Inspired by #BellLetsTalk day, I wanted to share a bit about my own mental health and personal development journey. In April 2020, shortly after the pandemic hit North America, in the stress and chaos of it all, I experienced a manic episode, was hospitalized for a few weeks, and received a diagnosis of Bipolar I Disorder.

I haven’t found a lot of pleasant, hopeful, and uplifting, resources out there about Bipolar, so I hope this can be both educational and also inspirational for you in your own mental well-being journey.

I haven’t found a lot of pleasant, hopeful, and uplifting, resources out there about Bipolar, so I hope this can be both educational and also inspirational for you in your own mental well-being journey.

I will dive into what Bipolar is, how I experience it, and what others can do to support those who have it (or really any mental/emotional condition).

The definition I read on Bipolar is from the National Institute of Mental Health from the US and can be found here.

If you are in Manitoba, the Mood Disorders Association of Manitoba is a great first resource to educate and support you and your loved ones in mental health.

If you or someone you know is struggling with depression or self-harming thoughts reach out for support. To loved ones, trusted allies, your doctor, or the numerous helplines available, provincially and nationally. All else fails, there is always 911.

These classes start Feb 1st. Sign up on Eventbrite today!

Mindful Movement is an exercise philosophy for your mind and body where you create greater flexibility, strength, and balance by concentrating your focused attention on and within the body.

This is an exploratory class in mindfulness, meditation, visualization, and proprioception applying mindful movements within your body.

You will practice meditation and mental body scans, learn and practice slow and controlled mindful movement patterns that are healing in nature, and as well as give your body and mind some love through loving-kindness meditations.

Each week we will explore a new concept to focus our awareness on.

This practice is slow and gentle in nature, anyBODY can participate and find benefits connecting to movement. The class is designed to meet you where you are. Your body will tell you how to move and lead the majority of the session. Your work is to let your mind give up control and listen to your body's innate wisdom.

Weekly Themes:

Each week will have a new theme or intention for exploration in the class. Some examples are:

1. Relaxation: learn how to relax and let go and what that feels like in your mind and body.

2. Flexibility: understand what flexibility and stretching feels like, examine the relationship between flexibility and relaxation.

3. Strength: understand what strength, power, and force are in your body.

4. Balance: understand balancing in space and how our muscles stretch and engage to help us balance in new positions.

Class Structure: 1 -hour class + 30 min free chat

• Welcome

• Breathing Meditation (Pranayama)

• Guided Body Scan Meditation

• Visualization and Introduction of Class Concept

• Discussion of Class Concept

• Exploration of Movement & Class Concept (Asana)

• Free Movement

• Guided visualization, body scan, or loving-kindness meditation (Shavasana)

• Namaste & Goodnight (if you need to go)

• Class discussion

Skills You Will Practice:

• How to be mindful.

• How to breathe.

• How to stretch.

• How to strengthen.

• How to work towards goals (focused play).

• How to meditate and visualize.

• How to embody.

• How to understand yes and no within your body.

• How to relax your mind and let your body lead.

• Allowing your body to express itself without judgment.

The Space:

Be part of a compassionate, curious, and playful community. We will hold space for each other to learn, grow, and explore mind and body. Each class we will begin by reciting the pledge (adapted from the Loving-Kindness Meditation):

"I am happy, I am healthy, I am safe, I am enough, and I am loved. Just as I am"

Who is this for?

Anyone looking for a way to reduce stress and anxiety in their life. Anyone who wants to carve out self-care time to be present with their mind and body. Anyone who wants to create a stronger relationship with their body and intuition. Anyone who enjoys meditation, yoga, and learning different practices. Anyone who wants to become more flexible, strong, or increase their proprioception to assist in other sports and exercise.

What people are saying about Mindful Movement and Jessica:

"A great way to learn how to focus and how mindfulness can help improve physical and emotional sides of your life."

"I enjoyed slowing down for an hour and focusing on myself and mindfulness - but I found it hard!”

"Mindful Movement is a great way to spend a gentle hour focusing on yourself. The self-care it promoted by getting my body moving and my mind focused really helped release the stress of daily life. I was even able to carry these strategies forward into my week. This is a class that lends itself well over Zoom - a rebranding of 'Zoom fatigue'." - Alissa W

"I'm taking away a reminder to take time to meditate and also that the body can be moved in so many ways!”

"My takeaway was connection, peace of mind, freedom, and I wanted more. And it couldn’t come soon enough!” - Kelly M

“While taking a brief timeout for personal and mental wellbeing, I experienced Jessica’s offer to movement. Which landed deeply at a time when that was exactly what I needed!”

"Jessica is organized, very personable, and connects to ensure clients are engaged." - Elvis R

"Jessica is a grounded coach with a calm and encouraging demeanour.”

Why I Created This Program:

In the Mindful Movement program, I have put together my years of practicing and expertise within meditation, yoga, skating, coaching, and facilitation. When I was working as a software developer, my mind was very active, solving problems and creating new things. This was very exciting, but it was also too active. I had trouble shutting it off and taking breaks for myself. This practice helps your mind take a back seat and gives your body a chance to lead.

About Jessica

Jessica Watson is a life coach, yoga instructor, skating coach, and a technology educator. She worked in a corporate career in Tech for a handful of years before she became aware of the stress and anxiety that were running her life. She learned about meditation and it helped her create new mindsets and possibilities for her life. She is now living a very comfortable life which she enjoys her day to day, her work, and her relationships. Jessica developed her mindful movement practice over the past four years. It has been essential in helping her through grief and depression after losing her Mom, as well as building a strong and healthy body. Jessica wants to share this practice with others to help people find more peace and calm in their lives, connect to their intuition, and fall in love with their body and movement.

I’ve put together 15 questions to help you pause and reflect on your personal growth from 2020. This year was definitely one we will all remember. What went well for you this year? What would you have done differently if given the chance? What are you looking forward to in the future?

Follow the link to download your questions now and journal or meditate on them.

New Years Reflection Questions 2021

We were so shocked at first. Being scared to go to the grocery store. Thinking people wearing masks were overly precautious; then to find that wearing masks has become our new normal. Living in a society where we can only gather in groups of 5 or less (or whatever the legislation is at the time). We have become accustomed to keeping our distance from strangers, upholding the honor system if we are sick, and canceling plans. 

So many plans canceled. Sports canceled. Family gatherings canceled. Weddings canceled. Funerals Cancelled. Work canceled. School canceled. How were we ever to prepare for so much loss in our lives? Suddenly living in a society that resembles those futuristic dystopias we read about in high school.

Despite all of that, 2020 and the pandemic has also brought so much opportunity and beautiful change into our lives. We suddenly find ourselves with more time on our hands, more time spent home with family, and more energy to focus on social justices we care about (#blacklivesmatter for instance).

As someone who has experienced many great losses in my life, I have learned to practice acceptance and appreciation for what is, and to always look for the silver linings (you have to LOOK for them, but you'll find something). This way, I can be happy - reasonably so - wherever and whenever I am.

In case you need help with the silver part… Here is a list of supreme bonuses the year has brought: 

• You suddenly have a Get out of Jail Free Card for anything you don't want to do. Use it! No one is expecting you to do it all right now. Especially when doing it all just got ramped up a notch. Let yourself off the hook and set down the expectations.

• You also don't have to see people that drain your energy. Sure maybe you still work online with them, but perhaps less in-person contact with people who always seem to push your buttons has reduced stress you didn't realize you had.

• You have been given new ways to connect with your family. You may have had the special experience of homeschooling your young ones. You may have created new family rules for taking care of each other and your home. You may have realized how important your extended family is and have been thankful you can at least still connect with a telephone or internet call. Moments of connection that would have been missed had we continued to truck along as normal.

• Perhaps you've found time and motivation for flexing your creative skills. Maybe you've learned a new skill on YouTube, or have taken up sewing and made masks for your friends. You suddenly have time to spend getting lost in an independent activity. Something you always said you would do but felt like you never had the time.

• Maybe you've binge-watched one of your favorite series on Netflix - again - but this time, you appreciate it more. Falling in love with the characters all over again.

• Maybe you've made a new friend or found a new companion. When the need for human connection is real - perhaps you've let your guard down and allowed someone special to come into your life. (I know I have - which is a story for another time).

• And at the very least, 2020, has undoubtedly taught us, that we can handle change - even a lot of it. We can learn to adapt, find new ways of being, and find a bit of comfort within it. Even when it's scary. Even when it's stressful. Even when we feel like we don't know what we are doing. We realize that we can be resilient.

So the question is, are you going to let this forced change spin you into anxiety and stress? Or are you going to seize the day and take advantage of the many opportunities ahead of you?

Yes, some days will be harder than others, of course. But you do have the ability to create happiness where you are. Use it.

I am so excited to be teaching my Mindful Movement classes this August on Tuesdays from 6:00-7:30pm CST.

The class is a combination of meditation, mindfulness, and movements. Pairing mindfulness with movement to connect you to your body and the present moment.

Great for self-care, de-stressing, and fitness fundamentals.

Find more information about the class specifics and register on Eventbrite.

We start on Tuesday, August 5th, 2020!

In this episode, I sit down with Winnipeg Hip Hop Dance Instructor (and legend) Genie Baffoe. I've taken a few of his classes with dancewgenie.com and he is the most charismatic, upbeat, make-you-feel-good-even-when-your-tripping-over-two-left-feet instructor I've ever had. So naturally, I had to interview him and find out what his secret was to being himself 100% of the time, loud and proud.

f you want to see more of GeNie and learn about the history of Hip Hop in Winnipeg, his premier documentary, Our Scene, premieres July 28th at the WAG. Tickets are on Eventbrite or at the door.

SweetLinks:

* Tickets for Our Scene the Movie - - Eventbrite

* Hip Hop Classes and Upcoming Events - dancewgenie.com

* Genie's Insta - @genieboss

* Genie killin' it Dancing - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNoUYdQQjvo

My mom taught me to have a love for learning and to find joy in the little things. She was the wisest women I know. This episode is a very special recording of an interview with her last year. She shares her lessons from 30+ years in the education system. These wise words not only apply to teaching or to raising kids but to how you can approach life in general.

Please listen, share, and go hug a loved one.

The Turn Yourself Podcast is back for its second transformational season. Host and Coach, Jessica Watson, shares her wisdom on creating positive change in your life and becoming the "You" of your dreams. The kind of "You" that lives the life you want to live and does the things you want to do!

Jessica explores self-care, creativity, and the relationship between our body and mind. The more self-awareness you gain, the more you are able to make BIG things happen in your life. This podcast will help you LISTEN to your body, LISTEN to your mind, and learn to bring the two together to find flow, ease, and the present moment. 

You can expect to be enthralled by conversations with intelligent, creative, and honest guests, recorded coaching sessions with Jessica, and insights from the Creative Coach herself.

Stay tuned for new episodes of the Turn Yourself Up Podcast every Monday and Friday.

This Fall I was rocked hard. I lost my Mom, the most wonderful women / person / teacher I knew. 

I quickly fell into grieving and depression and put my business on hold until I could come back authentically and in a serving place. 

In order to get through my every day, I discovered new ways of practicing self-care that actually had an effect on my overall mood and ability to cope with life. I developed my self-care practice, which was heavily weighted with mindfulness and movement.

In focusing on myself, and letting go of "shoulds" and "expectations", I began to feel better. 

The depression fog was slowly but surely lifted and I had discovered a new love. Me. 

Also the love for spending time being mindful, to feel in to my body, to relax, to let go, to ponder, to be - before all else. With consistent practice, I saw my body change in pleasing ways, I wasn't emotionally eating or eating too much for me, I had more creative ideas then I could handle, and I had the energy and bravery to tackle my most anxiety-producing tasks.

The gift I received in all the devastation was learning to care for myself. And in doing that, I can now teach you to do the same.

Self-care isn't just for times of struggle. It is an on-going practice. When you are low, it will help you get to your base, and when you are at base it will help you get to extraordinary new heights.

In all my work as a coach and my personal evolution journey, this has created the biggest shift in me.

Please join me in creating a self-care practice for yourself. 

I am putting together a tribe that will support each other in honouring ourselves and our self-care practice. To join the wait list send me a note about why you need this to [email protected].

<3

I was so lucky to have this conversation with Rabbi and Jewish Educator, Jen Clayman. We talk about spirituality and personal development and how that is connected. I myself come from a secular background but am starting to have more questions about the world around me and how we are all connected. She answers all my curious questions and shares stories of how she has recently been healing a personal wound. 

Jen has so many lessons to share with us from her own experience and wisdom from Jewish texts. It was a really fascinating and refreshing conversation.

Go take a walk in nature, get curious, and enjoy this episode. 

Also - Jen shares how she weaves her creativity to her own spiritual learning with scrapbooking! Here are some pictures of her work.

Send Jen some love on Instagram and let her know what you took away from this episode! She is @jenclayman

Our society has a stigma against crying.

A child gets hurt in gym class and runs away crying while others pretend not to notice. An upset woman screams, "don't look at me!", as she ugly cries into a tub of Ben & Jerry's in a TV comedy. A father holds back after his son is born because real men don't cry.

All stunted and depreciating those experiences for us. Sending subliminal messages to ourselves and those around us that this is not OK.

But, what if it were OK? What if it was not only OK, but it was the answer to truth, love, and healing?

I think we've misunderstood the power in a good, honest cry. And the magic that can happen when you share it with others.

For starters, it ALWAYS makes you feel better. ALWAYS. It is a natural way to relieve stress and even a healthy thing to do. It is a release of those emotions that hit us so deeply there is nothing else to do with them. Trying to ignore feelings or fight off tears can actually create a greater stress and emotional pull on you.

What I want to talk about today, is the power that comes in a beautiful cry. A true, unwavering tear that appears in your eye when you open up, let yourself be vulnerable and hit on the very truth of your being. Something that moves you to your core. 

In my experience, when I talk about something important and meaningful to me I start to feel my eyes water and my throat gets tense. And for the majority of my life thus far, I've tried to fight those tears. I was embarrassed to let those around me see the emotion. I thought it made me look weak.

When I approach those situations from that place of the inner critic, instead of being present, I'm consumed with the appearance of the scene. "Stop crying", "I can't believe you're crying right now", "This is so embarrassing". Thinking like this only makes matters worse, I can't get any sort of reasonable message across and the crying becomes the self-pity kind instead of the powerful, meaningful, purposeful, kind.

Recently though, as I've been practicing authenticity, tuning into my intuition and being vulnerable, I have learned to use watery eyes as a sign of hitting on something REALLY IMPORTANT for me. They represent either a belief in my heart, a core value I hold close, or a truth I have just discovered and felt in my body for the first time. It's a place to explore and get curious, not a place to run away from. And when I can stand confidently in my tears, and boldly continue to communicate with others, magic happens.

These type of tears are quiet and dignified. I have even learned to smile through them (this makes others more comfortable as well).

It's a way to show others what is important to your heart. There is an instant understanding that they have when they can see how authentic and truthful you are being. And it actually inspires them to lower their guard and authentically open up as well.

As a coach, some of the most profound moments of enlightenment I see for clients is when they first make that meaningful connection out loud and it brings them to tears. In that moment, my job is to pass the kleenex and hold the space for them to sit with it. Not to awkwardly look away while they compose themselves or try to distract them with something else. THIS is where the growth happens.

For myself, one of my bravest moments of tears and transformation was last summer when I was doing my intensive coach training. The instructor described a coaching NLP exercise he was going to demonstrate with a student. As he described the benefits of this technique my heart started racing. An immediate sign that this was something I needed to do. It was an exercise to help someone break a habit that is getting in their way. The way he described it, I knew for me that this meant my habit of being socially anxious - most notably felt in large crowds.

When he finally asked for a volunteer, my hand shot straight up before he could even finish the question. By this time, I was shaking.

I jumped up to volunteer and as I sat down at the front of the class my heart was racing, my arms were full of goosebumps, I was shaking and my legs couldn't stop swinging from the bottom of the stool. This was a big moment. We were going to be tackling a large gremlin of mine.

The TAs in the room could tell and offered me tissues before we began - which I appreciated. The instructor asked me a variety of questions related to this fear and I was honest and vulnerable. As we got closer to the root of the matter the tears were starting and I was embracing my beautiful cry. I was lucky enough to be in a room full of amazing, caring coaches who I loved - but I still had to tune them all out to allow myself to really feel what was going on for me. The instructor asked if I needed a moment but I smiled and said "No." and encouraged him to keep going.

We carried on and I pushed past the scary parts into the amazing parts with new confidence and strength. The whole class was pin-droppingly quiet and I could tell how this experience was affecting them too. It was truly life changing for me.  Apparently, after the exercise, when the class was practicing, everybody brought their A-game both as coach and client. Seeing my vulnerability and expression of emotion allowed them to show theirs. 

If I hadn't let myself go there, if I hadn't raised my hand when I felt something, and if I had tried to fight the tears I wouldn't have had such a powerful result.

I mentioned this was for social anxiety... you should have seen the way I floated out of that class room into the packed marketplace that is Granville Island at lunch time on Saturday. Radiating, beaming, being completely myself and completely comfortable with everyone around me. Even smiling at people and saying "Hello!" A totally new experience for me.

In another post, I will let you know the copious progress I've made with my social anxiety since.

I wanted to share this with you because of a great podcast episode I heard recently on gender gaps in the workplace. There was a line at then end that irked me. They mentioned that many managers hate giving feedback because (as a generalization) they are scared that the men will get angry and that the women will cry.

Then they said, "Practice not crying", as advice to women.

Obviously, I disagree. I say PRACTICE CRYING! And practice letting others see you cry. And practice noticing what that crying teaches you about yourself.

You will be surprised of the power and results that will turn up from a strong cry. Every time I do it, I walk away stronger and more aware than before. 

If a masculine energy leadership style is dominant and competitive, perhaps a feminine energy leadership style is vulnerable, honest and emotive.

Next time you see someone crying, don't shy away. Embrace them, listen to them, and encourage them to keep going so their soul can sort itself out.