Is there a desire in your spirit to live to live a deeper, richer, fully-embodied, whole-hearted life? In the Ancient Greek, καρδία (kardia) is translated “heart,” and in scripture, it is almost always used figuratively. It means the seat and center of all physical and spiritual life, and according to the Thayer Greek Lexicon, it is “the fountain and seat of the thoughts, passions, desires, appetites, affections, purposes, endeavors.” Note it is physical and spiritual… together… as one. Its meaning holds a sense of the whole person—mind, body, heart, soul, spirit.

At Rooted & Reaching Embodied Care, we explore this καρδία (kardia) life through a series of 3-day retreats and a yearly 4-day retreat-like training, hosted and led by Jody Thomae, author and teacher on creativity, spirituality and embodiment, at her private home studio, Rooted & Reaching Lakeside, at Pleasant Hill Lake near the Mohican Forest in beautiful North Central Ohio.

Rooted & Reaching Embodied Care REtreats revolve around a variety of themes and are designed as an opportunity for you to withdrawal from the demands of daily life and set aside sacred time for rest and reflection, prayer and worship, movement and mindfulness, creativity and exploration. Together we journey with sacred rhythms—again and again—in Christ-centered community, spending time in embodied prayer, mindful creativity, adapted Christ-centered yoga practice, Biblical teaching and exploration, and worshipful movement. CLICK HERE to find out more information, including dates, costs, etc.

Rooted & Reaching Embodied Care Certificate Program takes you beyond the embodied exploration you experience at the REtreats to uncover a deeper level of calling on your heart to minister to others in a creative, embodied way, and allows you to dive deeper into the philosophy and methodology of Rooted & Reaching Embodied Care. Receive special instruction, personalized support, practical tools, as well as deeper conversation, coaching and connection with Jody, as she guides you in the Rooted & Reaching Embodied Care way. CLICK HERE to find out more.

Sign up for Jody’s email list to be notified of REtreats dates and training dates as they are released!

Come “play” with us as we explore what it means to live a fully embodied, whole hearted life!!

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Jody Thomae has been on the dual-paths of ministry and body-work for over two decades. In ministry, she has been involved in worship & creative arts since 1997, serving as a worship arts ministry pastor, worship leader, creative arts director, and worship dance team director. As a certified yoga therapist, she spreads the gospel of Jesus Christ through faith-based yoga and currently writes/teaches about creativity, spirituality, embodied prayer, and healing movement through her ministry Rooted & Reaching. She speaks and leads worship at local seminars, retreats, and women’s events and teaches on creativity and embodiment in the spiritual journey as a faculty member for Healing Care Ministries Spiritual Direction Program.

Her passion is for the revelation of God, in the person of Jesus Christ, to be made more vibrantly real through worship, creativity and embodied spirituality. It is her desire to portray the message of Christ’s desperate and unfailing love for His people to help sustain the hearts of the broken and weary. Holding an MA in Religion from Ashland Theological Seminary, she is an ordained minister and embodied spiritual director. Her Bible studies and resources can be found on Amazon.