Christian Yoga Ministry Workshop 2027
About the Workshop
Bring Christian Yoga to Your Community!
This three-day workshop (April 23-25, 2026) is designed to equip you with the foundations and practical tools to teach Christian yoga in your church or community. While this is not a traditional 200-hour yoga teacher certification, it draws from many of the same foundational areas of study with a specific focus on Christian yoga as ministry.
Together, we’ll explore the foundations of Christian yoga, the eight limbs of yoga through a Christian lens, major asana families, class sequencing and design, breath and meditation practices, incorporating Scripture and prayer, creating a safe and welcoming space, and the practical skills you need to put together classes and begin leading others.
Our goal isn’t simply to teach you how to lead a yoga class but to equip you to create embodied spaces where people can encounter God, deepen their faith, and experience prayer and worship in an embodied way.
Meet Your Instructors
Pastor Phil Vestal
Phil is a husband, father, author, pastor, and the co-founder of Ruah Space, an online Christian yoga community on YouTube. He has taught yoga for many years in-person and online.
He loves inviting people into embodied prayer and worship, experiencing the Lord body, mind, and Spirit!
Jody Thomae
Jody Thomae has been on the dual-paths of Christian ministry and body-based work for close to
30 years.
In ministry, she has been involved in worship and creative arts since 1997 and has authored
several Bible studies geared towards the creative Christian, including God’s Creative Gift and
The Creator’s Healing Power. Holding an MA in Spiritual Formation from Ashland Theological
Seminary, she is a certified spiritual director and is on faculty with Healing Care Ministries. She
is currently pursuing a doctorate in Spiritual Formation and Relational Neuroscience at Western
Theological Seminary.
As an embodied spiritual director and somatic therapist, she teaches on Christian embodiment
through her ministry Rooted & Reaching. She is particularly interested in the reclamation of the
body in the spiritual journey and leads workshops, trainings and retreats on embodiment and
spirituality at her private home studio in North Central Ohio. She has authored three body-
based Bible studies titled Jesus In My Practice; Voices of Wisdom in the Body; and O My Soul.
She is the wife of Dale Thomae and the mother of two grown children.
www.jodythomae.com
www.fullyembodied.com
MaryAnn Sander
MaryAnn has had a heart for teaching, serving and coming alongside others to support their flourishing for her entire adult life. Some of her past endeavors include leadership positions in public education, cosmetology, theatre/dance and spiritual formation.
MaryAnn holds yoga certifications at the 200hr Instructor level and 500hr Master Trainer level as well as in Meditation/Nidra, Trauma Sensitive, Adaptive, Children’s, Dance/Embodied Movement and Sozo/Somatics. She served on staff for five years with YogaFaith Yoga School as student support services administrator, lead trainer and curriculum developer/implementer.
MaryAnn feels very blessed to be called into her current roles as assistant director of a large non-profit free clothing closet, home church pastor and church elder, college volleyball support staff member and co-host of spiritual retreats.
In her free time, MaryAnn enjoys reading, dancing, taking meditation walks, hugging trees (literally) and spending lots of time with her kids and grandkids. She is very excited to be a part of this life giving Christian Yoga Ministry Workshop!
Kelli Snyder
Workshop Details
This training will take place at Oakhurst United Methodist Church in Seminole, FL from Friday April 23 – Sunday April 25, 2027.
It’s just $200 to attend. $50 extra to stay on the church campus overnight Thurs-Sun.
Questions?
Contact Pastor Phil at pvestal@oakhurstumc.com or 727-391-4769.
Where can I Stay?
There are many hotels and AirBnB’s in the area. For an extra $50, you can also stay on site at the church in one of the church relief team areas. More information can be provided upon request.
What Do I Need to Bring?
For the workshop itself, you don’t need anything! We recommend a yoga mat, Bible, and any props you would normally use, but they aren’t required. We also recommend something for taking notes.
Will I receive a certification?
This is a workshop intended to equip you to teach yoga in your church or community, but you do not receive a 100 or 200 hour certification.
Are there prerequisites?
No! Just the desire and calling to bring Christian yoga to your unique setting.
Registration
The form on the registration page will gather your basic information and we will then email you a link to pay for the workshop.