Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Lee Gilbert.
Hi Jennifer, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I have always been an empath. For those who don’t know what an empath is, “The term empath comes from empathy, which is the ability to understand the experiences and feelings of others outside of your own perspective.
You actually sense and feel emotions as if they’re part of your own experience. In other words, someone else’s pain and happiness become your pain and happiness.” So, with that being said I always picked up other people’s energy, without even knowing that I did!
I was painfully shy and didn’t like being around strangers and often looked at people with skepticism and big doe deer eyes. Most children have a sense similar to dogs and are generally excellent at picking up the true intentions of other people. So with being an empath, I often felt out of place or overwhelmed with emotions, so I was easily prone to depression and anxiety. After my father passed away when I was 11, it was a downward spiral of emotions.
My mother couldn’t take care of us so she sent us to bounce around living with multiple family members. Some showed unconditional love, while others showed conditional love and were physically and mentally abusive. I suffered from severe depression and abandonment issues and did not get the help I needed. I grew up with the mentality that I will always be depressed. Why couldn’t I be fully happy? Would I ever be able to be loved?
Growing up with Catholic parents (my father was an immigrant and very loving but strict), I ended up growing up Christian. I LOVED going to church and I truly found happiness, if only for a few days. By the following Sunday, I was down in the dumps, only to repeat the same cycle week after week. I even talked to my pastor who helped tremendously but I still felt the same a few days later. By the time I was ready to make a permanent change I gave up what no longer served me.
I had to unlearn all of the bad habits that I was taught. I was about 25 years old and I gave up excessive drinking and other toxic habits (which allowed me to numb my childhood pain), I gave up smoking cigarettes (after 10 years!), I stopped living the clubbing and bar nightlife (I grew up in Miami), I got myself away from toxic places and people, and I even said goodbye to my beautiful and loving church.
I decided to dig deep inside. Who am I? Why do I feel like I don’t belong? Why am I such a black sheep and don’t fit it? I decided to look into my heritage. I have always been drawn to Native American culture, Egyptian history, and even witches! Needless to say, I was not shocked by what I found out. My family’s lineage was indigenous to Central and South America, which is fitting because my father was born and raised in Panama. Luckily for me, I was brought up half of the time with his family which taught me about the culture, food, and family, which shaped who I am today.
My father was Afro-Latino, so that’s what tied in the African part, even though I am not Egyptian. But what about the witches? I mean c’mon they aren’t real, are they? Well, the indigenous peoples of North, Central, and South Americas, practice some form of shamanism. “Shamanism is a religious practice that involves a practitioner who is believed to interact with a spirit world through altered states of consciousness, such as trance. The goal of this is usually to direct these spirits or spiritual energies into the physical world, for healing or another purpose.” This piqued my interest, and now my being in life is starting to make a little more sense. I became fascinated.
How can I tap into my hidden powers? How can I incorporate my ancestor’s teachings and practices in the real world? I decided to study spirituality and take bits and pieces where I thought fitting. I started going to metaphysical stores to learn more and even started my crystal collection. I got protective crystals (especially great for empaths) to keep around me and to wear, as well as using palo santo, sage, and incense to clear negative energy and promote positive uplifting energy. I then started practicing yoga and got involved in the yogi community.
I started learning and practicing meditation. I started getting into Aromatherapy and celebrating the lunar cycles. I learned self-love, real, raw, messy, unperfect, unconditional self-love. I started going to healing sound therapy and even Reiki circles. All of this was working for me! I was staying happier for longer. I was (am) rarely sad. It took a lot more to trigger me. I was becoming strong. I was becoming me. I was writing more (I have always had a passion for writing, and have doing it professionally for 10+ years now) but it was becoming even more therapeutic for me. I started cooking more and becoming healthier and trying new things.
I swapped out a lot of things that contained chemicals and toxins for things that are natural and organic. I explored and traveled more. I spent more time outdoors enjoying mother Gaia/Nature. I started going to acupuncture and getting chiropractic care to help realign me. I began giving gratitude every day for everything. I got into the law of attraction and began reading books about it, shamanism, spirituality, self-help, and other positive inspiring books. I even started getting into tarot/oracle cards as divination tools to help guide me. I started listening to my gut instinct and intuition, which has been right all along, I was just too clouded and “unsure” to see it.
I ended up loving Reiki energy healing so much I decided to get my certification so I can continue to heal myself as well as help heal other people and animals! It all started with this idea that I genuinely wanted to be better. It was within me all along I just needed a little guidance. Now mind you, we are always a continuous work in progress. We should never stop bettering ourselves and becoming the best version of ourselves each and every day.
I try not to pay attention to the negativity around me and only allow myself to follow positive things on social media and try not to get sucked into the world of negativity. I do still get down now and then, but that is far and few in between. When I get really down after something traumatic happens, I try to bring it back to the beginning and start doing things that make me happy and that initially set me on the right path.
My story is just a brief snapshot of my history. Although we can’t change the outcome of our past, we can change how we choose to view it and we can choose to rewrite our story. We all go through struggles. We all have good times, bad times, happy times, and sad times, it’s just a part of our journey. These are the things that worked for me. They may not resonate with you, and that is OK.
We are each on an individual journey and there IS something that will work for you! We may not always be in control of what happens to us, but we do have control of how we react to it.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Going on a spiritual journey to find yourself and who you’re meant to be, is not always easy. There have been many times where I struggled with depression, anxiety, and abandonment issues. These unresolved issues take a toll on you. You start to close off and shelter yourself from everything and everyone.
It took a lot of soul searching, patience, and unlearning my bad habits, toxic traits, and negative, scared mindset. I sometimes feel what I like to call a “relapse” when my brain gets consumed with so many thoughts all at once. I feel like I can’t breathe like I’m suffocating and just can’t take it anymore. I just take a deep breath and remember “everything happens for a reason. It’s happening for me, not to me. I have made it this far”.
I start to hype myself up and look in the mirror and really talk with myself. I go over what I am grateful for, positive affirmations, and tell myself that “I am a strong, warrior, goddess. I’ve got this!” At the end of it all, I always just say, challenge accepted. Our mind is stronger than we give it credit for. We have the ability to overcome any challenge if we really want it and work for it.
We just have to believe in ourselves.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a certified Reiki level 2 practitioner specializing in: relaxation, releasing negative energy, healing from past trauma, breaking through blockages, Chakra balancing, and improving mental health and OVERALL well-being. I primarily focus on distance healing. What makes my distance healing services stand out, is that I not only do Reiki and Chakra balancing, I follow up with spiritual wellness coaching.
I go over what my guides and intuition tell me, what chakras are blocked, and end with helpful, personalized tips to help realign and rebalance to assist with bringing in more peace, self-love, and harmony, into each of my client’s lives. I also offer in-person Reiki sessions at the Yoga Den Southside studio as well! I just started offering Self-Love Coaching! It’s designed to help you feel confident in who you are.
It’s perfect for anyone needing help dedicating more time to themselves, setting boundaries, learning how to say NO, and learning ways to help elevate and boost your confidence! Self-care is a priority. I am a self-love and self-care QUEEN! You can not pour from an empty cup, you must be able to fill up your own cup first with love and care, and then you can share!
My other love is marketing content creation (social media posts, Flyers, and ADs), specializing in Holistic wellness, fitness, yoga, essential oils, Reiki energy healing, metaphysics, crystals & health. This is ideal for shops, boutiques, studios, and companies looking to add to their social media to inform their audience and promote their products/services.
I will be launching online wellness and self-care boutique really soon! So keep an eye out for that! The creative in me LOVES marketing and designing. The spiritual in me LOVES helping and healing. I have a degree in Design and Merchandising with a background in Business and Marketing.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
Marketing is HUGE right now. It always has been. I think in the next 5-10 years people will start learning how to create and design themselves, but it’s really important to keep in mind the business aspect of marketing. In order to be successful, you can’t have one without the other.
As far as health and holistic healing, I really think it’s going to BOOM in the next few years! When people start to realize how transformative it is they will start jumping on the bandwagon. I know there are a lot of people that think this kind of thing is woo-woo. It took a while for yoga to become popular in the US and now even regular doctors are recommending it! I think this is a similar concept.
Pricing:
- In-Person Reiki (1hr) $89
- Distance Reiki, chakra balancing & wellness coaching (1hr session that’s based on your needs) $75 45 min healing | 15 min coaching 30 min healing | 30 min coaching 15 min healing | 45 min coaching.
- Self-Love Coaching 30 min session $45 1 hr session $75
- Marketing & Consultations vary.
Contact Info:
- Email: zenjennholistic@gmail.com
- Website: https://linktr.ee/zenjennholistic
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zenjennholistic/
