Singer-songwriter Jewel Kilcher Born May 23, 1974 (age 47) · Payson, UT.,
is best known for ballads such as “You Were Meant for Me” and “Who Will Save Your Soul,” but lately she’s been focused on promoting mindfulness
and sharing her mental health story.
Late last year she launched Never Broken, a site dedicated to “emotional fitness” through online tools. And, on an episode of Dan Harris’ podcast “10% Happier,” the 42-year-old Alaska native explained how she used the practice to take control after ending up homeless and plagued by panic attacks at age 18.
Watch Jewel’s full interview with Dan Harris on “10% Happier” below.
‘10% Happier’ with Jewel, singer-songwriter, actress (yahoo.com)
“The word mindfulness wasn’t even around back then, but I went back to this idea of how I can rewire my brain,” she says on the podcast. “I remembered this quote by Buddha: ‘Happiness doesn’t depend on who you are or what you have, it depends on what you think.’ I had the distinct pleasure of only having what I thought left. I had no family, no house, no food—nothing to distract me, if you will.”
Looking through her journals, Jewel realized she’d been addicted to negative thinking and knew she needed to make a change. To do so, she created her own series of meditations to help her be more mindful every day and also to aid her in specific difficult moments. Her quick visualization to cope with panic attacks—which started plaguing her at age 16—is one such example:
“I learned to do this meditation where I imagined I was on a very stormy ocean. I’d imagine myself sinking through the ocean, allowing myself to relax, I would get calmer. I would notice the color of the ocean change. I’d notice the taste of salt on my lips. I’d notice the rays of sunlight coming in and the further I got down to the sandy floor, it got calm, it got tranquil by then, and I would look
up at the stormy surface and it was in the distance.”
Jewel’s panic attack visualization both distracts her and calms her down—
two keyways to ease up the discomfort of a panic attack. And it’s a perfect visualization to bookmark for the next time you’re feeling a panic attack.
It makes sense that meditation would help Jewel cope with her anxiety.
Meditation can actually change the way your brain works. Studies have
shown meditation amps up activity in the parts of the brain dedicated to focus, calmness, and
processing stress—and this makes it an effective treatment for mental health issues like anxiety, depression, and PTSD. Experts have previously told SELF that to see the results of meditation, it’s important to be consistent and ideally practice every day.
Jewel says meditating helped her learn to observe her thoughts rather than let them run amok. “I would notice my anxiety, and I would force myself to…track the thought to see what the lie my brain was telling me, and I’d tell myself the truth,” she said. “For me, the truth was: I am capable of learning, and I will learn more today. That calmed my anxiety down and helped me rewire, and that started creating resilience and that started creating a tenacious attitude, which is a much better thing to get addicted to [than negative thinking].”
Jewel credits this practice with helping her find happiness after a tough childhood. The singer grew up in Alaska, surrounded by people who used “relationships, drugs, [and] alcohol to try to numb and medicate feelings.”
Her voice was her way out. At age 15, she got a vocal scholarship to a performing arts school in Michigan. But by age 18, she found herself homeless, shoplifting, and plagued by panic attacks. Determined not to become a “statistic”—”I was going to end up in jail or dead, in short order”—Jewel used mindfulness to take control of her mental health and life.
“You have to get rid of believing every single thought that comes into your head,” Jewel told Harris. “When I meditate, I just count [to 20]—one is an inhale, two is an exhale. The whole point is just to observe and be curious because that’s the state of mindfulness and of being present.”
It took Jewel a long time to create the toolbox of self-help techniques she uses today.
The singer-songwriter and Alaskan native left her abusive childhood home at 15 and eventually graduated from Michigan’s Interlochen Center for the Arts. But at 18, she became homeless and lived with mental health conditions like debilitating panic attacks and agoraphobia (a fear of places or situations).
At times she was petrified to leave street corners, even for food.
Over time, she got help and developed coping techniques that helped her manage her mental health and get to the place where she is today: a Grammy-nominated musician, mother, author and actor. She relies on mindfulness, a practice where you stay grounded in the present moment through simple mental exercises. Research shows mindfulness can reduce anxiety and help benefit a person’s overall mental health. Jewel also relies on journaling as well as replacing negative self-talk with “antidote” thoughts to shift her mindset.
She also has dedicated substantial time and effort to helping others prioritize their mental well-being. The artist has spoken out about her experiences in the media in an effort to help fans dealing with the same mental health struggles. She launched the Inspiring Children Foundation to help at-risk youth, and has worked with the education sector to implement mindfulness and emotional intelligence curriculums in schools. In recent months, she also shared her advocacy on social media by hosting virtual mental health discussions with famous friends like Brad Paisley during the coronavirus pandemic.
HuffPost spoke to Jewel, 46, about how she transformed her life and
the coping methods she still uses for her mental health today.
You realized you needed to protect yourself and moved out of home at 15, during which you said you also recognized the need to take care of your mental health. What prompted that at such a young age?
I knew kids like me repeat the cycle they’re raised by and didn’t want to become a statistic. We learn an emotional language in our home. Let’s pretend it’s French – if you don’t like French, you have to learn a new language, or you’ll always speak French. With an emotional language, it’s not as easy. We don’t realize we’re learning an emotional language and there’s no school for relearning it, so I had my work cut out.
How did you start?
I started developing skills that were helpful, like watching people who had traits/behaviors I liked, writing them down, studying them and figuring out
if I could adopt them.
You became homeless as a young adult after your boss fired you for refusing his sexual advances, all while simultaneously living with a mental illness. What did a really bad day look like during that period?
It varied, but severe anxiety, panic attacks, really negative self-talk, isolation.
I didn’t have friends, community or family. I didn’t trust people. I became agoraphobic.
You also became addicted to stealing. What was that time like?
Every time I wanted to steal, I started becoming aware and observant of it —
which is mindfulness, but that word wasn’t around then. I’d write down my thoughts and also watch my hands and take notes on what they did.
I retrained myself out of stealing into writing. A neat side effect was that my anxiety went away. Everything I was learning, I started writing about and my song “Hands” is about that exercise with watching my hands. I started writing songs and got discovered.
Massive success followed with your 1995 album, “Pieces of You.”
How did you ensure your wellness once things took off professionally?
I promised myself to be a musician would be my No. 2 job and I took that very seriously. Music isn’t a healthy business, psychologically, yet we all want to be famous. Learning those [self-help] skills [remained a priority.] I just never thought the tools I developed would help me handle the amount of fame
I experienced and eventual heartbreaks I went through.
And now they’ve helped so many others …
I realized the skill sets I learned were teachable … So, I started a youth foundation about 18 years ago. We help people ― often those who have experienced several suicide attempts, severe anxiety and depression ―
and give them the mindfulness skills that helped me.
Last year, 99% of our kids earned college scholarships.
And on the Inspiring Children website, there are doable tools anyone can practice. The real trip is to see it all turned into a curriculum for public school children!
Wow. What’s one of the exercises you encourage?
Writing down the lie in your head is one of the exercises on the website.
When you’re really anxious, write down that negative self-talk on a piece of paper, then write the truth on the other side. The truth will [help] you once
you say it to yourself.
How has that helped you through a difficult moment?
I was on the first film I ever made and was really anxious. My friend was dying, I was in a high-anxiety state and had no idea what I was doing. I was not an actress and the lie that kept coming to me was, “I don’t know what I’m doing.” The antithesis is, “I know what I’m doing.” But that wasn’t the truth, so the trick is finding something that’s true. I played around with phrases until I came across, “I won’t quit until I learn,” which is very true about me. Once I said that, my whole body relaxed, so every time I started going into that negative self-talk loop, I would tell myself that and eventually started changing my neural wiring.
Many people are struggling with mental health during the pandemic and there are concerns about increased agoraphobia, which you’re familiar with. What advice would you give people?
The trick in helping people who might be developing habits that turn into agoraphobia, is to start asking yourself good questions. If you’re using your creativity to imagine the worst things possible, like “What if this happens?”
You scare yourself. Channel that creativity and curiosity into a healthier direction by asking, “What do I want out of this experience?”
There’s two ways through this experience. One is introspection, death,
rebirth and wisdom. To introspect — question what thoughts, beliefs, actions, friendships or relationships you want to let go of. What no longer serves you in your life? That’s the death part. The rebirth is about what new thoughts and concepts you want to adopt. Maybe you always wanted to learn to meditate or switch jobs. Figure out a way to make those items actionable, so that when we leave quarantine, we can keep ourselves accountable and gain wisdom.
This can be an incredibly transformative time.
The other path is suppression, fear, disempowerment and doubt. If you can’t let go of things, you hang onto them and fear. When you can’t adopt new ideas, you feel disempowered. And, when you can’t have wisdom, you doubt yourself.
Prioritizing mental health right now isn’t simple for everyone. Specifically for the Black community, where people are experiencing high rates of anxiety and depression.
What would you say to those who are struggling and how do your mental health programs benefit people of color?
We [as white people] need to support the Black community in every way we can. The Black community is more likely to experience PTSD, having the highest prevalence after natural disasters and also from social upheaval and stress related to events like the death of George Floyd and police brutality. Black people are also misdiagnosed with more severe mental illnesses like schizophrenia, making their distrust of the mental health care system a justifiable fear. In general, they are undertreated and underserved by the medical community and receive less care for mental health, often not having accessible resources.
In my youth foundation, I work with many kids who come from traumatic backgrounds, the majority of whom are Black or kids of color. We encourage them to use the free tool kits [we provide], which have been [vetted] by a neuroscientist. There are also many Black-led, Black-run mental health foundations to aid the community that are informed and sensitive to the
needs and cultural differences.
You’ve released your single “Grateful” during lockdown.
What can we expect from the rest of your forthcoming album?
It’s the first record I’ve written from the ground up. I’ve always had thousands of songs, so I just picked from my catalog. It was interesting 25 years later to write a record from scratch ― I wrote 200 songs to get 10 I liked! And 10 which are in the same style since every time I sit down to write, it’s a different style. The record took on ’70s, soul and old R&B vibe.
Your album “Pieces of You” recently turned 25.
How do you feel when you hear songs like “Foolish Games” today?
I’m proud and fortunate the record did so well. It was deeply validating for a kid who had gone through so much to have such an amazing fan base who supported me for who I was ― I didn’t have to change. The fans have been
with me since. It’s a tremendous blessing and changed my life forever.
Jewel Explains Her Lifelong Struggle with Mental Health—And What Has Saved Her | Vogue Jewel – Roast de Rob Lowe – Bing video
MUST WATCH: Jewel Kilcher – Stage side Live – Bing video
Jewel Kilcher with Family and Friends – August 6, 2017 –
Ocean Stage @ Salmonfest – Ninilchik Alaska – YouTube
Articles – Spry Living Healthy Living – Spry Living
Jewel Kilcher Wallpaper – Bing video
JEWEL KILCHER – Bing video
Jewel Live Full Concert 2021 – Bing video
Jewel Kilcher Story – Bing
Originally published in Global Living Magazine – Issue 21 | Nov/Dec 2015
Finding Zen in Italy?
The story of two expats living in two different countries coming together for
a month of yoga teacher training in Abruzzo, Italy. By Courtney Sunday
How many expats does it take to teach a yoga teacher training?
Although this sounds like the setup for a joke, in this situation, the answer is two. Specifically, Courtney Sunday and Monica Angelucci, two expats who are joining forces for the first time to do yoga teacher training in Italy. Monica, an American, lives in Germany. Courtney, a Canadian, lives in the U.S. They met over five years ago when Courtney was living in Switzerland. While feeling the kind of loneliness that can come from being away from your home base and your mother tongue, she began to meditate in her apartment overlooking the Alps. Even with all of the markers of success, Courtney felt out of place in her life and more and more at home on her mat. She started looking into the Yoga Alliance teacher training that was in her vicinity.
She came upon Prague Yoga, a bright website that seemed confident and informative. Without much thought, she signed up for a teacher training session in 2009. “There was nothing about being in a yoga teacher training that was comfortable for me,” admits Courtney. “I wasn’t a public speaker. I was the kind of kid who skipped gym.” Yet the teacher she met in the Czech Republic challenged her in a way that felt academic, first, and physical, second.
The teacher was Monica Angelucci. Monica has always been interested in being challenged in classes and training. Her knowledge comes from her students.
“I want to learn from experience,” she says. Monica has now trained hundreds of teachers and she has a concrete mission. “
My goal has always been to create teachers. I am still in communication with a lot of them still.” To prove it, Monica pulls out a Facebook message she received from a student of hers in 2006. It was glowing.
In a yoga world where people can be trained end masse, this Italian training is capped at 11.
“I can’t do a teacher training and not make it individual,” claims Monica.
Heavily influenced by her first training as well as over 500 hours of additional training, Courtney decided to lead her own teacher training in Toronto in 2014. A small group of students inspired her as they worked hard to unlearn yoga dogma and enter into a world of discussion. As Courtney shaped her program, Monica encouraged her via Skype sessions to create a program rooted in what she knew for sure. “
How can you know your students’ bodies if you don’t know your own body?” Monica questioned. “That is where the inquiry starts. Then more questions come about by teaching. Even if you don’t have the answer as a teacher, work with your students to find the answer. “Courtney and Monica reflected on what types of students were realistically attracted to their explorative mode of yoga teaching.
They noticed that they had a little bit of everything. Older adults who had a deep interest in yogic philosophy. Physical therapists who wanted to take their anatomical knowledge to a different population. Injured yoga students who wanted to find a different way to move. Both Courtney and Monica found that their graduates often felt compelled to work with a specific population, such as the elderly or pregnant.
“A lot of them are not into healing power.
They are interested in injuries, modifications and props. Their interest is how to cater to students with challenges. Realistically, that’s all classrooms,” muses Monica. As they began to consider combining forces, they wanted to include individual modules set for specific populations. Whether it was yin, older adults or prenatal, in a short 200 hours they wanted to give the tools to build inclusive teachers.
“When you teach, it’s not about you,” emphasizes Courtney. “It’s about your students.”
With personalities that are attracted to change, Monica and Courtney are already anticipating Italy with great excitement. Although September 25-October 16, 2016, may sound far away, the verdant landscape of Abruzzo (in central Italy) is close enough to feel anticipatory. Yoga will be practiced on a beautiful terrace overlooking the Conciella valley as well as a stunning indoor yoga room.
The vacation center has over 2 acres of land, providing ample space for hikes and relaxation. Every day will be filled with meditation, yoga practice and lectures and, of course, being Italy, spectacular dinners with fresh fruit and vegetables. The first 100 hours are open for people who want to learn more about yoga without having the agenda to teach. Inspired by a curious student she met on a Spanish yoga retreat; Courtney believes that the first two weeks are the perfect way to understand the yoga world a little more fully.
In addition, it will be a way of understanding the body and working with it in order to keep it moving functionally for a lifetime. The second 100 hours are there for those who want to be certified under the Yoga Alliance as teachers. “These hours will not be about teaching you a sequence. This training is about teaching you to be a teacher,” says Monica. As many of you know, the strength of being an expat is the community.
It is why Monica opened a yoga studio.
And it is why Courtney found it hard to return home. It is how Monica and Courtney have met lifelong friends in new countries. It is how we all learn and forge connections from strangers in new locations. Whether you are an expat who is interested in the ultimate Italian self-exploration, or you are a grounded yogi looking for a career change, Yoga Europa and Sunday Om coming together is an opportunity to take an inclusive vacation model and for once, include the spirit. For more information on Courtney Sunday’s yoga/Pilates classes, Thai massage, meditation classes, teacher training, retreats, events and more at Sunday Om in Toronto, visit www.courtneysunday.com.
To find out more about Monica Angelucci’s workshops, retreats, teacher trainings and more in Prague, visit (yoga-europe.com) [Images courtesy of Courtney Sunday, Monica Angelucci and the Shanti Centre] The Nov/Dec 2015 issue of Global Living Magazine is FREE in our app! To read more from Global Living, download our free app for smartphones and tablets in your Apple, Google Play or Amazon App Store now! If you enjoyed this article, SHARE it with your friends, fellow expats and international networks!
Are We Too Busy to Breathe? | Free Zen on the Streets – YouTube Finding Zen in Italy : Global Living Magazine
Movement & Meditation with Courtney Sunday – OsteoStrong Heavily influenced by her first training as well as over 500 hours of additional training, Courtney decided to lead her own teacher training in Toronto in 2014. A small group of students inspired her as they worked hard to unlearn yoga dogma and enter into a world of discussion. As Courtney shaped her program, Monica encouraged her via Skype sessions to create a program rooted in what she knew for sure.
“How can you know your students’ bodies if you don’t know your own body?” Monica questioned. “That is where the inquiry starts. Then more questions come about by teaching. Even if you don’t have the answer as a teacher, work with your students to find the answer.”
Courtney and Monica reflected on what types of students were realistically attracted to their explorative mode of yoga teaching. They noticed that they
had a little bit of everything. Older adults who had a deep interest in yogic philosophy. Physical therapists who wanted to take their anatomical knowledge to a different population. Injured yoga students who wanted to find a different way to move. Both Courtney and Monica found that their graduates often felt compelled to work with a specific population, such as the elderly or pregnant.
“A lot of them are not in power. They are interested in injuries, modifications and props. Their interest is how to cater to students with challenges. Realistically, that’s all classrooms,” muses Monica.
As they began to consider combining forces:
They wanted to include individual modules set for specific populations. Whether it was yin, older adults or prenatal, in a short 200 hours they wanted to give the tools to build inclusive teachers. “When you teach, it’s not about you,” emphasizes Courtney. “It’s about your students.”
This training is about teaching you to be a teacher,” says Monica.
As many of you know, the strength of being an expat is the community. It is why Monica opened a yoga studio. It is why Courtney found it hard to return home. It is how Monica and Courtney have met lifelong friends in new countries. It is how we all learn and forge connections from strangers in new locations. Whether you are an expat who is interested in the ultimate Italian self-exploration, or you are a grounded yogi looking for a career change.
Yoga Europa and Sunday Om coming together is an opportunity to take an inclusive vacation model and for once, include the spirit.
For more information on Courtney Sunday’s yoga/Pilates classes,
Thai massage, meditation classes, teacher training, retreats, events
and more at Sunday Om in Toronto, visit www.courtneysunday.com.
To find out more about Monica Angelucci’s workshops, retreats, teacher training and more in Prague, visit www.yogaeuropa.com.
Crackle – Watch Free Movies Online –
Full-Length Streaming Movies Jewel – Ring of Fire.
June Carter Cash Jewell – Bing