I Fell 44 Feet. Here’s What Saved Me (And How It’s Made Our Work in Education More Urgent)

A few months ago, Ilana nearly died. Eight days later, we hit record.After a 44-foot rock-climbing fall that should have ended in tragedy, Ilana sits with co-host and co-founder Michael to share what happened in the air, in the ER, and inside her body. The accident made something very clear. We teach Human Intelligence for a reason. When life gets loud, we need tools that bring us back to center. Regulate first. Then learn.This launch episode sets the tone for the series. We explore the five layers of Human Intelligence and how they live in real classrooms and real lives. Cognitive for clarity. Emotional for awareness. Somatic for breath and body. Social for belonging. Universal for meaning and purpose. You will hear the story behind why this show has been ten years in the making and how a second shot at life made it urgent.Coming up this season: legendary educator Parker J. Palmer on the inner life of teaching, neurologist Michael Jacob, MD PhD, on what stress does to learning, and superintendents from across the country on building cultures that heal and help students thrive.You’ll hear:The moment Ilana realized she was falling and what happened nextHow three breaths with a longer exhale shifted her nervous system in the ambulanceWhy secondhand trauma shows up in families and classrooms and how to name itThe gratitude practice that quieted the inner critic after crisisWhat Universal Intelligence means when it is not theoreticalThe five layers of Human Intelligence and how to translate them into schoolThree simple regulation practices any teacher can use tomorrowEpisode Timestamps00:00 — Cold open and intention05:10 — “Last week, I nearly died”11:54 — Michael’s reaction and his own brush with danger12:50 — The fall, the rope, and the ER’s disbelief16:43 — How high is 44 feet and what that means for the body17:28 — The unexpected hip change18:30 — In the gurney, back to breath with a longer exhale21:59 — Four days of calm and a tidal wave of community23:22 — Gratitude and the quieting of the inner critic25:44 — Universal Intelligence lands as a lived experience29:09 — A new anchor for perspective and presence30:40 — Trauma in the body and parenting after the fall34:03 — Secondhand trauma for families and for teachers35:47 — The case for well-being first in school37:22 — The tool: three breaths, then respond from awareness41:11 — Origin flashback and why this movement exists45:39 — Call to action and what comes next—Listen now to the launch episode of A Work of Heart and subscribe for weekly episodes that give you tools you can use to reinvent education.