what I am saying.
I hit my head getting into the back of a Lyft in October and I woke up to a sea of black followed by a very concerned Lyft driver. The time after that incident demanded that I slow down, rest, limit external stimulants and truly let myself heal. And it was when I was lying in bed; free of distractions and forced to be left alone with my thoughts, the inspired idea came in. I had a corporate comedy performance booked the week of the incident that I had to cancel. The event organizer was very understanding and wanted me to come back when I was feeling better. And when I came back, he wanted me to provide his sales team with a wellness talk combined with my stand-up comedy routine. There it was - my idea in action. The first creation of inspired thought that downloaded when my busy mind and body were called to rest. All I needed was the universe to hit me over the head so I could tune in.
If you’re like me, your moments of inspiration arrive when you’re well-rested and your body and mind are nourished. This typically involves doing something physical each day, connecting with nature, eating well, and finding healthy ways to express your emotions. My default is to shove my emotions down into a tiny glass jar, so I’ve had to train myself to let the feelings come up, and out. If that is also your default, I feel you.
Some of my personal wellness practices around dealing with this include breath work (feeling,) yoga (moving,) reiki (clearing,) mindfulness (observing,) and journaling (expressing.)
Each practice involves awareness and some healthy release. The release part is very important here, otherwise it blocks your radio dial and if your radio dial is blocked, how are the inspired ideas supposed to drop in? They’re going to get stuck behind a pile of gunk. And maybe they are Einstein-level ideas just sitting behind all that gunk! In my most recent case, it took a concussion to properly rest and reset and only then could I access the inspired ideas. But going to an extreme like that is completely unnecessary.
If you can take some time this summer to intentionally take care of yourself, I recommend it. Try getting out in nature, resting (without screens,) taking good care of your body through movement and your mind and soul with one of the practices I listed above. Try out a couple different options and see what resonates. It’s amazing what can happen when we’re kind to ourselves first. These tasks may seem simple, but so many of us go into overdrive when we don’t add intention to our daily tasks. And in the meantime, enjoy your time in the sun (the photo below is of me doing just that a few weeks ago with my mom and her sweet dog, Layla) . I hope that you can breathe a little gentler, be kind to yourself and feel the ground under your feet.
Upcoming events:
1. Canada and US Speaking Dates
I’m giving wellness talks on the East Coast of Canada/US at colleges and universities this fall!
If your school or company is interested in booking an in person or virtual mental health talk with a little added comedy, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
• My topics are listed here: https://www.denajackson.ca/speaking
• Here is a sample of my speaking work: https://vimeo.com/761243421
2. Hatha yoga classes for adults:
• I teach adult yoga classes Saturdays at 11am EST on Zoom (All levels are welcome!)
• Saturday morning Yoga in Scarborough May 26th @ 11am
[Please email me for details and if you’d like to join a class]
3. Reiki Clients
• I am now a certified reiki master, and I am accepting both distance and in person clients at Toronto’s Harbourfront. My reiki website is available here: https://www.reikiwithdena.com/
I'm always open to questions, comments, and ideas you might have!
Ask anytime here: https://www.denajackson.ca/