Inner Beauty Is… with Jac Lewis

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Aileen Keogh

All of us aspire to be happier, healthier and more grounded as individuals – and Jac Lewis, founder of The Broad Place, has the rewarding job of helping us to do just that.

As an educator, facilitator and speaker on clarity and ‘High Grade Living’, Jac’s meditations are inspired, helping people across the globe to expand their consciousness…

 

I have long believed in the transformative power of meditation but in recent years it's almost become 'cool' to meditate. What do you think was the tipping point for meditation?

It came over to the West in force during the 1960s, was immensely popular and then fizzled out – but in the last 10 years there has been a resurgence in interest. The last 4–5 years in particular has seen massive growth in people meditating, I think due to need. Modern living is ramping up in speed, people are looking for techniques to ground themselves, understand themselves and others better and be more vibrant and creative. The myth of needing to be in a monastery and meditation being hard is lifting, thankfully!

 

You coined the phrase "High Grade Living" what does this mean to you and how do you see it in your everyday life?

High grade living is about living our most high vibrational, creative and dynamic lives and it’s going to be slightly different for every individual, that’s the beauty of it! No cookie cutter list of must do’s, high grade living is about finding your authentic life, aligned with your values. As a way of life, it’s about taking charge, editing what’s not working out of our lives and enhancing that which is. It’s about living consciously, creatively and in flow, whatever that looks like. You can be an accountant and live a high grade life, and you can be a stay at home parent, an architect or a student and define and live your own high grade life. It’s more about editing out and trimming that which is not working for you, as opposed to adding in more and more and more, which is a very Western approach.

 

How have you integrated meditation into your everyday life? Were you all-in from day one or did you slowly feel the benefits and increase your practice from there?

I started meditating very young as a child, but I had no idea that it was meditation – it just felt intuitive and wonderful to sit by myself with eyes closed, or stare for long periods of time at the ocean or horizon. I started learning techniques when I was in my late teens early twenties on a very long search until I learned Vedic Meditation which for me, changed everything! Although still with this I was a slow burner. I started with 20 minutes twice a day, and now have a slightly longer practice. I think pivotal change takes time for most of us. There are the rare few that ‘boom’ and are transformed in a moment, but they are VERY rare indeed. And the practice of doing something daily provides so much learning and framework for growth, it’s outstanding.

 

Since becoming a teacher of Vedic meditation, has it changed your idea of beauty and inner beauty? If so, how?

Since becoming a teacher of Vedic meditation and a student of Vedic meditation, my idea of beauty has shifted dramatically. When you transcend in meditation, like we do, you saturate yourself in soul consciousness. From this place, you begin to not only get a map of how to live your life from your true self, you’re also more compassionate and kind, and eventually that extends within. My idea’s around beauty have shifted dramatically over time. I think also having a daughter, and defining this for myself so I can best share a more open view has made an impact.

 

What does Inner Beauty mean to you?

Inner beauty is an unbounded expression of consciousness, it’s a kindness, an openness, a curiosity and a generosity, that when you experience it in people, completely shifts how you see them physically.

 

Can you give us an example of a time you've listened to your gut instinct?

So many times! My gut instinct is my guiding force in life. The only time I have let myself down here is when I listened to my ego and convinced myself it was my instinct. Some huge pivotal moments were meeting my husband Arran – it made no sense to me for us to date but felt every part of right. Also a few years back when we turned our life upside down and gave away almost 90 percent of what we owned after years of ‘adulting’ and moved from the city in Sydney into a tiny cottage near the ocean in Palm Beach – the learnings from that experience and pivotal change were phenomenal. A decision again that felt so right, and made zero sense to anyone in our lives at the time to be honest, Arran included!

 

What do you do to get your daily GLOW on?

I stretch, meditate twice a day, I practise karate, I try to be present to the current moment and not lost in thought and future projecting – and I try to not engage in negative thinking.

 

Don’t forget to be… a human being and not just a human doing.

I would tell people… to learn Vedic meditation in a heartbeat.

I long for… people to step into their personal power more, to understand that at any single moment they can change the trajectory of their lives, and for people to start working with their fear more.



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