Tapping into Intuition and Embracing Resilience

Get ready for an exploration into the deep connection between mind, body, and spirit with our guest, Jennifer Pilates. I am thrilled to share Jennifer’s enlightening journey. A car accident may have changed her path, but the lessons she learned were invaluable – from climbing the corporate ladder to embracing her spirituality, Jennifer’s story is one of resilience, self-discovery and tapping into her innate power.

Our conversation ventures into the vast world of spiritual practices, and the importance of curating a routine that resonates with our individual needs. Jennifer unlocks the significance of gratitude, meditation, and the profound connection with the natural world, specifically water. With candid discussions about seasons and energy, we examine how our external environment can nourish our internal spiritual life. 

We also delve into the art of intuition, decision-making, and the power of setting intentions. Trust in oneself is critical and as Jennifer and I unpick this notion, we reveal the importance of integrity for personal growth. Be prepared to be inspired by tales of the universe delivering messages in the most unexpected ways. Lastly, we introduce Jennifer’s new, immersive online platform filled with Pilates videos, challenges, live classes, and workshops, designed to help you harness your attention and create the life you desire. Tune in for an episode filled with wisdom, inspiration, and the power of the mind-body connection.

Episode Transcript

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Julie Hilsen: 0:06

Life of Love With Julie Hilsen Music. Hello, dear friends, and welcome back to Life of Love. We’re always honored to have you listening and sharing our episodes, so it’s just a great, exciting day. Here at Life of Love, I have a special guest. Her name is Julie Hilsen and she is here to share her 20 years plus of empowering people. She’s a celebrity trainer. She not only trains, transforms bodies, but minds and spirits as well. She’s an intuitive advisor writer and she also has a podcast of her own Empowered within. So thank you so much, Jennifer, for your love. We’re honored to have you and so excited for our conversation.

Jennifer Pilates: 1:00

Oh, thank you so much, Julie. I’m so honored to be in your community. I love all that you’re doing with your podcast and all the light thing to the world.

Julie Hilsen: 1:08

Well, it’s my pleasure and I can’t imagine my life before I got to connect with beautiful souls like you every day. It’s just such a blessing. People say, oh, you produce a podcast and I’m like, no, i get to experience all these beautiful people and just these messages. I’m just in awe. So thank you for spending your time with us today. So you’re all about empowering and we are talking behind the scenes, about helping people find their quiet to tune into their intuition, and I wanted you to describe your life before your car accident, like how were you living your life before you had this ascension? almost I want to say Oh, great question.

Jennifer Pilates: 2:00

Yeah, well, before then I was very strongly climbing a corporate ladder. I’ve been in the senior living industry since I was 15 years old. The car accident happened in my late 20s and I just knew, like I had all my ducks in the row. I thought, okay, i have you know, okay, i have this, i have this. By the time I’m 30, i’ll have enough money here to buy a house and I’ll keep progressing. And the goal was that I transitioned from one company to another to become more seasoned and I would transfer back to my company and I would have my choice of whatever state that I wanted to live in, which was super exciting to me on the east coast. And so I did this and I did something that I now tell people don’t ever do. And I did that. And I was very young and my mentor, who had been my mentor since gosh, really since I was 15 years old was like are you really sure about this? Like I don’t know, like you know she really trying to be as soft as she could, allowing me to make I don’t know if I’ll call it a mistake, but definitely a journey this was going to be and she knew it And she was right, you know, and I would be crying my eyes out, because what I loved about the industry is I loved the residents and I loved their families. So I was all about that. I was an advocate for the families. I loved the marketing side, i loved the activities, i loved just being in the day to day and being supportive, and when I really dove into the administrative side, really a lot of that goes away and it becomes more numbers and more bottom line and it’s incredibly unhappy. I was so disaligned at that point in time but I didn’t know because of who. I was at that moment, right like I did, miserable and um than the car accident. So it’s always, you know, be careful what you pray for. I was in this pain and not knowing and, at the same time, learning so much. This happened in the Mecca of the Wellness Community, Boulder, Colorado. So back in that day, like this was amazing, like I was receiving care that I had never heard of cranial sacral therapy. I didn’t know a lot of what I was getting. I just know that I’m so blessed to receive it all And through that is how I ultimately came to Pilate, which is how I rehabbed, and it was the one thing that kept me out of pain And that is where body-mind drew connection. And after there was this one conversation with one of the doctors who had said to me, you know, you really don’t live in your body And I didn’t understand what that meant at that time I just kind of was like, yeah, whatever. And then started to sort of understand, as enlightenment was coming to me. And when I began my Pilates rehabilitation I understood it because it brings you into your body. And then I had to face fears and the anxiety and the flight And that’s when all oceans came out. And it was such an incredible blessing at that moment And has changed my life ever since.

Julie Hilsen: 5:27

So to me that’s always amazing when somebody says something or you see something and you just take a mental note because you can’t really process it, but you know it like sparks, something, and I, you know, i wanted to talk to you about that is, you know how to remember, how to, how to take these, these clues, these little breadcrumbs that are given to us, to remember your divinity, your power. You know your purpose, because we do. We live in this 3d and we always have these goals and aspirations. Or you know we, what we think the next corporate step is, the next security, the next, you know the best car, the best neighborhood or whatever we think is going to bring us that joy and happiness. You know, like, how would you describe that about? you know, fight those seeds and tuning into that.

Jennifer Pilates: 6:23

I, you know and it’s beautiful that you described the crumbs, because I do that a lot And you know it is paying attention and it is a puzzle piece to be put together, right, because we don’t always know everything, but we know some things. We’re given hunches, we’re given a little light here and there, and it’s like we just have to trust, and not only do we have to lean into faith and there’s a lot of time just have to be And that’s usually during that time like you’re in the waiting room at that point in time. You’re waiting for your transfer papers, you’re waiting to hear about something, you’re waiting in the waiting room And meanwhile you see all these other people. You know they’re moving, they’re getting married, they’re getting the job. I always say to remind people one, well, it’s not your time yet. And two, you begin to see people around you that are either receiving what you like or what you want is happening to them. Those are signs that it’s getting closer to you. It’s just not there yet. We can go inward and go back to those moments and just be, because we, as humans, try to control everything and force it and Oh well, I do it all to make it happen And it’s like no, the more that you just be and just allow and allow energies to flow and Science for the universe. But don’t overlook, just ask for the signs. Then that’s when magic happens. There’s a lot of magic that happens in the waiting room if we can find peace and Just be.

Julie Hilsen: 8:00

I love that and that’s a segue to the next question was would you give people like simple steps to connect to their flow, to connect to that the daily practice of Just being just being okay with your waiting room, as you say?

Jennifer Pilates: 8:18

There’s lots of things you can do to find your flow to go inward. And isn’t a one-size-fits-all and it’s and sometimes it might not be an everyday Same event, but what is? it is showing up with Consistency for your spiritual practice every day, and that spiritual practice is yourself, love that’s taking care of yourself. So for me, as an example, in the mornings the first thing I say is thank you. Like asking it is to wake up again. I’m letting the universe know, i’m grateful. When you’re in a state of gratitude, it’s really hard to agree, right? so I could have woken up this morning and been like, oh my gosh, like I didn’t get enough, so I was up too late. I’m straddling, oh, i do. When I open up my eyes, thank you, and that sets my energy for the day, that sets the tone for the day. And Then later in the morning I take time to do a reset, where it’s a small meditation and it’s a vision moment of What I am pulling into my life, what I’m hoping to be that magnetic can for, and I don’t think and I don’t look at How is it going to happen. That’s not for a side. I look at the end result and then, however that comes is how that comes. Other things you a small Reiki meditation during the daytime. Take a time out. I also do that. I’ll take, you know, a little siesta With my Reiki and I am there, but I’m not. There is beautiful to allow that to happen. You can simply just go for a walk. For me, walking has always been an incredibly powerful of meditation. I Receive so many down some sites and some people may go. What does that mean? It means like talking and all of a sudden there’s this inspirational thought Follow that. Follow that, because that’s when you’re in flow, specifically being around water, for being in m’s very important and And so it’s got to be a bay, it’s got to be the ocean. I’ve attempted to just use legs. Doesn’t work the same, and that’s okay, right, and that’s one more way that you can experiment and know yourself and get to know your better. I feel like we’re born into this world But we don’t really get to know ourselves, and that’s a deep dive to do, and you can sit in journal about your day, you can sit in journal about gratitude and you can do your I am’s. There’s so many amazing practices that you can do and It’s finding what works for you and what you like, because there’s no reason. If I tell you to go walk And you hate to walk, well, that’s not gonna work. Thing to your childhood. What made you happy? Was it just going and sitting at the beach? That’s what I want you to do.

Julie Hilsen: 11:14

I love that because it doesn’t have to be a vacation. It can be part of your everyday. Getting to the beach, getting to that, maybe would you say it would be worth moving. Would you suggest someone relocate if it was that strong, because the universe is telling them?

Jennifer Pilates: 11:33

100% And I can say that, being someone who grew up on the ocean. So I grew up on Cape Cod. I went to Skollnord Island on the ocean When I was born in Maryland. You couldn’t get to the ocean. Being on the ocean is amazing for me. Lived in Arizona for nine years, i struggled immensely, immensely in the desert And I knew I cranky, i would be irritable, i’d be a nice person And so I would need to drive six hours, you know, over to the ocean. So now that I have transitioned back being on the ocean, i can also tell you certain ocean I prefer. That light me up more so than others. And I would say the one thing that I’ve also learned being an empath is that seasons are important And some people are going to be like no. Well, i can tell you after 13 years of being in the sun. To me, being in the sun is you are on all the time, it’s exhausting And you literally burn out. In my personal opinion, this has transpired for me. So, being an empath and having seasons your body is used to cycles, especially as a woman It is so important to literally have season. You’re supposed to be calm, you’re supposed to just be, so then you gradually go into sprints. When we have newness, that’s when we start new businesses, when we start new things. Summer, we get that egoing fall. Oh, we get cozy, we get drosed again. It is so important for every human being, let alone an empath or a highly sensitive human being. So, 100% move. I am in the process of finding my new home. I am for guidance, the location. I have sent out suggestions, ali. If all of a sudden you wake up and you are guided to move, do it Because you’re doing it. And all of my moves and I have moved seven or eight times now, they’ve all been guided. I knew it at that moment or not. When I now, i can say, wow, it’s your reason why I had to go and experience that energy or something, a new gift was born in that energy. So, absolutely 100%, a whatever your soul is calling for, that’s where you need to be, whether that’s Lucian, whether that’s in Vermont, whether that’s color, rather, whether it’s in the desert which, by the way, love the desert, have so much love. But I now know so much in my heart and soul that being on a bay and being near to a crucial I love that insight And it’s honoring what pleases you and trusting that that’s where you need to be.

Julie Hilsen: 14:26

And one other thing that I was thinking about is, when you’re telling about your law, do you set like an intention? You’re going to just go and be at peace or just observe nature? Because I think that you can still go on a walk but be checking your phone like every five minutes for a update on something, or your emails. I’m always waiting for an email from tech support for one reason or another And I’m like did they respond yet? Did they respond yet? And I have to like consciously say okay, this is a peaceful walk, this is, i’m going to recharge on this walk, like I know. I have to like give myself boundaries, right.

Jennifer Pilates 15:03

Oh, 1000 percent. So two things I would do. The first thing is, if you are always looking for tech support for program you’re using, then it’s time to stop using that program. It’s my first thing to say, just a heads up. The other thing I would say about my walks is I do, they are. That is my peaceful connection time behalf. That’s when I’m centering, that’s when I’m just feeding my soul and nourishing my body, mind and spirit. And so my phone is off. I don’t. I will set in Fitbit, like you can set, like how long you’ve walked, like how many miles a distance. We’ll do that. So I’m aware of that at the end, but I don’t look at it. So for the first half I was doing my small walk. It’s just me, it’s quiet, i’m talking to nature. In nature I’m talking to God. You know, just being and looking at the trees and paying attention and breathing in what I can. If it’s a longer walk and I’m guided to be on a longer walk that day and that’s the key I don’t really decide, it’s decided for me when I get there, and so if it is a guided walk, then usually I will be guided to possibly the second half. Turn on my phone how you can receive messages from your phone and from your playlist specifically. So Certain times when I’m to do it, i ask a question and then, like I have an iPhone, so I’ll flip it on and it’ll say like shuffle songs and whatever the ringer for that answer and? And so there are days when I do that. So it’s a bit of both for me. There’s some days it is just meditate it, like yesterday was a quick one, it was in and out, i will stay longer. And the guys are like no, you have so much to do, like, but you, i will always show Up and do something. And that is what’s key is if you tell yourself you’re going to do something, you’ve got to show yourself. If you tell you’re going to do something and you do not do it, what you’re doing is you are just trust Within yourself. Now your body’s learning not to trust you, and so that is a super important practice for me. If I tell myself I’m going to do something, i will do it. So even with the walk, like this morning, i just adjusted it around and I let myself know we’re still going to do it. We’re just going to do it later in the day, but we’re still going to do it. My body was like okay, cool, like I’m good, and so it’s okay to have adjustments and pivots and changes. That’s not okay to let yourself down.

Julie Hilsen: 17:31

It’s so powerful because that internal integrity It just is you. Like you said, it signals the universe. You’re ready, you’re ready to show up. You’re showing up for yourself and The whole idea. I I always tell people the angels will communicate, when I with the radio or not. I don’t listen to the radio anymore, but my playlist on Spotify like oh I, but I have never asked a question and then turned it on. So I’m going to really try that. I love that and I I do Love to use my decks of cards. I don’t have tarot cards for, say, i’m not a tarot reader, but I’ll have, like angel cards or soul message cards and and Just that roulette, you just one card, one card that speaks to you And it’s always something that that you needed. So you know, i think that There’s this preconception that it’s a complicated thing to receive a message, but if they’re just being thrown at you all the time, it’s just whether or not you’re gonna be a sticky board. You know, you gotta be more like a Velcro than a waxed car. I think we’re running around like waxed cars all the time.

Jennifer Pilates: 18:34

It’s so true and they come in the most amazing ways. A really cool happen thing happened the other day is The podcast that I’m on, like I always read people’s books before they come on, which I have a whole stack here to read. I just love to just put more things on my plate, but I enjoy it and I want to honor the author and I, and so I really enjoy that. So the other day, someone I reached out and they said, oh, we’re gonna send a book and I said, okay, great. Well, it was like priority mailed to me and I was like, whoa, it’s unbelievable. And so I open up the envelope and I’m looking at the book and I’m like, okay, like this is cool. And then they’re like, no, they’re envelope. And So I look at the envelope where it was from, and it’s from this little that I had been looking. It’s like on my list. Like when I my universal list, i was like these are the places that I, you know, i feel like I should move to or that I’d be happy in. So, lo and behold, it’s this little town that, honestly, unless you know of this town, like you’re never gonna know town. So the fact that there was a PR, or they’re probably not little, but this PR medium, you know media company that sent me this information from this town, that was a sign. Now, not only was it a sign, a priority envelope, so it’s showing you like this has more priority over some of the other locations you were to. You know, like instant all of that, no, but throughout the day That was brought to me. Then, yeah, i was brought another message of another location. It was not a priority, but it’s like these are your two runner-up, whereas I had another place and that place is not good to me at all. So it’s really cool, like when you look at life, like going out and finding your Easter eggs every day Right, or your Christmas presents every day, life becomes very different Because every person is delivering a message to you every bird, every squirrel, every Red light, if you’re paying attention, if you are in that moment.

Julie Hilsen: 20:36

That’s my motto. That’s how you live. In magic is making every moment something.

Jennifer Pilates: 20:45

Yeah absolutely Absolutely, and it’s knowing and listening to yourself And the thing that you and I are talking about I’m being called to talk about now, which is interesting. For a long time I was finding my flow. Then I was in my flow And then I really thought like I got off track. And when I look back and I want to know because I think that people use this a lot the bow, i fell off my path. You didn’t fall off your path. You never fall off your path. Your path is your path. Like, whatever that is, whether that you are dancing on tables in the nightclub or when you are on your knees in church, the path for that moment in time always lessens And there are always blessings in every moment, and that is super, super important. Wherever you are is where you’re me. So, like my heart is calling, my heart has been calling Jesus for like seven years. Jesus, literally Jesus has been calling for four seasons, but for whatever reason, it wasn’t time yet I could sit and I could moan and groan about it, which I had those moments too, but I don’t have days that, and that’s important, like neither one of us. Julie and I were not perfect. I mean, heck, you should have heard our conversation. But things like we have place to make. We can either have a whole crappy day because we milk and ruin the whole day Or we can give ourselves that 90 seconds to just have a fit. But I always give myself, and that’s why I would tell people 90 seconds. Have a fit. Now, don’t hurt and don’t break anything, but just help, because if you don’t, you’re stifling that and it’s going to come out and it won’t be pretty. So have your moments. But then live your life in the magic and always say you know, why is this happening to me, why is this happening for me? And then take a step out, whether it’s an hour later or a day later, and go what was the lesson I was supposed to receive from this? What was the book came out of it? And that’s what I’ve always go back to the car accident and incredible blessing. But in the moment of having been in and out of doctors offices eight hours every day, let me tell you that didn’t feel like a blessing. At the moment It’s all of your perspective and being able to step out of the IK for a moment. And right now there’s a lot of IK around all of me And we need to get back off.

Julie Hilsen: 23:37

Great. So, yeah, feel the ick, identify it and refocus, because we’re all here to help clear the ick It’s a group effort. It’s our collective consciousness saying this isn’t where we want it. We don’t want to be in the IK. We want to be happy and supporting and having joy. I don’t think it’s Pollyanna to think that we can live in joy. I really don’t, and I think that’s part of why we’re here. So thank you so much for sharing this insight and I’d be honored to share your website And you’re starting this online Pilates launch tomorrow. Now, this isn’t going to air until later, but it seems like it’s going to be accessible if people want to connect with your Pilates exercise classes And it sounds like a great, a great opportunity for people to work with you who would never get a chance to. For goodness you Goodness makes you work with celebrities, right, like if you, they trust you with their bodies. You know we’re always like celebrity, right.

Jennifer Pilates: 24:43

Yeah. I would love it. I would love to continue conversation with anyone that would like to. You can find me over at Jennifer Pilatescom. You will find all of my Pilates information, my coaching information. A new book that came out And, yes, there is really huge, beautiful baby that is blossoming. With this new platform so that there will be Pilates videos and more Pilates challenges and live classes and workshops. It’s truly going to be the Mechalness Centers online. That’s JenniferPilatescom.

Julie Hilsen: 25:15

Thank you, and thank you everyone for sticking with us and listening to this great message. And, you know, just have the rest of your day to create, create what you can envision. And, you know, take a little time and use some of the strategies to connect to your, your quiet, so you can, you can get to it. And, you know, if you have a whole day’s worth of attention like, figure out how you want to use it, because that’s your power. Your power is your attention and your thought. So thank you so much.