Q & A with Jody Thomae

1. Inform us briefly what introduced you to yoga, and particularly Christian Yoga.

 I grew up transferring, dancing and having fun with health courses. I began instructing health and mind-body courses within the late 1990’s. Along with instructing health, I additionally led a worship dance ministry via my church on the native school campus. However I didn’t start bringing worshipful motion into my yoga courses till 2014. It appeared such a pure weaving collectively of religion and health. Someplace in that discovery course of, I additionally googled “Christian yoga” and located there was a rising variety of folks combining religion into aware motion practices. So glad to have linked to so a lot of these folks and sit up for connecting with many extra.

1. What introduced you to Christ? Had been you raised in a Christian house? Would you prefer to share some (or all) of your testimony?

I used to be raised in a Christian house. I’ve very early reminiscences of liminal house with “Surprise & Thriller” that I later understood as encounters with the Residing God. I’ve at all times thought-about my religion stroll as a journey with no “arrival” till I meet him face-to-face. I’ve many mountain-top highs in that journey, but additionally some valley lows. I feel my religion in God and relationship with Christ has grown with way more depth in these valley low seasons. Whereas they had been onerous and I wouldn’t want them on my worst enemy, I wouldn’t commerce them for the world. The journey–regardless of how onerous or arduous–has at all times been value it. And Jesus has been my fixed companion and buddy. I’m nothing with out him.

1. What was your journey prefer to changing into a yoga trainer?

As a health teacher (who grew up dancing), I at all times integrated stretching and suppleness workouts in my courses. Over time, and as I aged, I taught much less and fewer excessive influence and extra mind-body, together with Pilates and yoga. My first yoga coaching was “Yoga for Private Trainers.” Over time, I took much less health trainings and extra yoga trainings till I taught completely mind-body courses. In one other vein, in seminary I used to be additionally learning the impact of trauma on the physique/soul and the right-brained instruments (together with motion) that assist heal these wounding experiences. That seminary studying spilled over into my yoga coaching via trauma delicate yoga and the numerous somatic instruments we have now for therapeutic. Our our bodies weren’t merely wired for survival however for “thrival”–thriving in communion with God and (actually) transferring in neighborhood with others.

1. You’re nonetheless in class, engaged on a PhD, appropriate? Inform us about that and what you intend to do with it!

Sure, I’m at present attending Western Theological Seminary in Holland, Michigan, engaged on a Physician of Ministry in Non secular Formation and Relational Neuroscience. I see this diploma as a fruits of my work in yoga remedy AND in religious formation. Along with my work as a yoga therapist specializing in trauma, I’m a religious director and ordained minister. This program has a robust emphasis on embodiment and the results of trauma on the guts/thoughts/soul/physique. My work on this program is encouraging me to put in writing extra about trauma and the redemptive therapeutic that comes via Christ Jesus as we embody our religious journey.  

1. You’re an creator! Inform us concerning the books you’ve written (Possibly the title after which a brief paragraph on every?) 

God’s Inventive Reward: Unleashing the Artist in You and The Creator’s Therapeutic Energy: Restoring the Damaged to Lovely are each a part of the “Bible Research to Nurture the Inventive Spirit” collection. They’re in-depth, interactive bible research designed to nurture the creativity, artistry, worship and sweetness that’s already inside us as little children of the Residing, Shifting, Respiration God.

Jesus In My Follow: Bringing the Query of Jesus to My Motion, My Meditation & My Mat and O My Soul: Bringing the Psalmist’s Cry to My Motion, My Meditation & My Matare each written as assets for individuals who love to maneuver mindfully and worshipfully with God. Contains breath prayers, poem prayers, music lists, journaling house, and strategies for actions to discover. Nice for academics and practitioners alike.

Voices of Knowledge within the Physique: a Christ-Centered & Bible-Based mostly Exploration of Vitality is each a textbook and workbook about our God-created vitality facilities that strikes past the chakra system to a system that encourages one to hearken to the voices of knowledge inside these wonderfully-woven our bodies of ours. It additionally contains scripts and meditations.

Lastly, The Rocks Cry Out: a Christian Information to Stones, Gems & Crystals is a brief little useful resource e-book with symbolic meanings and scriptures for these of us who like the attractive number of rocks God has created for us. It additionally features a part on praying with prayer beads.

You’ll find out extra about my books and skim excerpts from them at jodythomae.com.

1. You additionally do retreats. Inform us about these.

I supply 2-3 retreats and a trauma-informed embodiment coaching every year at my personal, lakeside studio in North Central Ohio. These retreats are restricted to not more than 8-10 folks with a wide range of themes based mostly on materials from my Bible research. I like to encourage folks to maneuver extra deeply within the totally embodied, complete hearted life. These are at all times highly effective occasions in God’s reworking presence, as we heal our relationship with our our bodies and step into the Divine Dance with the Prime Mover of our souls. You’ll find out extra about these at fullyembodied.com.

1. You’re clearly inventive. Do you might have a inventive course of? The place does your creativity come from? 

God undoubtedly created me with a robust right-brained leaning, but additionally with a deep need for the left-brained information and understanding. For many of my main undertakings, God has been the impetus. I sense a Divine Spark that’s not of my very own making or conjuring. I’m usually hit with a stirring that appears to be a calling forth of a present or “expertise” (Matt. 25) that was entrusted to me. I belief God for the inspiration in addition to the timing of when HE needs to develop the concept. 

1. If you’re not instructing, writing, or main a retreat, you additionally make malas. Inform us about prayer beads. (I used to be raised Baptist, however a lot of my household is Roman Catholic. I bear in mind the primary time I heard of prayer beads; I noticed them and thought immediately of the rosary…..I hoped to get some primary data right here on prayer beads for these of us who grew up with one thing like a rosary or are new to prayer beads altogether).

Sure, that is my artful time! I obtained a Hindu mala from a buddy and finally tore it aside and restrung it with Christ-centered symbolism. In that course of, I researched Catholic rosaries, Orthodox chotkis, and Anglican prayer beads and located a protracted custom of Christian prayer beads inside these veins. Prayer beads (or generally ropes with knots) are used to assist one focus in prayer and meditation. You should use the mix of beads that will help you keep targeted in your prayers. For instance, “Father, Son and Holy Spirit” or “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner” are nice prayers for units or sections of three beads. Utilizing these prayers in a sacred rhythm might help one quiet racing ideas and heart on Christ. Additionally, generally simply having one thing within the hand helps floor and heart you. 

1. What does 2025 seem like for you and people you serve? (i.e. books, retreats, courses, possibilities for folks to attach with you).

With elevated studying and writing for my doctoral research, I’ve pulled again slightly, however proceed to supply public courses in my neighborhood, in addition to two retreats and one coaching. I’d love to attach with people desirous about attending these in-person choices. I’ll quickly be launching an internet model of the embodiment coaching to permit extra people to coach within the primary information with out ready for a spot to open up on the in-person coaching which builds on the web materials. I additionally function a religious director for Christian Yoga Lecturers (CYT) and sit up for attending the CYT Revival in March to attach with academics throughout the globe. I’ve met some unbelievable folks there and may’t wait to satisfy others. 

1. Do you might have any pets at house? Do they do yoga?

Kobe is my candy little cavapoo who does numerous down canine/up canine combos all through the day — particularly after I’m making an attempt to get him out the door for a stroll.  

1. What’s a social/biblical trigger near your coronary heart, and why?

I really like opening the phrase of God to others–getting them of their Bibles to check and see what it says from each a left-brained and right-brained perspective. Understanding it first from an informative standpoint, in order that it might probably then be skilled as the private and transformative Phrase of God. Merely studying scripture will seldom engrain it deep inside–it have to be skilled and embodied to make a distinction on this world.

1. What’s your favourite sort of cookie?

Oh that’s a toughy! Ginger molasses or my greatest buddy Kim’s chocolate chip undoubtedly rise to the highest. 

1. What’s your favourite place to go on a highway journey with your loved ones and/or mates?

My daughter and son-in-law reside in Montana and we journey to Massive Sky ski resort as a household yearly, so it’s on the high of the checklist of my favourite locations. Driving the gondola to the highest of Lone Peak at an elevation over 11,000 ft is like standing on the high of the world (with my hubby and youngsters to boot). It’s extremely awe-inspiring. God’s artistry is WONDER-FULL!!

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