Jess Ainscough – Wellness Warrior Event Review.

I attended Jess Ainscough’s book launch and Wellness Warrior tour event in Sydney last week. It was an absolute joy to be there and a wonderfully inspiring night.

Here’s my review of the event and a summary of the notes I took for myself.

I missed the first 15 minutes, due to traffic and child-minding schedule, which was a shame, but as I entered into the gorgeous event in the Theatre in Darling Harbour, with my complimentary green smoothie in hand, I was struck by the gorgeously sweet and authentic Jess telling her story.

She said it’s been 6 years since her cancer.  She calls herself a “Cancer thriver” not surviver, “I was never a victim”.  I loved that. She shared her journey from party girl to Wellness Warrior as she tracked the journey to becoming a Hay House Author. I was surprised to find this was the third book she wrote, the first two she said were not successful because they were not authentic, and rather a part of the process she needed to go through as she transformed.

She went on to share the 3 key themes that she wanted to teach the audience about.

1. Acceptance

• Stop wishing for things to be different
• Lessons in why things are the way they are.
• Rise above it.
• Accepting my life didn’t turn out the way I wanted it to look.
• Loving self no matter what.
• Being on your own side no matter what.
• Presence is our superpower.
• Self-love want to make these changes for yourself.
• Bodies hear everything our minds say.

2. Ditching the diet dogma

• No one perfect diet for everyone.
• As our bodies evolve our diets needs to as well. (This is an awesome point!)
• Test what works for you.
• Quality whole foods, organic foods.
• Don’t eat food that the critters won’t eat.

3.  Make peace awesome, make it fun.

• No reason you have to lose a part of you.
• Can integrate into current lifestyle.
• Keep it true to who you are,
• Close the gap between health world and mainstream.
•  Play around with recipes.

Then she brought up 3 of her friends who share her philosophies and have their own inspiring stories and wisdom: singer Wes Carr, health coach Melissa Ambrosini, and celebrity chef  Pete Evans.

Jess, Melissa and Pete all raved about the course they have all done with the Institute of Integrative Nutrition.  Which is a course that teaches you about many different diets over the course of the year. Jess shared how learning about many different diets allowed her to see that there were benefits in each one and that each diet may be right for somebody, but not everybody.

Wes Carr Story Notes.

Struggled with depression, drank it away, buried it. Tortured creative musician. Was introduced to a more holistic approach though one of the Bondi Lifesavers, began training at Origin of energy. Was medicated for years but has shifted his lifestyle through meditation, eating right, activity,  Discovered he had Pyrrols  disease, not producing zinc or b6. – anxiety and depression, though healthy lifestyle and meditation he can manage it much better. Now has a little toddler and a health focussed wife, and is loving being a father.

Melissa Ambrosini Story Notes.

Used to be a party girl, professional dancer, TV presenter and model. Not looking after herself at all. Hit rock bottom with a serious viral infection, eating disorder, cold sores all over her face, mineral deficiencies, depression, couldn’t work, and had to change her lifestyle. Contacted Jess to find out how to turn it around, studied at iin, started to meditate, became a yoga teacher, studied acu-energetics, & life coaching. Start again. Identity shift. Used to fight against the signs, now she listens.

Pete Evans Story Notes

Listening to Unlimited power by Anthony Robbins at 18. Now 40 years old. Dark side to being a chef, long hours, not looking after self. Was into Kinesiology, massage, vegan, meditate when he was younger. Now in the media, after 6 years of constant therapy to overcome anxiety, and kinesiology, did iin course, food is an important part of health, but not the only thing. Now disease free, energetic, full of laughter and love, ocean everyday, on a mission to share healthy food with Australia. “I wake up with a smile every day.” Time with family. Recommended Stephen Pressfield’s book on Resistance, being present. Food industry is changing chefs are more involved with where food comes from: Organics, local, foraging, fermented foods. Kombucha, change is happening.

You always have a choice on what you decide to consume, you have a choice. My psychotherapist told me your food choices are a representation of who you believe you are in the world. Loving self, knowing you can make a mistake. Choose and commit, don’t worry about your weight. Recommended colonics, the last resort spa. Being in it for the long haul.  “A little bit of this is ok”, is not always wise to say, nutrition builds up in your system, either good or bad.

Shared the “Rabbit Story”, to teach his kids not to eat sugar. Asked them if they had a rabbit to take care of, and they knew that the green veggies would make the rabbit happy and healthy and the sugar would make it sick and maybe diseased, would they give it the sugar. They say no of course not. And Pete reminds them that they are his little rabbits and its up to him to take care of them and teach them good habits, so that’s why they’re not allowed to have sugar on his watch.

How to create balance in a busy lifestyle?

Pete – Must allocate time for self, time off.  book holidays in advance. In bed early, up at 5.30am. Find time to get in the things you love. Earthing surf book. Helped open BU Organics, in Bondi Junction.

Mel – Balance, Used to be all or nothing, its my tendency, driven and motivated, meditate. Learned from Tom Cronin, transcendental mediation. All these amazing people do it. It changed my life. I used to be on meds for panic attacks. It’s the reason why I’m here. I schedule time for me. Easy to say 6am, 4pm I meditate each day. Earthing. Get out in nature; Swimming in the ocean, barefoot on grass &  sand.

Wes – I struggle with balance, I’m all or nothing, I also love transcendental meditation, getting up early, and looking after myself all the good things in life flows quickly. When I rebel against it, and allow the dark side to come out the flow stops immediately.  Be yourself. You are a unique person. Don’t have to join the crowd. Learning to love yourself without the shadow identities. Finding a balance in everything you love. Have the “me time”. If you’re not alright, no one is alright around you.

Jess’s Wrap up & Answers to questions

• Meditation.  Be Present. Sit with the emotions.
• Not compromising on these things, that is the priority.
• Self care was prioritized.
• All organic. Live version foundations, 5 juices, 2 coffee enemas daily,
• IIN course. -helped her create the lifestyle transformation guide.
• Mel loves 1:1 coaching. Jess gets worn out from it.  Don’t compare yourself,
• Dr Frank Lipman 
• Daniel priestly – stand out on your own. Create your own brand.
• I knew I was on the right diet for me by my weight balancing out, mental clarity, listen to what body craves. Listening to what your body is telling you, being quiet, decipher your own messages…

The event was gorgeous, thanks to Yvette and her team at Earth Events. Wes Carr’s songs were really beautiful and reminded me to bring a bit more of my own music into the world again, and since hearing all these inspired creatures rave about mediation, I’ve been meditating 20 mins every day since the event!

I’ve got Jess’s book and am really looking forward to reading it. 

Keep up the awesome work Jess, you are a super-star and such an inspiring human being.