Jolene Hart is the author of the new book Ignite Your Light: A Sunrise-to-Moonlight Guide to Feeling Joyful, Resilient, and Lit from Within. She also has written the Eat Pretty series, and is a health coach and former magazine beauty editor. She lives near Philadelphia.
Q:
How did you come up with the idea for Ignite Your Light?
A:
Ignite Your Light was first conceived around the shared answer to three
separate questions that I had been exploring in my personal and professional
life.
The
first is that universal question around beauty: What creates the vitality and
magnetism that we perceive as beauty?
The
second comes from my own journey with chronic illness: how could I better
support and optimize the healing process in my body— beyond eating well,
resting, etc.?
And
the third is the question of how we can contribute to higher good in our lives
and in our world, at a time when there is so much fear, pain, and division.
I
believe the answer to all three has to do with how we consciously create our
personal energy, which became the foundation for this book.
Q:
Why did you decide to organize the book by the times of day?
A:
I’ve always felt that different moments of the day have a noticeable effect on
our personal energy; the foundation for this is rooted in the circadian clock.
The
book looks at 13 major influences on personal energy—including relationships,
interior spaces, breath, movement, spirituality, and food— that you can use to
spark a shift in your energy over the course of one day, and over time.
I
wanted the reader to put herself or himself into their own daily routine when
considering how these energy influencers cast influence day to day, and
arranging the book by time of day felt like the perfect way to do that.
I
also love the powerful imagery of light, dark, outward and inward that
accompany the sun and moon, not to mention the major role that all of nature
plays in our energetic health.
Q:
You write, "Your energy is the power source for your inner light."
What is your definition of energy, and of inner light, and how do you see them
working together?
A:
Unlike the metabolic energy that powers your morning workout, your personal
energy is the feeling your presence conveys. Your personal energy is you—it
introduces you before you speak a single word. And that energy creates the
light that you feel in yourself and that you shine into the world.
I
think energy is an essential, yet overlooked, element in beauty, healing, and
happiness—across races, cultures, and life experiences.
The
energy that you possess and the light that it powers can strengthen positivity,
success, and joy; reflect beauty and vitality; support health, and help you
thrive amid the varied chapters and challenges of life.
Q:
You also include recipes in the book. How did you choose them?
A:
Food has a huge influence on energy, foremost in the quality and quantity of
nutrition it delivers. But your relationship with food and the way you feel
while preparing and eating it also influence its overall energetic effects.
The
recipes in Ignite Your Light were created with the goal that you will
experience their energy—in the food prep process, in the freshness and color of
their ingredients, in the tastes and smells they produce—and watch how it
affects your own.
A
recipe like the Sunday Morning Ginger-Apple Fritters produces slow, meditative
energy as you peel apples and fill your home with the smell of baking treats.
The
Coconut-Raspberry Love Bites lets you create handmade snacks filled with love.
And
the Wild Salmon with Apricots and Honey is meant to feel as joyful and decadent
as it is nourishing at the end of a workday.
Q:
What are you working on now?
A:
I’ve just finished a companion journal to Ignite Your Light called Shine On
that will be released in October 2020.
It
features many of the journaling prompts that I use with my coaching clients to
encourage them to reflect on their own energy and brainstorm ways that they can
light themselves up to feel healthier, happier, and more resilient.
Our
ability to use energy as a tool for wellness begins with reflection, and
journaling is one of my favorite ways to step back and reflect in a busy world
where there are few opportunities to pause.
Q:
Anything else we should know?
A:
I found that taking control of my energy and mobilizing it as a positive force
for healing made big changes in the way my body felt while helping me endure
the darkest years of my chronic illness.
My
energy was the one thing I could control, and it really helped me take back my
power to lead my own healing and find moments of joy during a very dark time.
Right
now we’re faced with a giant collective challenge and the energy we choose for
ourselves is so important as we determine our way forward. We all have this
superpower to control our energy, and it’s a big part of our story, now and
always.
Social
media info:
Website:
http://www.jolenehart.com/
Facebook:
facebook.com/beautyiswellness
Instagram:
Instagram.com/jolenehart
Twitter:
twitter.com/jolenehart
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
No comments:
Post a Comment