Joanna John was born and raised in Durham, NC, which is the native and stolen land of the Lumbee, Skarukreh/Tuscarora, Cheraw, Occaneechi, and Shakori Nations. Her first spiritual home was at Watts Street Baptist Church where years before, her grandfather was the minister and had a statue of the Buddha sitting on his desk- she grew up with a belief in life’s goodness and a knowing that she was held in grace.
A transformative event at age nineteen left Joanna wrestling with life’s big questions and feeling the sense of groundlessness that we all feel at one point or another. Most therapists did not know how to relate to her experience in a way that felt true or empowering to her. She did, however, find mindfulness during this time and it became a refuge.
Joanna later received degrees in Elementary Education and Special Education from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro and taught in the NC public school system before having her first child.
When she became a mother, Joanna experienced a resurgence of a familiar anxiety along with a strong pull to understand my inner world and connect with what she calls “God” in a much deeper way. She was fortunate enough to find a therapist who related to her experience with trust, respect, and reverence and it was then that she began to find her way. Joanna developed the skills to change her relationship to thoughts, to learn more about how nervous systems work, and to practice surrendering to a deeper knowing.
Compelled to learn more and help others, Joanna completed The Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program in 2023, a two year professional training program for teaching awareness and compassion based practices with Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield. This program was in partnership with Sounds True and The University of California, Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center. In 2024, she will have completed an additional year of meditation teacher training for guiding individuals in embodied inquiry. Joanna is also committed to being trauma informed, anti-racist, and an ally to the LGBTQIA+ community.
Joanna's primary role is homeschool parent and carving out space for mindfulness and contemplative practices as they are her life’s passion. You can find Joanna in nature with her family, gardening, listening to music, enjoying vegan food, and devouring audiobooks and podcasts.
Connect with Joanna:
www.joannajohnmindfulness.com
https://www.instagram.com/joannajohnmindfulness/
Journal Prompt:
Who are your "unspoken mentors"? Who are you an "unspoken mentor" to?
Support the show
Thanks for listening and for your friendship.
Interested in taking a yoga teacher training, working with me as your Ayurveda Health Counselor, or going on an upcoming retreat? Check out the Madre & The Muse website for details.
www.madreandthemuse.com
