LeAnn Rimes is turning forty. Having been in the public eye since childhood, she’s experienced her fair share of the drama and trauma that so often accompanies life in the limelight and has made her mental, emotional and physical health a top priority lately.
Her new track Awakening, released today from the new record god’s work, is a favorite of the artist. The single bears a deeply personal connection to her ongoing journey with depression and anxiety, including the process of opening up publicly about the often stigmatized mental health concerns.
We talked with the Grammy-winning artist about her new music, her relatable journey toward personal awakening, and her impressive routines for managing mental health both at home and on the road…
wellness non-negotiables for mental health… I’ve learned that my wellbeing is all about allowing space for the totality of my emotional, physical and energetic experience and surrendering to what is present.
I find that when I try to push against what is, so much anxiety and frustration arises, so learning to surrender and be with what is showing up is a daily practice. That means resting when I need to rest, lightening up on workouts when my body is tired, crying when I need to cry, saying no when I need space to myself, moving anger through my body, writing about it or expressing it within a safe space.
The denial or suppression of my experience is what can get me in trouble.
LeAnn Rimes Awakening from god’s work
I’ve learned to come back into the present moment when I find myself ruminating on the past or stressing about the future. Once again, it’s a daily practice. I focus on my senses and my breath and remind myself that I am safe. Through daily repetition, I find myself living in the present moment so much more these days.
Creativity is also key for me. I find that if I don’t do something creative every day, anxiety creeps in. That can look like writing a song, blog post or chanting. Even being in nature with creation is incredibly satisfying. Having daily communion with my own soul has been so important. Meditation, nature, and creating help me to stay in touch with my inner voice, my connection to creation.
How I want people to feel listening to ‘awakening’: Seen, Free, Joyful.
Talking about anxiety and depression as a public figure takes a lot of vulnerability. Why has it been important to you? To not be vulnerable, to not allow for my soul to be expressed, that’s what i’ve found has been one of the root causes of anxiety and depression in the first place.
It’s much riskier, in my opinion, at this point in my journey to be silent than to be open and vulnerable.
I’ve spent my whole life in front of the world’s eyes, being projected upon in one way or another since I was 13 years old. For so long, our society has not wanted to see the humanness of our celebrities. We have condemned it. We want them to continue to wear the mask of their image and at the first sign of their humanity, we exploit it and then cancel them.
I believe that is starting to change or, at least, I’m changing that for myself. For my own soul and sanity, it has been important to me to not have to fracture myself to be “LeAnn Rimes.” I want to be whole and bring all of me to the table.
Who I am during an interview, on social media, or on a record is what you get when you’re hanging out with me in private. My wholeness has taken precedent over anything else. It’s important for me to connect with other people, not only through my music, but through our shared experience of humanity, which is exactly what I feel like i’m bringing to my music these days. Most importantly, I’m here to set myself free and in turn, maybe help others free themselves and allow more of their soul to be expressed in this world.
Recommended resources on the topic of emotional health? Honestly, i’ve done a lot of writing and research on these topics, myself. My blog, Soul Of EverLe and my podcast, Wholly Human, where I am in conversation with some of the most brilliant, respected names from the mental, physical, emotional and spiritual wellness communities are great resources.
I’m also way into the book Mary Magdalene Revealed by Meggan Waterson. I’m on my second read of it. Meggan’s book was hugely influential in the creation of my album. Living Untethered by Michael Singer is another brilliant book that has been blasting my heart open these days.
What habits or guiding ideas have played an important role in your own awakening? Learning to love myself and generate genuine love, compassion, validation, celebration from the inside out. Not constantly looking for those things outside of myself. That has, in return, allowed me to slow down and learn how to give my body rest.
When you’re not constantly trying to look for love outside of yourself, you can get off the wheel of having to achieve or be the best and you can rest.
My desire to create and connect from my heart is what moves me, these days. Also, exploring and tending to my shame around sexuality and being a woman in this world. Bringing to light the shame and rage that has existed in my body, giving it a voice, that’s why there are songs like “the wild” on god’s work. It was my way of processing all of that and hopefully, helping other women process it too.
How we care for ourselves has such a profound effect on our mental wellbeing. Any genius tips? My physical health has become the center of my world over the last 6 months. I’m turning 40 soon, and I wanted to kick off this decade with my physical health at the forefront of my mind.
There are so many changes that a woman’s body begins to go through during this decade, so I wanted to educate myself on how to support my body throughout those transitions.
I discovered Dr. Mindy Pelz and her book The Menopause Reset, which has been hugely influential in my health journey, as has she. I have been working with her to learn my own personal rhythms around my cycle, incorporating intermittent fasting as a cornerstone of taking care of my hormones, my mental heath and my overall wellbeing.
I have SO MANY tools I use on a daily basis, from hyperbaric oxygen for repairing the brain, red light for mitochondrial health, amino acids for optimal neurotransmitter function amongst many other things. One of my favorite tools that I use in the studio and on the road is called “rapid release therapy” which is a high frequency vibration tool to help open up the fascia in my neck, chest and head before I perform. After all these years of performing, I’ve finally started to treat myself like the athlete that I am. My body takes a beating from traveling and performing, so I have to find a way to create some freedom in my body and recover from the constant demand I put on it. All of these tools help me do just that. I support my own innate healing with multiple things, but ultimately, I have been learning to trust my own body, its ability to heal and my own natural rhythms.
