When Your Pilates Teacher Also Talks To Joe

A corporate career in Alzheimer’s care, a highway crash that stole her ability to work and walk, and a “brand name” that eventually became her legal identity. That’s just the starting line of our conversation with Jennifer Pilates, a globally known Pilates rehabilitative specialist and intuitive medium who’s built a career around true mind body spirit transformation.

We talk about what it really means to get “gritty”: going past surface-level wellness into the root of pain, fear, and disconnection. Jennifer shares how Pilates rehabilitation helped her rebuild after soft tissue damage down her spine, and how that same work unexpectedly amplified her intuitive gifts. We dig into the difference between intuition and mediumship, what it feels like to finally live in your body after years of not feeling safe, and why self-trust isn’t a slogan. It’s a practice you build through small choices, honest check-ins, and learning to sit with yourself.

Jennifer also breaks down her approach to Reiki and energy healing in plain language, including her new moon and full moon distant healing events and the way she believes healing can travel through voice. We also get into embodiment habits that actually stick: nature walks, breathwork, gratitude, ocean grounding, and treating your body like the one “racehorse” you get for life.

If you’ve been craving clarity, nervous system calm, and a grounded approach to spirituality and wellness, hit play. 

To experience Jennifer’s signature mind-body-spirit distant healing, book a session or explore her on-demand wellness offerings at:

👉 JenniferPilates.com

Follow her on YouTube: @EmpoweredWithinwithJenniferPilates

And on Pinterest: @TheJenniferPilates

HELP contribute to this growing community.  Email topic ideas, suggestions for interviews, and feedback to venessa@squatsandseances.com.

FIND new episodes of Squats & Séances on all major podcast platforms and the vlogcast on our YouTube channel - Squats & Séances.

SUBSCRIBE so you never miss an episode. 

VISIT us at www.squatsandseances.com to subscribe to our newsletter.

FOLLOW us on social media @squatsandseances (IG, FB, TT, LinkedIn).

Until the next time - stay gritty you badass! 

Transcript

Welcome And Guest Introduction

SPEAKER_02 0:09

Hi, Ken.

Venessa 0:14

Hi, and we today we welcome Jennifer Pilates to the Squats and Seances podcast. Jennifer is a globally renowned Pilates rehabilitative specialist, an intuitive medium, a spiritual thought leader, and host of the top-rated Empowered Within podcast. With over 25 years of experience, she has transformed lives worldwide by guiding others to awaken their intuition, realign with purpose, and rise in empowered alignment. Jennifer's signature method brings body, mind, and spirit, helping you release what's holding you back. Whether through private sessions, on-demand wellness programs, or her Reiki Lunar Distant Healing Events, her presence is a true beacon for anyone seeking soul-led transformation, clarity, and deeper purpose. Welcome, Jennifer.

SPEAKER_03 1:20

Thank you so much, Vanessa. That was fantastic. Thank you. I'm like, wow, who is this badass? I'm leader.

Venessa 1:25

Feel free to borrow that from the transcript when the podcast goes live if you want a little condensed uh bio.

SPEAKER_03 1:32

I love that. I know, love that.

Venessa 1:34

Great.

Defining What Gritty Means

Venessa 1:35

Well, before we begin the bulk of the conversation today, there is one specific question that I like to ask every first-time guest on the podcast. And that is what does the word gritty mean to you? Gritty.

SPEAKER_03 1:50

Ooh, let's get down into it. So gritty to me, it's like back in the day was you're like, ooh, so nitty-gritty. Really diving deep into something, really getting into the core, really getting into the depths and going beyond where maybe nowhere else, no one else is going. So no floff, like we're really gonna get into it and go places that perhaps either people have never been or maybe somebody has never even ventured to think about. Oh, I love that grittiness.

Venessa 2:20

I love asking that question. It's just out there, it's a little bit left field for people, but it just sets the stage for each individual's perspective. That word can mean a lot of things to a lot of different people. So thank you. To give some context, as you probably know, the Squats and Seances podcast is also about exploring the intersections of mind, body, and spirit, that connection between our physiology, our psychology, and our spirituality. And so I am very excited because it sounds like your path and your journey has really taken you through learning what each of those pillars were for yourself. And so I think that's probably if you are

How Jennifer Got Her Name

Venessa 3:05

down where we should start. I have a health and fitness background. And so, of course, when I was doing some research on you, I read that you are a third-generation Pilates instructor and that you trained directly under second generation Pilates instructor instructors and the founders of the Pilates Center of Boulder, Colorado, and that the Pilates Center programs are based on the classical Pilates Fundamentals taught by Joseph Pilates himself, that it is the world's foremost teacher training school for classical Pilates instructors. And so the very next question that came to my mind is are you of direct descendant to Joseph Pilates? And is that your real last name?

SPEAKER_03 3:47

It's such a great question. And it has so many depths and it has changed over the years every time someone asked me this. So the to answer it the best way, there was a little boy that came up to me and he was like 10 or 11 years old, and he was like, Miss Jennifer. And I said, Yes. I said, What's going on? And he goes, I have a question for you. I said, Yeah. And he goes, Is that your last name or is that branded? And he said, You, my friend, are very intelligent. Probably one of the most intelligent people I've ever met. And he and I said, It's branded. So what happened, how it started, and what it's evolved has been completely unbelievable. So it started with the idea that that's all everyone, anyone ever called me was Pilates Girl or Pilates, and it became a thing. And so thus then it became Jennifer Pilates on the website, and it was exist there, it was as if there was no other name that existed. That's just who and how everything evolved. And then one day a client at Christmas time brought in a sign, it said Jennifer Pilates with my logo. Like it wasn't my it was the universe. The universe took off this. Yep. The universe was doing all of this. So then fast forward, it became a time of legalities and personal things that were changing in my world. And I thought, well, I know I'm probably not gonna be able to trademark this, so I can legally change my name. And there's that. And so that is what I did. I chose to legally change my name at that point, which just made my life so much simpler professionally, accounting-wise, and personally, because there was a bunch of static going on in my life. So it was time to become my own person and to really honor who I was. Now, as the story, that's how it kind of started.

Venessa 5:35

I mean, that's fascinating. I would never have guessed that you had done that.

SPEAKER_03 5:38

Lots of people, it is like it's legal, it's on my license. I did not change my birth certificate because I don't believe that you should do that. Um, that is whom I came into the world as at that

Joe Pilates And Mediumship Connections

SPEAKER_03 5:47

point. But at that point, I had received a call from Joe's family wanting to know if I was this relative Jennifer. And so we started having a conversation. And then I was like, there's something more to this, you know, and with my background being an intuitive medium and all of this stuff. And for years, I had been pre-Pilates, always having readings, all the jazz. There was always this guy, Joe, that came in. I thought this guy, Joe, was related to my grandfather. Never thought, never ever in a billion years did I put two and two together. Wow. He smoked cigars. He, I mean, it like it gives me goosebumps now to think about it. And and it's so old that like it's a cassette tape, people. It's a cassette tape.

Venessa 6:35

I feel that there's a portion of our listener base that's gonna have to go Google that.

SPEAKER_03 6:39

You're gonna have to go Google what a cassette tape is. Yeah. And you might start using them this year. But um, so it became this thing, and I went back and I went, oh my gosh, this was like Joe cut, like Joe has been coming through before I even knew who Joe was, Pilates whole thing. And so then I kind of went and really went into, okay, I'm gonna like, you know, let's dig deeper here. And so dug deeper, had conversations with him through other intuitive mediums, as well as him coming in through my meditations more than had permission. Like it was something that like he was a part of that I didn't even know. So it was this really cool thing, and there is a little piece through a relative that when you do dig back deep enough and you really dig, and I wouldn't have done this, but he mentioned it in a meditation, he you'll find a connection. And so it's a wild. Like I would have in the past, I've always been like, no, I'm not related, no, I'm not really. And then like it, it just the story keeps evolving. So who knows what it's gonna be next year? But it's just quite it's just a wild story.

Venessa 7:47

That's yeah, I would have not, you took me on so many turns there.

SPEAKER_03 7:50

I thought I mean it's like, but that's my life, plot twist after plot twist after plot twist.

Venessa 7:56

And I apologize, I'm moving my screen as we're talking, listeners, because I have always this beacon of light that comes through. And I feel really excited when it happens because it's when I'm doing really meaningful podcasts, is what I found. That's always when the light shows up. So this is a good sign. So was gonna be essentially a brand, it was your brand name, and then became your legal name, and then full circle moment when you're realizing there is some connection there to the original family.

SPEAKER_03 8:24

There's the connection, and then there's the healing connection. No one really talks a lot about that. Joe was truly a healer. And so what he was in essence, and what Pilates in essence brought out in me was the healer of whom I am. So I always had abilities, I always had gifts. I just didn't like at that point, I didn't really know, or I sort of was just like, oh, whatever. I would have never been like, oh, look at what I just did. And so it was his way of sort of initiating me, I think in a way that maybe other people haven't been initiated. I mean, I'm I'm very honored by it and talk to him quite often. He like pops up quite a bit and is like I like that have all these plans for what should be going on moving forward. And I just I feel very, very blessed and very honored.

Venessa 9:10

And I think this is a good distinction to make too. And please, as the expert, you can correct me if I get this wrong. But I've talked to many intuitives and I've talked to many intuitive mediums, and there is a difference. You know, I I come from base camp of everybody has the intuitive ability, but I don't believe everybody has the ability of mediumship, which is communicating with souls that have passed. And so that that's an important distinction, I think, to make there too. Okay, well, that gives a little bit of context for your background, but I really want to get into more of who you are, where you came

The Car Accident That Redirected Life

Venessa 9:42

from. I know in doing my own research and sharing that that you had a traumatic car accident at some point in your history that kickstarted you on this path that you're on. And so I'm curious to hear what happened, what was sort of your immediate situation following this accident, and how did Pilates play a role in you discovering the healer that you really are?

SPEAKER_03 10:11

Yeah, so I, you know, my life started some similar for some people. I was in the corporate world. I was climbing the corporate ladder. I was had all of the you should do this, you should do that, this is what you're gonna do, climb the corporate ladder, here's what I'm gonna make, my 401k, I'll buy a house at 30, 2.5k, you know, all this stuff. Um, I was specializing in Alzheimer's disease, and it just came to a halt. I was driving home one day from work. I was absolutely miserable in my life. I had been crying all the time. My mentor had pre-warned me. I was up-leveling in the industry. And she was like, I'm telling you, you're not gonna want, you're not gonna like this position. You're not, you know, it's just not, let's think of the broader spectrum. And it was true. I'm a very person people. I'm about the residents, I'm about the seniors, I'm about their family. And the higher you climb, in my personal opinion, in that industry, the further away you get from that, unfortunately. And that is exactly what happened. And I was just devastated. I was very young, being in such a higher position. So also I had like zero respect because I was in my mid to late 20s. So who was gonna listen to me? Right. It didn't like it didn't matter. I mean, I had been in the industry since I was 15 years old, but it wasn't like I didn't know what was going on. So, anywho, I was driving home, six lanes of highway, red light coming up. I stop, I look up, and I see a car barreling at me.

SPEAKER_02 11:39

Oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_03 11:40

And, you know, you look to the right, you look to the left. There is nowhere to go. And basically, you know, obviously I got hit. I, you know, ping-ponged around a little bit. And it was quite an experience. I definitely lost a little bit of consciousness because all of a sudden I was like, oh my God, there's a police officer at my door. They get here so he was in Colorado. I was like, they get here so fast. Well, that was the guy that hit me. He was on his way home. He had, you know, so it was like all of this stuff, and it just stopped me in my tracks. I couldn't walk, I couldn't work anymore. I was in and out of doctor's offices eight hours a day. I had all soft tissue internal damage from the base of my skull down my spine. It was just a game changer. And I truly believe at that moment that the universe was like, okay, someone needs to step in here because like she is on a freight train. That's not gonna end well. So this is what happened. And here I am at that point in Boulder, Colorado, which is the Mecca, was the Mecca of alternative holistic care. I was a little country bumpkin, I say, coming from Cape Cod, which is in Massachusetts, which is south of Boston, for those of you that don't know about the island. So I knew nothing of what was being offered to me from cranial, sacral to even, I mean, I knew like basic chiropractic care, I knew slash therapy, I really hadn't had acupuncture. Uh, I mean, there was a lot that, you know, I was in, you name it, all the doctors. And so, in going through everything, the wildest things, you should try marijuana and only smoke it out of a bong because you have asthma. That will help you better than being on trazodone. And I'm like, huh? Like, what? I mean, it was wild. It was some wild stuff. And so it just became one day. I was in so much pain. And this guy said, I think, you know, I'm gonna refer you to this gal. You should go check her out. And it turns out that her specialty was Pilates rehabilitative care. And so I rehabbed with her for a year. And it was through her that I found Pilates and found the love for Pilates. And then in and out of that time, I still hadn't been able to work. And then once I was able to go back to work, there were some things that were changing within the corporation that I was in. And out of my mouth comes one day before I could even filter it. Well, if you need to lay someone off, lay me off. Whoops, like I don't even who says this, right? So a week goes by, the HR lady's like, Hey, want to go to lunch? I'm like, Yeah, sure. Here comes the regional manager. I'm like, oh, we're all going to lunch. Group fantastic. I just don't even see the writing on the wall. Needless to say, that day after lunch, I went home and well, actually, first I went to one of my favorite establishments because I was like, what just happened? You know, and it was the one of the biggest blessings for me because at that point I still was working part-time. And I just that position, while the industry is still a big part of my heart, that position was not. And so at that point, I had a little bit of a settlement. It was just enough, again, no coincidences here. It was just enough to be able to go to the Plotte Center and Boulder, which happened to be right there in my backyard. Like there were so many things that people were lining me up. People that had rehabbed to me were like, you should, you know, you're very good at this. You should really like lean into the schooling of it. And I was like, Oh, I literally leaned into everything at that point in time that I was, you know, that was shared with me. And one of the doctors that was very enlightening at one point had said to me, You don't live in your body. And at the time, I didn't really like under I was like, okay, like I didn't really know what he said. I didn't really quite understand the depth of it. And I feel that the kind thing that he did was not go any further at that moment in time. Right. Because I was just trying to get through the car accident. And it would have been, oh my gosh, so much more than that. Looking back, I always like want to thank that person because it made so much sense later on. It still makes so much sense. Yeah. And so Pilates became my love. And the mission in going through the school, and then the mission and coming out of the school was that if I could just help one person not be in pain, not feel what I felt, not be in pain, if I could help one person. And now you look fast forward two day, two decades later, two plus actually, goodness. I've had seven plus studios throughout the United States. I've helped thousands of people around the world. And it just continues and it's wonderful and it's a blessing. And it was through that Pilates that again really helped me to harness my spiritual practice. I always say some days, I'm like, I was way more spiritual then, some days I feel like than I am now. Because I was just leaning into what worked. I was doing Reiki long before and healing long before I ever knew what it was.

Venessa 16:22

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 16:23

So it was just this beautiful thing. Clients would come in in pain, they would leave with no pain, and I would have their pain.

SPEAKER_02 16:29

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 16:30

And so it was through that like spiritual initiation, I guess you could say, that I sort of needed to stumble along because there were no books then. There's nobody saying, like, oh, you know what? You're an empath, you're intuitive, you know. Oh, you've you've got all this. This was this is still like this, I feel it's like a 1920s. Like it's the stumbling block of coming into the spiritual world, which for me personally, I don't think I would have had it any other way. And every year, every moment has been a different layer. And Pilates turned into a Pilates session, it was never a Pilates session. Right. It was an intuitive medium session. It was a healing session, it was a coaching session. And that within those sessions is how my business continued to grow layer after layer over the years. So it's really like I feel like I'm just, I just wait for my business to go, okay, what's next?

Learning To Live In The Body

Venessa 17:22

And there's so many things you touched on there. And the first one I want to circle back to is the idea of not living in our bodies because that is so incredibly true. We walk around thinking that we're experiencing life in a certain dimension or plane, but when you really are in tune with what the body is saying, it's so radically different. In my own personal journey, I've worked with thousands of athletes and it's a parallel journey in the strength and conditioning world that is similar to Pilates. Like we're still coming at it from a, it's never about how much weight is on that barbell. It's about what's happening right in here and what's happening in here while you're under that load. And so just wanted to really send some appreciation for you for sharing that because it's not disassociation. That's not the goal. It's getting in your body, but like you you have the wisdom now to realize all these years later, you have to do a lot of work in liminal spaces that can be highly uncomfortable to sit in your body.

SPEAKER_03 18:25

Oh, absolutely. I mean, and there was, you know, there were very valid reasons why it was not in my body for probably almost over a decade of my life. It wasn't a safe place. Yeah. And so my environment wasn't safe. And so I, you know, was doing whatever I could do to survive, to self-pres you know, preserve going through. And I think once you can get to that place where you understand that and then you're willing to take the steps to sort of work on yourself, just be with yourself, then that's where you come to the place of such the empowered within that no one comes into your space that's going to disturb that. And so it becomes, you know, the first half of my life was so much fear and insecurities and survival mode. And now the second half of my life is such grounded in an empowerment that is so every day gets more powerful within myself. Every day there's a new sense of I dare you.

unknown 19:36

I dare you.

SPEAKER_03 19:39

I love it. But it's such a great place to be at in such a nice manner. It's just like whereas like 10 years ago it would have been a whole different, I dare you. Now it's just like, I dare you. Please stop. So it is, it's work. It will be, you know, and it will continue to be work. And that's, I think, the biggest thing that I want people to understand. Like, I'm not done. You're not done. Nobody's done. Like the moment we're done is the moment that we choose to transition from this planet. Right. It's called the school of earth for a reason. You are here for your journey, whatever mission you signed up for. And the goal is to learn something every day. You know, and I think there was a cliche there for a while of, oh, you should learn something new every day. Yes, you should do a good deed every day. There's lots of things you can do every day, but really take it to the grittiness, as you, you know, we talked about in the beginning. Really dive into that and really get into the core of whom you are, why you're here, what feels good to you, and live from that place and don't be afraid to.

Venessa 20:40

And it's getting that getting right with yourself, being able to sit with yourself. And I don't mean getting right as in everything is perfectly controlled and just right, as in you have to accept yourself first to be able to appreciate things like the universal flow and shakti and all of these other things. So, somewhere along the way for you, you obviously had a realization, a self-actualization where you could see you had these gifts and that you could use them to help others. Was there something specific that happened? Where did you come into that awareness, that process for you?

SPEAKER_03 21:21

Interestingly enough, I had no idea the entire time when I first started all my Pilates studios. I just knew that people were getting better, and I was like, this Pilates is amazing.

Venessa 21:32

Darn. Gotta try it, guys.

SPEAKER_03 21:34

This is so fantastic. This stuff is amazing. And it just it's hard to say because there are just so many, there was never like just this aha, like I'm amazing and I can read and I know all this stuff. I have been doing it since I was a child. So it's more like it got deeper and stronger. I've been a medium since I was a child. I was gifted at, you know, in having into Have been abilities and knowing things as a child, I just didn't know that's what it was. And so Pilates is that core for me that really put it all together, that truly aligned me with my own body, mind, and spirit from the essence of whom I am to help bring things out a little bit more. And then as the time has passed, it's gotten more and more, which allowed me to become more and more confident within myself and feeling more empowered about just what I know. Whereas before I would probably second guess it because I didn't, I'm like, I don't know how I know that. I just know that. Now I'm like, no, really. Like if I said suggest maybe you shouldn't go to work today, no, you need to stay home today. It just so there isn't this one, some people have that one thing. For me, it wasn't like that. It's that every year, every moment of my life, really, there's this new deeper of essence of just knowing. And I find that is so one to such a blessing, but just so powerful. And like it's just, it's wild. It's it's just very wild. I think there are certain things that can activate you. For instance, with the time I spent in Arizona, absolutely. I mean, just being in Arizona as well, that you know, heightened my gifts to another ability and activation. Being in Florida has done the same thing in different ways. Being up on going back to Cape Cod, it was a whole nother. So it's like depending on where I'm called to be, you know, I'm learning that there's different activations that come online, is the best way I can say. It's almost like re-plugging back in and giving you another boost, so to speak.

Grounding Rituals And Ocean Energy

Venessa 23:49

I was gonna ask as well, are there any specific daily or weekly or monthly rituals, or what do you do to tap back in to source and to really what this is is a listening to self. You're you are reconnecting with you so that you can hear your intuition. What does that look like for you? Do you want to share some secrets? How does that have so much?

SPEAKER_03 24:13

I have so much. And it's, I would say one, like the most important thing is being grounded. You know, for me, I have got to be grounded. And for me, being out in nature is grounding. So something that is very important is walks daily out in nature. It's download after download, which for those of you if you're not familiar with that word, I get all these insights that come in. Now, two decades ago, that was me on a treadmill. Now I have to be outside. I can no longer work out in a gym anymore. It doesn't work for me. So I have, you know, being outside in nature is a huge thing for me. Starting my day with specific uh meditations that include breath work and appreciation and gratification and my own healing essence as well as the healing that I send out to friends, family, and the world. So that's a huge thing for me. Yeah. Um, I end my day with a similar practice. And then generally, not depending on where I'm at. Right now, it's a little, it's an interesting situation. So spirit has me moving very quickly.

SPEAKER_02 25:19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 25:19

And usually I have my own Reiki practice daily. And it's for me and my kitties. And sometimes that's 15 minutes, sometimes it's half an hour, sometimes it's an hour. And that is very, very powerful for me when I'm having those moments.

SPEAKER_02 25:36

Right.

SPEAKER_03 25:37

Going to the ocean is incredibly important. Being around the ocean is incredibly important, which was definitely a struggle for me being in Arizona. In Arizona, right? Um, I learned how to maneuver it differently because also the mountains are very powerful for me. However, now it's it's like I've run out of land where I can go where there's ocean. And so I have situated myself in a place and I'm like, okay, this is great for now. Like, I don't know how this is gonna play out, but we'll see what happens. But the ocean, there is such an energetic connection.

Venessa 26:12

Oh, preaching to the choir. I feel you. I also moved to Arizona for a brief scent many 20 years ago, and I I couldn't do it. I had to go back because I there is this energetic pull. I don't know how else to explain it.

SPEAKER_03 26:26

It just is. The ocean just calls you. I do a lot of work with Poseidon. Um, we've done some incredible things, and I just in every body of water is different, even up and down the Atlantic, in my personal opinion, up and down the Pacific, throughout the Gulf of America. All of it, yeah, every and there are some places that are incredibly activating for me. I just had this conversation with a friend here last night, and I said, you know, when I was in South Carolina, there was a specific beach I went to and literally walked out there and it was like there was crystals in the air. I mean, it was such a beautiful portal vortex, whatever you want to call it. It was an amazing space. And then I came to where I'm at now. It's a spot in Florida, and I said, you know what? Like that ain't here. That is not here. Like I've gone out on the beach, I'm trying, it's it's just not in this specific spot. Now, I've had I've found this in other areas in Florida and up in the Emerald Isle, which is also known as the Panhandle, Northern Florida. There are incredible healing vortexes up there. Um, but where I'm at right now in uh Southwest Florida, I'm like, it's just not, it's not. Whereas at one time it did, and I I want to touch on that a bit for people too. Just because, as just a really stupid example, you always loved JIF peanut butter and you haven't had it for a while, and now you go back to eat it, and you're like, something's off. It's not the peanut butter, it's eating. It's true in so many ways. So as your energies change and as your body changes and your body is being upgraded, and whether you believe in going through ascension or this, that, and the other thing, so will your experiences in places that you go to. You've been to them in the past or not. So they will change. So if you go to a place that once used to resonate and give you all these highs, and now you go and you're like, no, I like it, it's nice, but I'm not. There's your energies have risen, and those energies, it's still fine. It's just not where you are anymore. So it's not in a full alignment. And that's why it's not feeding the soul. And that's with anything, that's with a person-place thing. Thank you.

Venessa 28:37

I was gonna say the same thing.

SPEAKER_03 28:39

Car, whatever it is, outfit, shirt. That's why it's again, there's so many different ways to be in tune. So, you know, I know I kind of got off on a tension there when you asked about things that I did, but those are the things that I look at. Yeah, as far as even like clothing that needs to be changed out, food that needs to be changed out, there's and I've just learned that the more you can listen to your intuition, you can lean in and don't fight it. Cause I've done that too.

SPEAKER_02 29:06

Right.

SPEAKER_03 29:06

Life is so much easier. So if I feel like I'm going somewhere, or like this is a perfect example. The other day, I was exhausted and I was like, I'm just gonna run out and get gas. I was at Costco. And I I kept having this for two days. Go to Costco, go to I'm like, I need nothing at Costco. We're traveling, we're not in our home. Like, what do I need in Costco? I can't make this up. I'm at the gas station. I'm getting ready to pull out. The parking spot right in front of me opens, and I'm like, I give up. I had zero energy, which meant I had no business going into Costco with zero energy as an intuitive empath walking in.

Venessa 29:46

Oh, oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 29:47

Like this was a recipe for disaster. You know what? I walked in there, and it was there were just poignant things that were pointed out to me. I got in, I got out, there was no problem. There were, I was telling my girl, I was like, can you believe this? This is what I was being shown of certain dynamics of things that I actually needed that Costco had. And I was like in and out, and under $100, by the way, people. I mean, this was when does that ever happen?

Venessa 30:12

That's nothing short of a miracle right there.

SPEAKER_03 30:14

Seriously, miracle. So it was just, but those are the things when I say please listen to the little things, it's the little things of where you safely build a foundation and build the trust within yourself, not because someone else is sharing their insights with you, which is wonderful. But what does it feel to you?

unknown 30:33

Right.

SPEAKER_03 30:34

What's resonating to you? And that's ultimately where I want people to get that empowerment within. And that's how I help guide people.

Venessa 30:40

And to bring that even up one level, if you practice daily with this intuitive listening to yourself and the little things, then when something major comes along, you've already got the practice of learning how to sit in silence and listen. So you're gonna be better attuned to what you need to do in the moments that it really, really matters. I think that's great. I am curious about the physical side of things as well for you.

Food Body Image And Self-Honesty

Venessa 31:08

What sort of physiology changes or leveling up or differences did you notice as you went through this period of initial healing, spiritual awakening? We're on the other side of things now. Like the physiology, how do you physically feel so today?

SPEAKER_03 31:27

I physically feel fantastic, which is amazing, which is great. And I would say most days I feel fantastic. What's interesting now about my body and who I am today is that I love myself today, and I love my temple. And this temple is my racehorse, right? This is the only one you're getting. So you need to honor and you need to cherish, and I do that now. And in the first half of my living in this world, I did not. I controlled what I could control. I controlled food. I controlled what I I don't think I really ate. I think I thought I ate. Um, but like now, oh no, like I love food. Like I really enjoy food. I definitely have a sweet tooth. But like I love food. I eat food. I don't, I don't restrict myself. If I want something, I have it. It is what it is. Whereas before I'd be like, no bread, no this, no that. No, it doesn't mean that. And I'm a good 80-20 kind of a rule kind of girl. And there are moments where I know where I've gone a little off the Richter scale. And then I check in with myself and I go, because like, let's be clear, we were I do believe we were all around for 2020, 2021, 2022, whatever. I sure hope anybody listening to this podcast has been. Oh my God, right? I had at that point in time, that's when my podcast was born. So I had all of these emotional eater um experts on there. Yeah. I learned how to emotionally eat during that time. And so what that taught me now is sorry, my nose is so itchy. Oh, you're okay. Um I get to that point when I'm like, I need to make some chocolate chip cookies tonight. And I'm like, why?

SPEAKER_02 33:06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 33:07

And then I'm like, okay. And then as long as I can talk to myself and go, you know what? I am either, I just really want them. I'm so happy. Or you know what, this is this was a there's some stuff going on. Yeah.

Venessa 33:17

What am I feeling?

SPEAKER_03 33:19

Honor myself either way, but I'm checking in with myself. And so now I love the health that I have. Um, I have boobs that I never had because I I was so skinny. I was very, very, very skinny. Yes. Um, people would still say I'm skinny now, but for me, being only five, two, like I can put on a few pounds. It's like 10 pounds, the average bear. Right. So right now I feel like I'm like, well, I have like some little like doe girlness. This is fun. Yeah. It's this interesting aspect in relationship that I have with my body that I go, you know what? We did this. Why do we do this? You know what? We felt we needed a sense of protection for a little while. We're okay now. We don't need it. Okay, so let's Annie up a little bit now. Let's do a couple more Pilates. Let's add in some more yoga. Let's just, okay, let's do some more Pulates. For me, it's all about being honest with myself, making sure that I feel good, down to what sneakers am I wearing to walk in. Yes. Um, all of it. And what am I eating? Right. And when am I eating and how am I honoring myself? And as long as I'm checking in and doing that, then I that's what's most important for myself. So now I'm I've been great. I've had some other hiccups along the way from the car accident. I still seek massage and chiropractor and all the stuff. Yeah, but that's called self-care people. Yeah. That's called stuff you should do anyway. Anyway. You should do that anyways. And so that is super important. I had an out-of-blue health situation. I don't talk about it very much in 2018. No history of my family, no nothing. I was riding my celebrity trainer situation in the high, and this it knocked me down. And it was very scary. It was very, it was just, it was beyond debilitating. And um it definitely stopped me in my tracks in a lot of different ways. And it was like at that point, I realized I had been living off of caffeine. I had been not loving my body the way that I should have. And that had nothing to do with what happened. But it was like, again, there was a universal step-in. I understand it doesn't mean I still like it, but I get it. Right.

Venessa 35:31

Um yeah, and our bodies, right? They just will ratchet up the volume until we're ready to listen. It starts very quiet and we don't check in whether that's by choice or we don't know how we haven't learned how to speak the language or listen to what our bodies are saying. And then it just continues to ratchet and ratchet and ratchet until it screams at us, and it screams at us through health crisis, it screams at us through circumstantial changes that are always part of the grand universal plan, I believe. And nothing is by accident. So I appreciate you sharing that a lot. And I really love that you talked about honoring the seasons and the phases. Your body works so hard to keep each of us alive every day, going through a billion processes that we don't see or don't feel or don't really have appreciation for. Sometimes we need more food. Sometimes we do want to emotionally eat. Okay. Go into it with eyes wide open. Know what you're doing, right?

SPEAKER_02 36:32

Correct. Be honest with it.

Venessa 36:33

And then when you feel like it's time to balance the choices out again, then you you reevaluate, reassess, and move forward. So thank you. Lots of great stuff

Reiki Distance Healing And Voice Work

Venessa 36:44

there. I also wanted to ask about your Reiki distant healing events. And so I do think that the listener base here probably has an idea of what Reiki is, but if you don't mind giving us broad strokes definition of what it is that you would define Reiki as and what that offering is, and then what it does for the individual. I would I would love for you to talk about that too.

SPEAKER_03 37:10

So I will drop some secrets here just because I'm feeling a little feisty today. Um, so the healing work that I do, I have coined it as Reiki because that's what people are comfortable with. Right. I have been doing energetic quantum healing, I don't know, two decades now, over that stuff as a child. I use the word Reiki because it is safe. It's comfortable, people are okay with it. And so when we talk about energy healing, you can think about also in the same juncture with this acupuncture, acupressure, massage, it's all about think all about Chinese medicine, it's all about opening up the meridians and your energetic chakras throughout your body. So I like to say that within our body, you know, when we have some pain, there's a dis-ease at that point in time. And that dis-ease is an emotional blockage.

unknown 38:02

Right.

SPEAKER_03 38:03

And if that emotional blockage is pushed down long enough or ignored long enough, it will become a disease. I truly believe that every disease, and and it's not just me, scientifically, it has been proven, comes from a stagnation at a cellular level of emotions that were never addressed. So it's that complicated and that simple. And so when you bring Reiki energy healing into the mix, what it does is it allows the body to exhale. It allows you to breathe, it allows you to find peace in a moment that you might not otherwise find peace. It allows you to potentially release pain, anxiety, stress, have a fantastic night's sleep, but it brings you clarity and calmness. And so the way that I work with clients is that I all of my work is encompassed around the moon and the sun. And the reason being is because, in my feisty personal opinion, those are the two things that I can count on that are real. I don't know about the calendar being real, but that's a whole nother podcast.

Venessa 39:18

We've all always worked off of the lunar and solar cycle.

SPEAKER_03 39:23

Correct. So when you're working there, there is so much power to be had. And I'm a moon girl and I'm an earth girl, so tourist girl. So there's so much energy. So when I work on these events, which is every new moon, every full moon, and we have these, it's distant. And so you can be anywhere in the world, and for half an hour, you will receive this energetic healing. And it will, it is programmed to go wherever is needed and to stay for as long as needed. So even though you're there for half an hour, generally speaking, the effects and integration, the way that I work with my energy healing, will continue for a good 72 hours afterwards. Yes. Aha moments, all sorts of things come through. I personally am every session amazed at what comes back to me, what people are saying. Because I'm like, oh my goodness. Yeah. You know, I had one woman who is just so, so sick. You named the disease. I think she has it. No exaggeration, has been in pain level 10 plus forever, doesn't really walk that much, sent me a very colorful language-filled email. Like, who the F are you? And I was like, Oh my God, what happened? And she was like, I'm at a pain level four. I just walked like this Santa Monica peer in flip-flops. What kind of alien are you? And what are you doing?

Venessa 40:46

Like, what voodoo was this?

SPEAKER_03 40:49

Like, what was this? You know, and it's lots of different things. You know, other people go, oh my gosh, I immediately fell asleep, but I immediately woke up when I was done. And I'm like, there's a reason for that. So I love that. And then there's also opportunities for one-on-one sessions. And then the truth is, is the way that my healing works. And even right now, anybody that's listening to this, if you're not sitting down, sit down for a moment. I want you to know something. You have been receiving healing this entire podcast because my healing comes through my voice. And so, even though that distant healing, when I'm doing that, it's still voice activated. So any of my meditations, any of my Pilates classes, any of my podcasts, it's all healing work. And so it's amazing to know that you can be wherever you want in the comfort of wherever you want and experience this to taste test it. And then if you wanted more, you could always, you know, dive into a one-on-one session. Or again, like all of my it's inclusive in everything that I do. Yeah. And so sometimes I mention it and sometimes I don't, because sometimes people don't need to know. They just need to know that they're getting what they desire. And if I'm sprinkling a little something that's coming through, then that's coming through for them. Oh, truly Reiki energy is any healing energy. It's so powerful and can do so much for the body, mind, and spirits a massage without the touch.

Venessa 42:16

Have you heard of Dr. Francesca McCartney?

unknown 42:19

I have.

Venessa 42:20

Okay. I've read all I've read her book, uh, one of them, Body of Health. And actually, she she has lined up to be a guest on the podcast as well. She has done these clinical studies that have proven the effects of energy healing over distance. Um, so it's powerful work that you're doing. Very powerful work. I mean powerful. And that is exactly why I started this podcast. You mentioned the voice, the throat, the shuddha. This is what comes through, right? And people have different gifts. And I think if your gift is transmuting the energy and helping people heal, and then, like for me, it is discernment. It's hearing the space between the words, the things that people don't really feel comfortable saying, and then helping them find their voice to say that. And so that's this amazing stuff that you just shared. But I have a couple more questions before we end this, but I will be sure to include links in the show notes for your website. Is that where people would go to find more about the Reiki distant healing that you do? Okay. And that's JenniferPilates.com, right?

SPEAKER_03 43:29

Yes. And they can go to empoweredwithgenifer.com. Awesome. So we're making a little transition coming up in the okay, exciting stuff.

Why Empowered Within Was Created

Venessa 43:41

So speaking of Empowered Within, that is the name of your podcast. And I would love to know what inspired you to create it and then what impact are you making through it now? What is, and is that having to do with your shift there?

SPEAKER_03 43:57

A little bit. Okay, yeah, let's hear about it. So there's all sorts of so I mean I've been known as the Plotties Girl forever and ever and ever. You know, and as I said, that became it was through clients that was my business. And it has real my business itself shifted long before I realized that it shifted much more into my intuitive readings, intuitive coaching, and the Reiki healing sessions. And so with that, there's sort of this little, there's a little thing, there's a little energy that just there's something that I needed to sort of fix and sort of smooth out with a nice iron because I like things to be ironed and everything to be in its place. And so I have been sitting with it for a while and I said, okay, we're gonna slowly transition from Jennifer Pilates, who there's one, you know, there's plenty of people that know who she is as one person, but then there's a lot of people that know her as the healer and reader and all that. So with this next empowered with Jennifer.com, it becomes the umbrella for everything. Right. And it doesn't feel pigeon-toed for me. Yeah. While Jennifer Pilates will still be there in active.com. So it's just sort of that's kind of the shift that's going on. And yes, because of the podcast. The podcast is four years officially. Well, it's four years, but see, really been out for five years because of a hiccup that I did, which is so hysterically funny. Um I'm so curious now. It's so funny. So I had been doing some work with Tony Robbins. Oh, and I was here and ironically enough, I'm back where I it was born. Wow. And so it's very special for me to be back here in this moment in time. And so I was in a very tough spot in my life, and you know, it was right before the pandemic. During the pandemic, I was caretaking with family. I was surrounded by toxicity. It was like really, I was in a place at that time that I thought I didn't want to be in. It wasn't the geographical area. It was, I was, I was not happy with the toxicity that was around me. And I took three days and I worked with him. And it was through that that I heard, you're gonna do a podcast. I had never heard one. Yeah, I knew nothing about podcasting. That just I knew nothing. I bought a microphone, I sat it on my desk, and I heard, now let it be. You'll come back to it. And I'm like, wait, what? No. And so, but here's what's funny. So I recorded the intro. I didn't know when you recorded the intro and you put it somewhere, like, then it meant that the podcast was there.

SPEAKER_01 46:45

Right.

SPEAKER_03 46:46

A podcast and the interest. I didn't know. I knew nothing about this. So this had gone out in that July. Now, fast, no, well, not even fast forward. So we go through my grandfather passed, I had been caretaking for him. So he passes. I'm still in the trenches of a lot of just not pretty family dynamics around me. Right. And that's when during COVID, what was that app that came out where it was an audio app? I love Clubhouse. Clubhouse came out. Did you ever do Clubhouse? All right.

Venessa 47:15

No, I didn't, not that one, but yeah.

SPEAKER_03 47:17

People either loved it or hated it. Well, I dove into it and I met a lot of incredible people. And I got up on stage, which is what you could do audio-wise, people. Um, you just that's what they call it. So I get up on stage with all these like big wigs, and the guy says to me, I have one question for you. And I go, what? And he goes, How long has it been since you haven't done your podcast? And if anyone knows me, like that's all you needed to say. I was like, no, he didn't. I was like, Well, and I was explaining he was like, and why he's like, What? I don't get it. Like, so many excuses. Like, we don't have to. I'm like, what? These aren't like this was like life. Like, and so it was within that that put a fire under me. And so I knew in that moment that was in like December, January, I knew it was gonna launch that May because I was giving it to myself as my birthday present. So I launched it on the new moon that May. And so the mission behind it was to bring people together from all walks of life, from celebrities to healers to the guy next door, because I believe everyone has a story and a journey of an challenging time in their life that they were able to get through to come to the other side where they felt empowered within. That's the name Empowered Within, uh, which also was like given to me. And so over the years, we've had just incredible people on the on the show, from authors to celebrities to healers to you name it. And then I was called to do a lot of solo stuff, which I would never thought I would do. Um, and that has that's been weaving in and out, and I I taste test that here and there, and so that's really fun. And so it just has continued to grow. And I would say it's amazing to me when I sat back and we just celebrated allegedly, I thought it was four years, but allegedly with iTunes, it's five. I love that. I totally get it as a podcast producer. Like I had never done any of this before. I didn't know how to edit, I didn't know how to record, I knew nothing. And so one of the first three guests that I had on was an incredible singer. He had been on the voice. Oh, wow.

SPEAKER_02 49:21

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 49:22

Yeah. So here I am. No, and I take this back. He was my very first interview. That's what it was. He was my first interview. I have the microphone. I have what I think I need. Five minutes prior, everything breaks. Right. Yep. All I have are these, and these are the same ones, by the way. All I have were these, which is the iPhone plug in your ears with your mic through the phone, people. Because at that point in time, Spotify wasn't Spotify, it was whatever it was called beforehand, and you could do that. Thank Jesus, right?

SPEAKER_02 49:56

Yes.

SPEAKER_03 49:56

So I do the whole interview. We it's amazing. We have this great conversation afterwards. We we really start connecting. And he's like, you know what? He's like, those, he's like, You're incredible at this. He's like, those are the best questions anyone to ask me. And I'm like, oh my God, if only he knew. And I'm always the person that says, Don't ever tell anybody, right? Like, just keep running with it. So we, you know, an hour afterwards, we're still chatting. And I said, I just gotta be honest with you. So I tell him everything that happens, and he says, get out a pen and paper. He tells me exactly what to buy for the he's like, you're gonna get this computer, this laptop, you're gonna get this. And he goes, he goes, that's what I have in my recording studio at my house. You will never need anything else.

Venessa 50:35

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 50:35

And that's what I did. And it was just like, I love that.

Venessa 50:41

But it was same to whoever this gentleman was, right? Like that's amazing.

SPEAKER_03 50:45

Oh my God, he's amazing. And it's just so funny. And so now, this year, like every once in a while, I'll pop in and and say, I really look at the countries, the cities, the states, who's listening? What are the top people? And I let them know and I want to honor them. And so now what we're doing is I'm I'm resurrecting some of the original people that were on the original podcast. That must be funny. Who now have it's really fun, who have new books out, who have new music out, who have, you know, where are they in the world now? So it's really, it's just such an amazing journey with the podcast. And she really has, she's very much like me. She's so independent, she has a whole life of her own, and I'm just here for the ride. It's as long or as short as it is, I'm like, I'm like, this is fantastic.

Venessa 51:31

Like when you're in flow with the universe, those things come together. And like I said, it's not an accident. You're the right place at the right time, you hear the right thing at the right time, the right person gives you the right advice, and things just flow. Oh, I love it.

SPEAKER_03 51:47

Yes, yeah. So that's how she was born. I mean, and it's well, there are times like we and then, but this is a great story. So I was in Florida then, and that's where she was born, which is where I'm at now. She was actually born in the next building over. Oh, okay. And I know that's how it's just such a beautiful

Hurricane Displacement And Coming Home

SPEAKER_03 52:04

moment. Well, three and a half years ago, there was a major hurricane down here. Some of you may know about it, Hurricane Ian. And we were literally blown out of here. And so for the last three and a half years, we haven't had home. So we have not necessarily by choice, been here, there, and everywhere. At one point, we did, I think it was 21 states in six months. Like it's been a journey.

SPEAKER_02 52:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 52:28

Oh, it's been a lot. So the fact that there were moments where I was literally podcasting in the Dunkin' Donuts parking lot with my ear pods again, because like it was my sanity at that point. It was keeping me together.

Venessa 52:45

Yeah. And it's good to there's accountability. You're right, it becomes its own entity. It just once it goes, and you're like, you get sucked up and in with it, but it's beautiful.

SPEAKER_03 52:55

It really does. And then fast forward, all this all this wildness transpired. And then I had received an email from someone, and she had wanted to be on the podcast, but she felt that she wasn't maybe spiritual enough to be on the podcast. And I went, okay, I need to take a step back for a minute. Because that means that the energies with the podcast shifts it away from the original intent. And that's not my intent. I never, I would never want someone to feel that way because I would say, as spiritual as I am, and yes, I have a life-size unicorn and I want to like ride a rainbow. I also am so grounded in direct that A plus B must equal C for me. Like I still need to understand how that unicorn is flying and where we're going before I get on. Right. So I said, okay, let's take a step back. So the last month and a half, that's what I did. I pulled back from some of the solo stuff that I was doing to begin to shift it back but forward all at the same time, and which no coincidences. Now, here we are. I could have never told you that this was not planned, that we were gonna be coming back to Southwest Florida. I didn't, I didn't see that on my radar.

SPEAKER_01 54:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 54:02

I feel so beautifully blessed to be here. And it just feels like three and a half years later, everything has come full circle, and we can finally like that chapter's closed.

Venessa 54:15

Oh just really nice. It feels good. It feels so good, I bet.

SPEAKER_03 54:20

It really does because it's an essence of coming home. I had been coming here for well over 37 plus years. I didn't realize it was home. And I didn't realize when I was here, I blamed the geographical area. Right. It wasn't the geographical area, it was everything that was going on with everyone that was here. And now that I'm back here and no one else is here. Like, this is great. Yeah. I love it. Um, but it's just it's so beautiful and it's it's a beautiful way to be able to close out a chapter in my own way, not being blown out of here. And I saw a snow flurry the other day here, which I'm not right in Florida. Oh, you don't know. They had we know there were snow flurries everywhere. So um we didn't have a lot here, but I to see a snow flurry in Fort Myers, that is just that is a miracle of its miracle. We have been praying for this for all my life when I had been down here. And so to me, I was just like, Thank you, God. Like this is a beautiful way. Yeah. Because I know that this chapter is ending, and we're gonna be scooting along shortly, which you kind of know a little bit about. Um, but this is just such a blessing to be here and like have everything come together. And again, if I hadn't just leaned in and gone with my, you know, you would gone with the universe, I'd have been like, oh hell no, we're not doing this again, you know. Right. No way. But I was like, okay, let's see what's there.

Venessa 55:44

Oh, I'm so excited for you, Jennifer. I feel that this just aligns with there's all of this year of the snake, year of the horse, the lunar cycles, the change in the astrological calendars as well. It it just all makes a lot of sense that you that chapter is really closed for you and new doors are opening and momentum and trajectory and taking off. Truly, truly.

Core Takeaway And Special Offer

Venessa 56:09

Well, the last question I have for you, the second season for me, season two of squats and seances, which is baby podcasting comparison, is all about the choices that we're making to elevate our experiences in this lifetime. So if you were to, and this is the hardest question, probably I'll ask you, if you were to choose one thing from our discussion today, your most important, the one you would, the point that you would really want to drive home is the key takeaway. Listeners of everything that we talked about, and we talked about a lot, and we cover very broad strokes. What would your message be?

SPEAKER_03 56:46

My message would be to lean in and to trust yourself. Because in doing that, you will find a love like no other love in the world, you will find a friend like no other friend in the world, and you will find empowerment that has always been within you right there. And I want that is what I want people to understand. And a caveat that I would say to that is to also know because I know so many people are questioning so many things right now in this world within themselves is that you truly are exactly where you need to be in this whole amount of time. And if you weren't supposed to be there, you wouldn't. So until you are called to, guided to, change, you're exactly where you need to be. So lean in and find that empowerment and that connection within.

Venessa 57:44

That's beautifully said. Thank you so much. What a pleasure it has been. Thank you. It's gone by so fast.

SPEAKER_03 57:53

I know it has gone by so fast. Oh, and I wanted to, can I mention one more thing? Yeah, please. Um so for your listeners, I feel that if you are here, that means that you are somewhere on your spiritual journey, on your health and wellness journey. And so if you have resonated with anything today, I would love to offer you a little special something if you'd like to come over and experience one of my signature intuitive medium sessions. Oh, yeah. So if you'd like to do that, you can head over to empoweredwithgennifer.com and click on. You can pick a session. There's either 50 minutes or 30 minutes, and then enter the special promo code empowered within, and you'll receive a lovely discount for your first time.

Venessa 58:37

That's fantastic. I cannot wait to go check it out. It's really been a pleasure. You have beautiful energy and thank you for everything you're doing to help with the collective pain that people are feeling right now.

SPEAKER_03 58:50

So absolutely.

Venessa 58:51

Absolutely. It's a daily job, and I'm here for it. We need all the light carriers right now. So thank you for being one. I hope you have a fantastic day. Thank you so much for your time.

SPEAKER_03 59:02

Thank you. This was wonderful.

Venessa 59:04

And my listeners, thank you too. Well, I hope this is the first of many conversations. So this was great.

SPEAKER_03 59:10

I'd love to have you pop over on our podcast as well.

Venessa 59:13

I would love to. It would be an honor. I think we have a lot we could collaborate on.

SPEAKER_03 59:17

Absolutely.

Venessa 59:17

Again, thank you, Jennifer. You enjoy the rest of your day. I'll talk to you soon.

SPEAKER_03 59:21

All right, take care, Vanessa. Bye. Bye-bye.

Listener Feedback And Sign-Off

Venessa 59:24

I love listener feedback, an always welcome question. You can reach me at Vanessa at squatsandseances.com or on social media at squats and seances. I am on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Please subscribe to the show on your favorite listening or viewing platform of choice, and leave me a review. Lastly, check out my website at squatsandseances.com and sign up for my newsletter. Until the next time, may you continue to live well, embrace authenticity, question everything, and of course, stay gritty.