We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Dea Lott. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Dea below.

Hi Dea, thanks for joining us today. Was there a defining moment in your professional career? A moment that changed the trajectory of your career?

Yes, my defining moment came after I spent a decade working as an attorney on social justice issues.

As someone who grew up in an impoverished and oppressed community, I became a lawyer to understand the inner workings of the legal system and share legal knowledge with my community. In pursuing a legal career, my goal was always to join with the community and other social justice attorneys to demand change to the systems that have historically and persistently deprived, oppressed, and killed marginalized groups.

But, early in my legal career, I encountered institutional barriers, resistance within some organizations, and many instances of individual reluctance or apathy to do the work that history has shown would be most effective in improving various government and social systems. Despite these early lessons, I kept trying to find a position (trial attorney, law professor, etc.) that would allow me to live and work in the legal profession according to my values. I really needed to have peace about my work as I went to sleep each night.

So, after a decade of law practice, I struggled with what my Spirit and values demanded of me and the work that I was doing. Meanwhile, I endured many external conflicts, aggression, and retaliation for calling out the extreme inconsistencies between stated organizational missions and actions. With all these internal and external conflicts, my health was suffering on every level – spiritual, mental, and physical. At that point, I accepted that I needed to let go of my legal career and create my own organization so that I could live and work according to my spiritual calling and values.

Dea, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Dea Lott and I’m a spiritual philosophy teacher, health and wellness consultant, attorney, mediator, and the creator of DivineSense Wellness Boutique & Consulting.

My background is varied, so I’ll share a little about my personal background before discussing my business.  I first learned spiritual philosophy and practices and natural health remedies in the Black American Tradition from family members who passed down knowledge through the generations. When I became a mother in my teenage years, I began deeper exploration of spiritual knowledge and experiences through various religions and natural living practices.

Throughout my experiences as a single mother, attending college and law school, and then practicing law, I continued my spiritual exploration and began learning about indigenous spiritual traditions (including Raja Yoga). My spirituality very much sustained me through many challenging life circumstances and the stress and rigor of law practice. Over the years, as my spiritual understanding grew, my Spirit demanded that my values and my work in this life be aligned. When I could not achieve that through my legal career, I decided to create a space where I could have that alignment. A space where I could continue my spiritual growth, use my varied knowledge and experiences to serve others, and contribute to the spiritual impetus that is part of all movements for cultural and social change. This was the beginning of what is now called DivineSense Wellness Boutique & Consulting.

One way to describe what we do at DivineSense is that we support people who, like me, have reached a spiritual breaking point with our society, our culture, our careers, and our relationships with ourselves and others. When that breaking point is reached, it is necessarily confusing and jolting. Family and friends may not understand or be able to provide support or guidance for this type of transition. What may ease the transition is talking with someone who can offer perspective on this type of spiritual, personal and/or organizational growth.

So, DivineSense provides education and creates and curates products that support people seeking a more spiritual, natural, and healthy lifestyle. We use spiritual philosophy and practices to teach people simple and practical ways of incorporating beauty, wellness, and peace into their daily lives – even during chaotic times. Our private consulting services help clients create a personalized health and wellness plan for achieving an overall healthy lifestyle and healthier relationships. Our organizational consultations offer customized and interactive yoga, health, and wellness programs to encourage group wellbeing and harmony. And, our online boutique offers high quality, handmade and natural cosmetics and retail that we research, create and curate to support spiritual, natural, and eco-friendly lifestyles. All our services and products are available virtually and online.

One of the things that I want people to understand most about my work through DivineSense is that even when things seem the worst, these spiritual philosophies and practices can heal, transform, strengthen, and unite us. The Divine Spirit inspired and our ancestors passed down these teachings to help us understand life, care for ourselves and others, and evolve. And, for those who want more proof, a growing body of American scientific and medical research studies document the benefits of spirituality and spiritual practices as well.

If you could go back in time, do you think you would have chosen a different profession or specialty?

No. The successes and the challenges in my professional/work life have helped me grow to this point in my journey. I recognize the value and importance of those experiences because they helped prepare me for what I am doing right now. And, my journey isn’t over yet, so there may be other reasons for my experiences that will be revealed.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I had to unlearn my habit of anonymously working behind the scenes.  I’m still learning to share more of myself through my business.

I cherish a degree of anonymity and privacy and so, I have always enjoyed working one to one with people and serving behind the scenes. But, success as a small business – especially at this time – requires owners to share more of themselves to explain their brand, increase brand awareness, connect with clients and other business owners, and market the business to the general public.

So, I’m still working to find a good balance between my desire for privacy and sharing more of myself.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.thedivinesense.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/che_yoga_
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cheyogallc
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cheyogallc
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCReaeV9auYQ47TbeusTGpJQ

Image Credits
Dea Lott Azea Sharp