Women With GRITT: Gabby Bernstein On How To Manifest The Life You Want
“What we believe, we attract. So, changing your belief systems is the way to change your attracting power and to attract more of what you want into your life.”
Welcome to Women with GRITT: a series where we interview the resilient, hardworking women who have kicked in the glass ceiling and inspire us to do the same.
I first came across Gabrielle Bernstein’s work courtesy of Oprah. In 2019, Oprah welcomed Bernstein on stage for a live episode of her Super Soul podcast. Listening in my bedroom in Sydney, I was struck by how openly Bernstein spoke about the concept of surrendering. Her vulnerability, combined with her practical advice, was a magical combination and everything she said landed for me.
I found other podcasts she had appeared on and listened to those too. I quickly learned that Bernstein was a true spiritual teacher—not to mention a motivational speaker, life coach and New York Times best-selling author.
Now, four years on and I had the opportunity to sit down with Bernstein and interview her for an episode of our podcast, Beauty Talk. Here, I share the best words of wisdom from the chat.
Hi Gabby! You’re a renowned spiritual teacher who has written eight number one New York Times best-selling books. But I’d love you to take us back for a moment and share how you found spirituality in your life.
I think my spiritual practice has always been in my life, but I didn’t realise it. I was brought up very spiritual. My mum taught me how to meditate at a very young age and I had this spiritual seed that was planted at a very young age. And then I turned my back on it for many years. When I went off to college and was in my early twenties, I was looking for that same spiritual connection, but in all the wrong places, like in the nightclub or in the alcohol or the booze. When I was 25, I got sober, and upon getting sober, I reclaimed my spiritual roots. And that was really the catalyst for my own personal growth and awakening and the commitment to my spiritual practice that I have been living throughout the last 17 years. Not just for myself, but as a teacher—and often I believe that when you find a spiritual path, you are guided to share it in whatever form is appropriate for you.
How would you define spirituality?
Well, the beautiful thing about spirituality is it’s whatever you choose it to be for you. And that’s my belief. I believe that we’re here to define a spiritual relationship of our own understanding. But it is the experience of believing beyond your physical sight and believing that your energy has power and believing in the power of your words and the power of your thoughts and beliefs and trusting in a power greater than you in whatever form that comes.
Where can others start on their own path of spiritual or personal growth?
A great place to start would be reading my book, The Universe Has Your Back. The subtitle is Transform Fear to Faith and it’s really a book about thinking with a spiritual perspective. It’s been my most sought after book and I think that for many, many people it has been a catalyst for a spiritual awakening within people all throughout the world. It’s not a plug, it’s more of just a truth, I think that it’s a great place to begin a spiritual journey.
I’d love to talk more about manifesting too. What is it and how does it work?
Manifesting is attracting into our life, our likeness—what we believe we attract. And so as you do start to strengthen your belief systems through spiritual practice or through therapeutic practices and you start to believe in yourself and believe in your worthiness and trust in your desires, then that is reflected back to you. Whereas when you lack the belief in yourself and your worthiness, it’s reflected in the opposite way. As we start to develop a greater sense of connection to our higher self and a connection to the courage and creativity within us, that’s when we start to become what I call a ‘super attractor’. Because we have an energy that’s magnetic, we have a belief system that’s a really high vibe. We have an attitude of grace and appreciation and we show up for life in a different way. That energy is what attracts. So, changing your belief systems is the way to change your attracting power and to attract more of what you want into your life.
The other thing you talk about is self-love. What does that mean to you?
Self-love is having the ability to witness the ways that you might be attacking yourself or overriding your truth and having the ability to have an inner conversation with the resourced, loving part of you and the parts of you that are struggling. Believing that there is a loving presence that’s like an internal parent within all of us that has the ability to soothe and care for ourselves.
What are some ways you cultivate fun in your life?
Well, I have a four-year-old, so I have a lot of fun being in the presence of that youthful energy. I have fun by being with great friends—I have very, very close friends and very joyful for me to be with them and be in dialogue with them. I have fun with my work; the work that I do is extremely joyful for me. And I believe that’s the main reason why it’s been so successful. It’s because it brings me so much joy and the most fun I ever have in life is when I’m on stage and I get to share that with you.
We have to ask you about beauty too, of course! Can you tell me about your morning routine?
Well, prior to having a child, my morning routine was much more zen. I take a bath in the morning. I am always really caring about hydration for my skin and I will lather up with all different kinds of products … Biologique Recherche, Dr Barbara Sturm and La Maison Valmont. I do microcurrent on my face in the morning, which just helps me reduce any inflammation. I’m doing this scalp treatment every morning. Then my mindfulness, you know, is taking my supplements in the morning and drinking some tea before my coffee. Then I usually do a meditation at midday when my son’s at school.
Lastly, what are some of your favourite beauty products?
I love Biologique Recherche P50 Lotion, it’s really good. I like the Byredo perfume that has orange musk [Bal D’Afrique by Byredo]. I love it so much and I never get to wear it because my husband doesn’t like it, so I wear it when I’m in the city. I really like the La Maison Valmont V-Neck Cream, it is so extraordinary. It just softens your neck. It’s so nice. And for hair [for my scalp I like a treatment by] Harklinikken Hair.
Gabby Bernstein’s Manifest A Life Beyond Your Wildest Dreams tour is in Australia Saturday 29 April – Tuesday 2 May 2023. Get tickets here.
Hi Gabby! You’re a renowned spiritual teacher who has written eight number one New York Times best-selling books. But I’d love you to take us back for a moment and share how you found spirituality in your life.
I think my spiritual practice has always been in my life, but I didn’t realise it. I was brought up very spiritual. My mum taught me how to meditate at a very young age and I had this spiritual seed that was planted at a very young age. And then I turned my back on it for many years. When I went off to college and was in my early twenties, I was looking for that same spiritual connection, but in all the wrong places, like in the nightclub or in the alcohol or the booze. When I was 25, I got sober, and upon getting sober, I reclaimed my spiritual roots. And that was really the catalyst for my own personal growth and awakening and the commitment to my spiritual practice that I have been living throughout the last 17 years. Not just for myself, but as a teacher—and often I believe that when you find a spiritual path, you are guided to share it in whatever form is appropriate for you.
How would you define spirituality?
Well, the beautiful thing about spirituality is it’s whatever you choose it to be for you. And that’s my belief. I believe that we’re here to define a spiritual relationship of our own understanding. But it is the experience of believing beyond your physical sight and believing that your energy has power and believing in the power of your words and the power of your thoughts and beliefs and trusting in a power greater than you in whatever form that comes.
Where can others start on their own path of spiritual or personal growth?
A great place to start would be reading my book, The Universe Has Your Back. The subtitle is Transform Fear to Faith and it’s really a book about thinking with a spiritual perspective. It’s been my most sought after book and I think that for many, many people it has been a catalyst for a spiritual awakening within people all throughout the world. It’s not a plug, it’s more of just a truth, I think that it’s a great place to begin a spiritual journey.
I’d love to talk more about manifesting too. What is it and how does it work?
Manifesting is attracting into our life, our likeness—what we believe we attract. And so as you do start to strengthen your belief systems through spiritual practice or through therapeutic practices and you start to believe in yourself and believe in your worthiness and trust in your desires, then that is reflected back to you. Whereas when you lack the belief in yourself and your worthiness, it’s reflected in the opposite way. As we start to develop a greater sense of connection to our higher self and a connection to the courage and creativity within us, that’s when we start to become what I call a ‘super attractor’. Because we have an energy that’s magnetic, we have a belief system that’s a really high vibe. We have an attitude of grace and appreciation and we show up for life in a different way. That energy is what attracts. So, changing your belief systems is the way to change your attracting power and to attract more of what you want into your life.
The other thing you talk about is self-love. What does that mean to you?
Self-love is having the ability to witness the ways that you might be attacking yourself or overriding your truth and having the ability to have an inner conversation with the resourced, loving part of you and the parts of you that are struggling. Believing that there is a loving presence that’s like an internal parent within all of us that has the ability to soothe and care for ourselves.
What are some ways you cultivate fun in your life?
Well, I have a four-year-old, so I have a lot of fun being in the presence of that youthful energy. I have fun by being with great friends—I have very, very close friends and very joyful for me to be with them and be in dialogue with them. I have fun with my work; the work that I do is extremely joyful for me. And I believe that’s the main reason why it’s been so successful. It’s because it brings me so much joy and the most fun I ever have in life is when I’m on stage and I get to share that with you.
We have to ask you about beauty too, of course! Can you tell me about your morning routine?
Well, prior to having a child, my morning routine was much more zen. I take a bath in the morning. I am always really caring about hydration for my skin and I will lather up with all different kinds of products … Biologique Recherche, Dr Barbara Sturm and La Maison Valmont. I do microcurrent on my face in the morning, which just helps me reduce any inflammation. I’m doing this scalp treatment every morning. Then my mindfulness, you know, is taking my supplements in the morning and drinking some tea before my coffee. Then I usually do a meditation at midday when my son’s at school.
Lastly, what are some of your favourite beauty products?
I love Biologique Recherche P50 Lotion, it’s really good. I like the Byredo perfume that has orange musk [Bal D’Afrique by Byredo]. I love it so much and I never get to wear it because my husband doesn’t like it, so I wear it when I’m in the city. I really like the La Maison Valmont V-Neck Cream, it is so extraordinary. It just softens your neck. It’s so nice. And for hair [for my scalp I like a treatment by] Harklinikken Hair.
Gabby Bernstein’s Manifest A Life Beyond Your Wildest Dreams tour is in Australia Saturday 29 April – Tuesday 2 May 2023. Get tickets here.
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