Christian Yoga Expo 2024
Join us for an amazing in-person event, the Christian Yoga Expo 2024! It’s happening in Columbus, OH, USA, and you won’t want to miss it. Immerse yourself in a unique experience that combines the physical practice of yoga with a spiritual focus on Christian principles.
Discover a harmonious blend of body, mind, and soul as you participate in various yoga sessions led by expert instructors. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned yogi, there’s something for everyone. Engage in gentle stretches, invigorating flows, and relaxing meditations, all infused with Christian values.
Connect with like-minded individuals who share your faith and interest in yoga. Explore vendor booths offering a wide range of yoga-related products, from mats and accessories to books and apparel. Take the opportunity to deepen your knowledge and understanding of both Christianity and yoga.
At the Christian Yoga Expo 2024, we prioritize creating a welcoming and inclusive environment. All are welcome, regardless of age, fitness level, or previous yoga experience. Come as you are and leave feeling refreshed, renewed, and inspired.
Mark your calendars, and be sure to join us at the Christian Yoga Expo 2024 in Columbus, OH. It’s an event you won’t want to miss!
This Schedule May Change:
Christian Yoga Magazine – Expo 2024- Friday, October 11th, 2024
Crown Stage Speaking Lineup
09:30 Amy Kuscsik – Yoga Therapy for Trauma: He Can Fix You. No Really, He Can
- Explore how to bring Christ into your classes and with clients when they don’t believe.
10:30 Virginia Norman – Pranayama: Every Breath is the Name of God
- This presentation is the fruit of a collaboration between myself and my husband, where we explore the connection between breath and life from theological and biological standpoints. This all started with a breath prayer during a yoga class, but it has led to a deeper exploration of how God sustains us every moment of our lives and a more profound appreciation of the indescribable creativity and beauty of God!
11:30 Brooke Beardall – Vision vs. Manifesting
- In this talk, we will explore the difference between manifesting and visioning. In a culture that promises all the secrets to life are found in manifesting, we will look at a Biblical view of Vision and Christ’s invitation to co-create our lives.
1:00 Jonnie Goodmanson – The Testimony Written On Your Body
- Every experience you have had is written on the tissues of your body! If your body is the paper, your central nervous system is in the pen, and your hormones are in the ink. Let’s talk about how this story matters and how it can be used to set others free!
2:00 Jody Thomae – Let All That I Am: Whole Body Worship
- With Psalm 103:1 in mind (With my whole heart, with my whole life, and with my innermost being, I bow in wonder and love before you, the holy God! YAHWEH, you are my soul’s celebration. TPT), we will move to some of our favorite praise & worship songs, using interpretive sign language, postures of worship, and simple motions and movement. Come worship and play with your fellow “Praise Mates” as we worship with our whole selves! All levels and abilities.
3:00 Brooke Beardall – Power Vs. Force
- Exploring Christ, the God of the ‘great exchange’ and learning how to trade the FORCE of our human condition for the POWER of our human design.
4:00 Beverly Steiger – Christian Yoga for 12-step programs (Yoga Alliance CE 1.0 credit)
- Learn how to combine Christian yoga, Scripture, and Yoga philosophy with 12-step meetings for a holistic approach to recovery.
Heart Stage Lineup
09:30 Megan Graf – The Sporty Yogi (Yoga Alliance CE 1.0 credit)
- Many come to yoga to destress, relieve pain, or because the doctor told them to try it. For athletes, it’s often different. They want to recover faster and improve performance…in their sport, not their practice. Sometimes, they only show up because their coach requires it. It’s up to us to run with that, create it for them, and, in the process, guide them to a love of the practice and all it has to offer.
10:30 Dr. Donna Jagielski – Christian Yoga Programming for Schools
- This session will begin by providing an overview of how to begin offering a yoga program or workshop in a Christian faith school. Following the overview, we will explore how to modify children’s yoga programs to address Christian principles, include scripture, and adjust poses and sequences to classic Bible stories. This session will be active, hands-on, upbeat, and engaging.
11:30 Mindy Heimer – Retreat Planning 101
- Have you wanted to lead a yoga retreat but haven’t the slightest idea of where to start? We’ll walk you through Retreat Planning 101 and cover what to look for in a venue, setting your budget, theme creation, creative ways to work around obstacles, and more!
1:00 Mia Neuenhoff – Reinventing the Wheel: Bring Fun & Intensity to Your Yoga Classes (Yoga Alliance CE 1.0 credit)
- An introduction to incorporating the yoga wheel into your classes and its use beyond backbends.
2:00 Rebecca Smiddy – Yoga and Addiction Recovery
3:00 Doran Richards – New Mercies in Maternity & Postpartum (1hr YA CEC)
- All the bodily systems are changing and doing such dynamic work to build and grow a baby. This workshop talks about how to combat emotions of fear that could hinder you from experiencing the phase of womanhood with joy and thanksgiving. We will go over some popular postures to help during pregnancy and beyond. We will cover liminal spaces and how pregnancy and postpartum can allow us time to step into a threshold and stay hopeful for what is to come. There is joy in the morning!
4:00 Mindy Heimer – Yoga Outside the Box
- We all know that we (humans) are God’s creation, but have you ever experienced how you are a part OF creation? You don’t have to live in the most majestic places to encounter nature – you simply need a creative plan. In this workshop, we’ll talk about how being in nature changes you for the better, and you’ll leave with innovative ways to guide your community in the great outdoors.
5:00 Megan Graf – Courage to Fly (Yoga Alliance CE 1.0 credit)
- This is a chance to step into our instructions not to fear, an opportunity to discover what it is to fly. We’ll chat, sit in scripture, and take to the mat with the courage given us by Christ as we fly into arm balances and inversions.
Root Stage Lineup
09:30 Janelle Lanier – Balancing Chakras with God Workshop( Yoga Alliance CE 1.0 credit)
- Step into a nurturing environment and join us to gently explore chakras in the light of our Christian faith. In this workshop, we’ll gently delve into the divine interplay between chakras and the presence of God, incorporating yoga, meditation, prayer, scripture, spiritual practices, and journaling. You’ll gain a deeper understanding of what chakras are, why it’s valuable to balance them within the context of our relationship with God, and how to do so in a way that aligns with your Christian beliefs. Discover practical insights into recognizing imbalances, aligning with divine will, and experiencing holistic healing. Through biblical truths, you’ll explore God’s design and purpose for our lives while learning practical ways to balance each chakra, all within the comforting embrace of your faith. Take advantage of this opportunity to embark on a sacred journey of spiritual growth and alignment with the divine.
10:30 Leah Lynn – A Biblical Model of Stewardship for the Body
- During this talk, Leah will address the nature of wellness and stewardship of our bodies from a biblical perspective while incorporating Ayurvedic principles, including nutrition, the circadian rhythm, and herbal medicine.
11:30 Rebecca Smiddy – Adventures in Opening and Owning A Studio
1:00 Pam Milner – Uniting Yoga and Ayurveda (Yoga Alliance CE 1.0 credit)
- Ayurveda is the sister science of yoga. Learn the fundamentals of Ayurveda and how to incorporate this ancient science into your yoga practice and daily life. Using Ayurveda alongside our yoga can help us achieve harmony and balance in our bodies and minds.
2:00 Beverly Steiger – Types of Prayer (Yoga Alliance CE 1.0 credit)
- Dallas Willard once said, “Prayer is a word that describes a relationship between two people who care about each other.” This workshop will describe different postures for prayer and different types, from Breath Prayer to Conversational Prayer to Intercessory Prayer to Labyrinth Prayer and more.
3:00 Megan Graf – Warriors for Christ (Yoga Alliance CE 1.0 credit)
- We live in a broken, messy, challenging world. Daily, we have to armor up to survive. This is a chance to take a deep look at a few postures that find their way onto a large percentage of flows. Why do we do them? Name them as we did. What do they do for us? Just how do they connect to God’s armor as we take them off our mere and out into life?
4:00 Janelle Lanier – Creative Cueing Workshop (Yoga Alliance CE 1.0 credit)
- Join us for an empowering workshop to boost your confidence as a yoga teacher. If you find yourself using the same cues for each pose and how to become more creative and switch things up, this workshop is for you. Explore foundational and advanced cues, mastering breath-based cueing and empowering language. Learn to command the room confidently and precisely, guiding students through their practice with clarity and intention. Dive into cueing sensation and embodiment, unlocking the power of mindful movement. Leave feeling empowered and ready to lead impactful and transformative yoga classes.
5:00 Doran Richards – Power of Words We Speak (1hr YA CEC)
- Words can bless or curse, and they have significance in all we do as ambassadors for Christ Jesus. Come and learn the relevance of our words and the life they can bring.
Christian Yoga Magazine – Expo 2024 – Saturday, October 12th, 2024
Crown Stage Speaking Lineup
09:00 Amy Kuscsik – Meditation for Trauma and Beyond: The Tortured Yogi’s Department
- You can write out a class flow or have it off the cuff, but writing a meditation has you like a deer in headlights. Learn the practical way to write and recite a meditation.
10:00 Virginia Norman – SOZO Good: Saved, Healed, and Delivered!
- God doesn’t stop at merely saving us from hell. He shows His compassion and love for His creation by healing and delivering us. What does it mean to be “sozoed”? How can we experience this inner healing? How can we incorporate SOZO into our yoga practice and utilize it in our classes as instructors? This presentation will examine how we connect with each Person of the Trinity and offer tips and practical tools for fostering inner healing in ourselves and our students/clients.
11:00 Jody Thomae – Isaiah 52:7 The BEaUtiful Feet of the Gospel Spreader
- Diving into Isaiah 52:7, while focusing on the feet, we will explore what it means to spread the good news of the gospel of Jesus, both ON and OFF the mat. What truths must we stand in? Where is God calling us into new places of adventure? This is not about being an evangelist or missionary; it’s about you being a Christian who spreads the aroma of Christ wherever you go. Be inspired to stand and walk in your destiny as the BEaUtiful aroma of Jesus! Bring your Bible.
12:00 Brooke Beardall – Original Design – Who are we, and what are we living for?
- Who are you, and what are you living for? No matter who you are, where you are from, your age, ethnicity, education, religion, or place of origin, every human has asked those two universal questions: who are you, and what are you living for? In this talk, we will explore the biblical difference between our human design and our human condition, examine the “little t” truths of our human experience, and discuss the “big T” truths about our human existence.
1:00 Beverly Steiger – Myofascial release and yoga (Yoga Alliance CE 1.0 credit)
- Learn myofascial release techniques combined with mindfulness and breath awareness to help release stress and tension, nourish connective tissues, and reset the nervous system. This class is for all levels.
2:00 Brittany Edie – Yoga for Anxiety and Stress Management
3:00 Pam Milner – Protect & Move (Yoga Alliance CE 1.0 credit)
- Our lymphatic system is a critical part of our immune system and is considered the internal spring cleaning crew. Create a yoga practice that enhances the movement of lymph, gain an understanding of what the lymph does and how to stay healthy through the practice of yoga.
4:00 MaryAnn Sander – Notice What You Notice – A Catalyst for Profound Change
- Imagine a long road that seems to go on forever – it is deeply rutted and worn, yet it looks like the only path…or is it?? Do you have students or clients who are on this metaphorical road? Or maybe you feel stuck in deeply ingrained ruts of body, mind, spirit…In this relevant session, we will move beyond the basic concepts of observation and awareness to more comprehensive practices of nonjudgmental noticing and mindful responding, which can lead to profound change. Let’s help others and ourselves get out of our life ruts and onto the smooth, scenic road of flourishing!
5:00 Dr. Donna Jagielski – Christian Family Yoga (Intergenerational Yoga)
- This session will focus on how to build an at-home practice that can be modified and adjusted to provide inclusion and accessibility to all family members. Some of the modifications we will explore will be chair yoga and using basic household props to increase accessibility and inclusion. This session will draw upon scripture that emphasizes family connections and intergenerational inclusion. This session will be an active, hands-on, upbeat, and engaging session.
6:00: Closing Presentation / Raffel / Prayer
Heart Stage Lineup
09:00 Mindy Heimer – The Reel Life on Social Media
- Oh, social media. We all know how to scroll and consume social media, but what about creating content that captivates, invites others in, and connects us to our community? If you’re feeling stuck or like you don’t know where to start when it comes to content creation, you’re not alone! Learn some practical tips and share creative ideas with others as we fill our social media management tool belt with all the right tools!
10:00 Beverly Steiger – Spiritual Disciplines workshop (Yoga Alliance CE 1.0 credit)
- This workshop will introduce you to the Spiritual Disciplines as explained in Richard Foster’s, The Spiritual Disciplines Handbook.
11:00 Mia Neuenhoff – The Accessible Meditation Practice: Restorative Sound Baths (Yoga Alliance CE 1.0 credit)
- The benefits of introducing sound into your practice and its impact on mind, body, and soul.
12:00 Pam Milner – Somatics: The practice of self-inquiry (Yoga Alliance CE 1.0 credit)
- What is Somatic Yoga, and how is it different from our everyday practice on the mat? We will examine its benefits and discuss how to incorporate somatic movement into your yoga classes.
1:00 Lisa Stavrakas – Faith and Fasting
- Have you always wanted to fast? Is there an area where you want to submit more fully to God? Where does God want to transform you? When we fast and focus on God and His word, transformation happens; clarity happens. Throughout scripture, we read about individuals who fasted to draw near to God. 2 Peter 2:19 “People are slaves to whatever has mastered them.” For some, food has become our master. Fasting is essentially giving up food (or something else) for a period to focus your thoughts on God. Lisa will guide you through safe fasting, as well as scientific and ancient Ayurvedic wisdom of what happens to our bodies when we participate in a fast. Cleansing sets the stage for the body to naturally and gradually let go of the toxins that could affect our Spiritual connection, emotions, mental clarity, and immunity.
2:00 Virginia Norman – The Absolute Yumminess of Yin
- Why is yin yoga “yummy”? How can something so “simple” be so hard? You will know the answer to these questions by the end of this presentation! I will focus on the physical, energetic, emotional, and spiritual benefits of yin and ways to incorporate this super nourishing antidote to our very yang lifestyles into our personal practices and our teaching.
3:00 Beverly Steiger – To Touch or Not to Touch? (Yoga Alliance CE 1.0 credit)
- Join us for this Spirit led touch and adjustments workshop where we will discuss the difference between alignemnt-led adjustments and spirit-led touch. Learn the difference between assists and adjustments as well as practical methods for providing them with effectivness and efficiency in your yoga classes.
4:00 Mindy Heimer – SUP Yoga – Should I Add a Floating Studio?
- Are you looking for an exciting new option to offer your yoga students? If you have access to a beautiful body of water, consider taking your practice to the next level with SUP Yoga (yoga on a Stand Up Paddleboard). Join us for a session to explore whether this unique approach is right for you. We’ll cover everything from the basics of SUP Yoga and the necessary equipment to the training requirements and more!
Root Stage Lineup
09:00 Nicole Fisher Draft – Leading with LOVE
- Nicole will share how she turned her passion into her purpose by being obedient and letting Jesus take the wheel.
10:00 PENDING YOGA CLASS
11:00 Janelle Lanier – Advanced Cueing and Sequencing Workshop (Yoga Alliance CE 1.0 credit)
- Step into a world of innovation and transformation with our immersive workshop. Journey beyond the basics as you master advanced cueing and sequencing techniques, infusing your classes with creativity and depth. Explore the art of anatomy, biomechanics, and effective cueing strategies, diving deeper than ever before. Integrating breathwork, embodiment cueing, and crafting unique movements, and watch as your teaching takes flight into a realm of endless possibilities.
12:00 Karisha Gillenwater – Everyone Deserves Yoga
- Yoga is not a “one size fits all” routine. This workshop will look similar to a class but slower as each pose is broken down to address making classes accessible. The focus will be on those with limitations, including age-related challenges, disabilities, and larger bodies.
1:00 Janelle Lanier – 7 Yoga Sequencing Methods (Yoga Alliance CE 1.0 credit)
- Dive into the heart of yoga sequencing with our immersive workshop designed to ignite your creativity and elevate your teaching. Delve into seven distinct methods of sequencing, each crafted to infuse your classes with creativity and excitement. Join us for an unforgettable experience as you learn to structure creative yoga sequences that inspire and transform. Elevate your teaching and unleash your creative potential with our expert guidance.
2:00 Kristin Daubenmeyer, Nakia Reeves, & Liz Hansen – Creating Community in Your Studio
- Come join us for a conversation about the factors contributing to creating a vibrant community within a studio in which individuals feel encouraged and supported in their yoga practice and faith.
3:00 Mia Neuenhoff – Yoga Nidra Through the Christian Lens (Yoga Alliance CE 1.0 credit)
- Explore the scientifically supported practice of Yoga Nidra with the profound benefit of inviting Christ into the discipline.
4:00 Brittany Edie – Praying in color + restorative yoga
Workshop Stage Lineup
09:00 Leah Lynn – Workshop: Finding True Identity in Christ
- During this meditative yoga class and workshop, attendees will listen and allow the Holy Spirit to speak over them. This workshop will facilitate healthy attitudes about who we are and who God says we are in Christ.
10:00 Jonnie Goodmanson – Yoga Class – Level 1 Flow
11:00 Donna – Yoga Class – Gentle Flow – To Yin and Back
12:00 Kristen Daubenmeyer – Your Body Is Good
- We will explore utilizing yoga for body appreciation and promoting healthy movement. We will discuss tips and tools to remind us that our bodies are blessings from a good God; they should not be deprived, criticized, or ashamed.
1:00 Leah Lynn – Surrendering on the mat
- During this gentle yoga class and workshop, attendees will learn to actively surrender their minds and bodies to hear from the Lord and remain in His presence. This workshop will help attendees implement this practice in daily life.
2:00 – 4:00 Cindy Chiarello – Rooted: The Science of Safety and Connection (Yoga Alliance CE 1.0 credit)
- The neurobiology of attachment and trauma, and an overview of polyvagal theory and its correspondence to psychology (Maslow) and yogic concepts (gunas, koshas chakras, 8 limbs). We will see how all of these point to God’s design in us for love and safe connection and discuss how we can use yogic practices to create a space for increasing a sense of safety and agency in ourselves and our students.