Fresh Starts and the Healing Arts with Jas
Outstanding podcast host of “Jassify Your Life,” Jaskaran Anand was born and raised in Punjab, India. Now, from Halifax, Nova Scotia, he propels higher than the planes that carried him to Canada.
At the ripe age of eighteen, Jas moved to Canada to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Biology. Despite the logic based environment, university set Jas on a path to self discovery. Jas’ self expression was facilitated by a number of campus activities like Zumba or Paint and Sip Night.
J: For the creativity part I feel like it exists in anyone, no matter what their background is but the science does influence my creativity because when you’re doing experiments you have to think creatively about finding solutions.
I remember watching him through the reflection of the mirror at Zumba class and boy oh boy did he look goofy. He didn’t give up and he never cared about what others thought of him. Like the bold bull or more commonly known as Taurus, Jas plowed through class after class. He shows up unapologetically himself and that’s how he manages to pursue whatever his heart desires.
Jas has done an excellent job at developing a well-balanced independent life giving equal parts to social, artistic, and analytical endeavors. As Jas reflects on his own journey unfolding, he shares his thoughts on balance and developing healthy relationships with oneself. Listen to the “Hurting to Healing,” episode of Jassify Your Life right here!
Self discovery is a common theme throughout season one of the Jassify Your Life Podcast. The season starts off strong with topics such as self love, the path to healing internal wounds and identity. Mid-season Jas invites legendary guest stars such as local musician Joe Hubly, and TEDX Speaker Jenny Ward. These valuable and entertaining conversations achieve exactly what Jas has set out to accomplish - CONNECT!
J: Just through those conversations I learn so much more about myself that perhaps this stranger has noticed and I haven’t noticed because life just gets busy, things can get so crammed that people forget to self-reflect.
Self reflection doesn't have to be negative it doesn't have to be a criticism, you can focus on the good experience, sometimes you need a reminder that there are good parts of you…realizing your purpose your sense of self, driving and realizing I do have what I put my mind to …those things were always within you so finding a purpose can change so much…pour yourself into nothingness.
Jaskaran is more than just a podcast host, of course! He’s a multi-faceted human being who relishes in painting, dancing in and outside the studio setting, and maintains friendships through what he calls “friendtimacy” or “friend intimacy.”
J: The way I've been doing the episodes so far is that I'm trying to link them together. So the first episode started with talking about friendtimacy, the intimacy you have between friends, from there going to dating yourself and how to get over an identity crisis. Then I introduce topics like “how to start your healing journey,” and “how to reinvent yourself.” One guest is a musician so we talked a little bit about music and inspiration. Talking about his journey of becoming a musician, where did he start, his new upcoming album and how he promotes his content. We also talked about finding a passion in your life and if you are ever experiencing a creative block, how to take feedback. Regardless I am trying to navigate the conversation through the lens of mental health, psychology, and personal experience.
Jas is fundamentally focused on connecting with others through his art and expression. By putting himself out there, he keeps discovering himself and indulging in changes that he never gets tired of. Jas brazenly invites “whoever feels like they have something to say,” onto his podcast. He pursues self discovery through opening himself to other human experiences around him-yet he does not allow himself to internalize said experiences.
J: The other day I met this one lady at a bar and …I feel like everyone has a story and it can be inspiring to share that with others, it doesn't have to be a success story or a sob story about overcoming challenges, it’s good to share because people can relate to it or figure something out from it.
Jas sees social media as another form of connecting with others.
J: If social media is the way people are interacting, let's actually use it to interact rather than show off a false narrative showing the best corners of your life.
But how does Jas deal with the overwhelming negativity of everyday life? Especially when social media tries to over dramatize and capitalize off that same negativity…
K: Have you had to deal with hate comments?
J: Directly related to the podcast I haven't received any hate but when it comes to the creative things, it has happened where I have posted a video of me dancing on social media. The hate comments are never about the type of thing you do, it's always about how your body looks or how you look or about the way you carry yourself.
J: When I started posting dance videos on social media there were so many hate comments, at that point it used to bother me but now I’m at a point where if these random people are hiding behind a phone and it's something that makes them feel good about themselves, I can only control how I deal with it. I do have the power to turn the comment section off but I cannot control other peoples reaction to me … I think it's a social media problem-people becoming desensitized to hate speech and hate comments. There is no need to say hateful things.
K: Where do people find the time then?
J: It's a projection thing, being kind is free, but people who do hate comments even if they're really busy in their lives they're going to find the time to take their negativity out on other people.
As someone who also loves to express themselves through dance and struggles with self confidence this next segment was particularly interesting to me.
J: With dancing I find it so funny, my whole life I haven't been trained by anyone but I obviously enjoyed it, I even remember as a kid I did some auditions for a dance show! I would also perform during family functions but I never had the stage confidence to give it a real shot.
Once I started university and I started going out with friends
And then just last year when I realize we have a dance studio where you can go and take drop in classes and you can keep continuing to go every week because I like to do fusion style dancing, hip hop, contemporary even as a kid I was already doing so but I have never been trained - never had a push to do it until I found out about this studio.
Somedays, the imposter syndrome hits hard and a creative individual might find themselves reluctant to indulge in those expressive activities that once felt so natural.
K: How do you move with the frustration of not getting the results that you want?
J: Sometimes I don't even feel like going to this class, I just hate myself today, but I go anyways and I go with the emotion I'm having but by the end of the one hour class I feel so much better, it's so therapeutic that I just feel lighter.
K: How do you move on through it?
J: Never force the creativity out, there are moments when I feel like painting but I don’t have any logical reasoning or path, it really doesn’t have to be anything great I just do it, whatever the outcome is it is the outcome, I'm not doing this to show to anyone I’m doing this to express myself, deal with my emotions and deal with my past.
K: What's something you're dying to talk about on the podcast
J: I want to talk about vulnerability and shame - such a powerful thing and people see it as a demeaning thing but it's such a strengthful thing to be able to confront the shame or be vulnerable with others.
Tune into the Jassify Your Life Podcast available through Spotify at any time! Send in a Listeners Question to be featured on the final episode of the season or to be featured on season two!
J: Submit a question, opinion, or topic and it's totally anonymous!
Check out more from Jas using this link below:
AND THANK YOU JAS FOR SHARING YOUR STORY!!
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