Women In Wellness: Jillian Bullock of Mind, Body, Spirit Connection On The Five Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Help Support People’s Journey Towards Better Wellbeing
An Interview With Candice Georgiadis
Self-Love, Self-Care, Self-Healing — It is so important that you take time for yourself. No matter if you’re a wife, husband, parent, employee/employer, sibling, friend, student, community organizer, etc. Spending time with only you and doing things you love, things that bring you joy, is an excellent way to revamp your mental and physical energy. Even just 30 minutes will help. Take a bubble bath, buy yourself something you’ve always wanted. Sing at the top of your lungs. Dance as if no one is watching. Quiet your mind with yoga and meditation. Go to a movie. Make yourself a fine meal, a treat. Go for a walk in nature, feed the ducks. Whatever it is that will bring a smile to your face and a warm feeling to your heart. Once a week, make it happen.
As a part of my series about the women in wellness, I had the pleasure of interviewing Jillian Bullock.
Jillian Bullock is the Founder of Mind, Body, Spirit Connection. As a professional life coach, transformation speaker, plant-based and vegan specialist, fitness expert, with a background in psychology: human sexuality, she helps men and women improve the quality of their lives mentally, physically, spiritually, and emotionally through fitness, health, and holistic and vegan nutrition. In doing so, people, especially those over 40, improve their health, sleep better, have greater mental clarity, increased energy, enjoy better sex, and be more productive in their professional and personal lives.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Our readers would love to “get to know you” better. Can you share your “backstory” with us?
As a result of being raped by a family friend when I was 10, I started training in martial arts when I was 12. I competed, and won, several karate competitions, which helped me feel better about myself. I told myself that I would never be a victim again. I watched many martial arts movies, especially Bruce Lee. I bought his books and listened to his interviews. He was wise and smart with his philosophy of how to use martial arts not just in the dojo, not just to protect yourself, but in life for business and success.
I received a black belt in Tae Kwon Do when I was 15. During my 20’s, I started training in Wing Chun. In five years, I obtained another black belt. Today, I train in MMA, boxing, kettlebells, high intensity interval training, weight lifting, and yoga. I utilize my extensive background as a fitness expert to coach men and women and as a fight choreographer for movies.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career? What were the main lessons or takeaways from that story?
About eight years ago I tore my rotator cuff when I was training in Jiu-Jitsu. The doctor, who was going to perform the surgery, told me it was one of the worse injuries he’d ever seen. After surgery, my doctor told me I’d never be able to train in martial arts again. In fact, he said I wouldn’t be able to do simple exercises like push-ups due to the injury. For several years I accepted what the doctor told me. I became depressed because I couldn’t train, which always helped me feel good about myself and empowered. I had to stop my fitness business, too, which meant loss wages. I gained a lot of weight during this time. Then, one day I stopped feeling sorry for myself and I started watching videos of people like David Goggins, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Lisa Nichols, Les Brown, Oprah, who have dealt with severe hardships, but managed to not only overcome them, but to thrive and become hugely successful.
I started doing pushups. I was on my knees at first, but eventually through rehab for my shoulder and weight training for my arms and shoulders, I got stronger. I worked my way up from my knees to doing regular pushups. Over time, I got strong enough where I started doing martial arts and boxing again. What I learned from this is medical doctors don’t know everything and they can be wrong, and often are. I should have believed in me, and in my body, that I could heal and go back to training as fiercely as I trained before the injury. It’s the mental outlook that I had to focus on, or as I tell people now, “You will experience hardships, setbacks, obstacles, and challenges that will knock you down. You have a choice: either lie down and quit or stand up and fight.”
Can you share a story about the biggest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
When I first started I didn’t have a business plan. I wasn’t certain of which direction I was going for my company. I wasn’t sure of how to structure my fitness, health and wellness company. I didn’t know anything about how to market my fitness programs.
I was doing everything by myself, but didn’t have enough knowledge. As a result, the business folded.
The lessons I learned are: to do extensive research on the type of business and programs I want, know who my demographics are, hire people to help me in areas I’m not strong in, and have a business plan.
Let’s jump to our main focus. When it comes to health and wellness, how is the work you are doing helping to make a bigger impact in the world?
My work helps people of all ages, but my main demographics are men and women over 40. It is at this time when people in their 40’s, 50’s, 60’s, start having chronic diseases, gain excess weight, have pain in their joints, have body aches in their muscles, they move slower, have mental fog, etc. They believe this is normal because they’re getting older and they accept that fact. I teach them that doesn’t have to be the case. There is a way to reverse or slow down the aging process naturally. With millions of people living longer, well into their 90’s, I help make an impact by teaching men and women how to reverse chronic diseases, drop weight, have clear minds, enjoy better sex, and overall get into the best shape of their lives mentally, spiritually, physically, and emotionally. So as they get older, they can enjoy life to the fullest and do all the things they love to do without restrictions. I focus on three components: Mind — mental and emotional trauma healing. Body — exercise and vegan and holistic nutrition. Spirit — using meditation, yoga and breath work to become aligned with self and the earth in order to have a life of peace and calmness.
Can you share your top five “lifestyle tweaks” that you believe will help support people’s journey towards better wellbeing? Please give an example or story for each.
- Be consistent with getting up early, the same time each day and going to bed the same time each night. Morning or evening, no TV, cellphone, or other electronic devices two hours upon waking or before going to bed, because the stimulations these device produce in your brain makes it difficult to get a good night’s rest, quality sleep, or to start your day in a positive manner.
- Journaling is very important. The benefits include: It’s therapeutic and allows you to release your thoughts, emotions, feelings, dreams, and desires. It allows you to focus on your day and how it went. You can write down your dreams and what steps you’ll take to achieve them. Writing out your thoughts helps reduce stress and anxiety. You can write down your blessings. This keeps you in a state of gratitude.
- Adopting a plant based or vegan and holistic way of life. If you want to prevent or reverse chronic diseases (diabetes, cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure, depression, gout, arthritis, inflammation, headaches, digestion issues, high cholesterol, asthma, brain fog, obesity) cleansing your body and mind of toxic foods and drinks will do the trick. Eating meat, dairy, processed and fried food, sugary food and drinks like soda, juices, all break down your immune system and causes not only weight gain, but diseases where you end up either taking various medications, maybe for the rest of your life, or you have to undergo surgery. And of course that also means to rid yourself of other harmful substances, e.g. alcohol and smoking. To live a healthy, well, fit, and productive life for years, adopt these changes for your mind, body and spirit.
- Move your body. There are so many benefits to exercising, especially as you get older. Beyond losing some pounds or staying at a good weight, moving your body at least 30 minutes a day helps keep you strong, flexible, improves cardio endurance, and increases life expectancy. Bottom line, exercise improves your physical, mental, psychological, and social health. Try various exercises so you don’t get bored. From riding a bike, to jogging, doing yoga, walking, lifting weights, using resistance bands, swimming, golfing, hiking, taking dance classes. There is so much to do that will be beneficial and fun.
- Self-Love, Self-Care, Self-Healing — It is so important that you take time for yourself. No matter if you’re a wife, husband, parent, employee/employer, sibling, friend, student, community organizer, etc. Spending time with only you and doing things you love, things that bring you joy, is an excellent way to revamp your mental and physical energy. Even just 30 minutes will help. Take a bubble bath, buy yourself something you’ve always wanted. Sing at the top of your lungs. Dance as if no one is watching. Quiet your mind with yoga and meditation. Go to a movie. Make yourself a fine meal, a treat. Go for a walk in nature, feed the ducks. Whatever it is that will bring a smile to your face and a warm feeling to your heart. Once a week, make it happen.
If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of wellness to the most amount of people, what would that be?
As a mental health advocate, I feel that the way people are opening up about their struggles with mental illness is great. This topic has always been looked upon with shame and stigma. The Covid pandemic has helped the world see that mental health is a serious matter. More resources have been given to people who are struggling and that should continue even when the world gets back to “normal.”
When thinking about wellness the mind is just as important as the body. This is why my company is called Mind, Body, Spirit Connection. All three elements must be in tune with one another for optimal health and wellness.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why?
1) Get a mentor, someone who has done well in the fitness/health/wellness industry.
2) Study people who are more successful so you can learn the do’s and don’ts.
3) Do extensive research in your field.
4) If you don’t know something, don’t be afraid to work with someone who knows what you don’t.
5) Have a business plan for your company.
Sustainability, veganism, mental health and environmental changes are big topics at the moment. Which one of these causes is dearest to you, and why?
Mental health is dearest to me, because in the past I have suffered with depression and PTSD. I know firsthand the devastation mental illness causes on one’s self, family, friends, employers, and communities. It affects us all. We, as a society, all across the world, must put more energy and focus, along with resources, to help the millions of people who are struggling, so they can eventually heal their trauma and live a full, productive, and happy life.
What is the best way our readers can follow you online?
www.mindbodyspiritconnection.org
https://www.instagram.com/veganwarrior0611/
Thank you for these fantastic insights!
Women In Wellness: Jillian Bullock of Mind, Body, Spirit Connection On The Five Lifestyle Tweaks… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.