Today we’d like to introduce you to Jody Grimm.
Jody, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I was pretty clueless about what I wanted to do with my life in my early twenties. What I did know, though, was that wearing a blazer and sitting at a desk all day wasn’t an option for me (nothin’ wrong with either of those things, I’m just more of a jumpsuit and hanging in the sunshine kind of girl). What I also knew, was that I had a deep commitment to both being myself and to feel alive. These basic bits of self-knowledge have fueled much of my personal and professional life since then.
Following this pull toward authenticity and wellness, I became a Bikram Yoga teacher and taught throughout Boston and Cambridge for most of my twenties. I also became certified as a Holistic Health Coach and built a business working with clients to adopt healthier habits around food (note: to support myself as I built this business I had tons of odd jobs throughout the years including waitressing, dog walking and selling my homemade raw chocolate truffles). What was surprising in my work as a Health Coach was that with nearly every client I worked with, talk about food was just the entry point to a deeper conversation. A challenging relationship to food (i.e. overeating, sugar cravings) was actually a symptom of mental, emotional or relational dissatisfaction or pain. Working on those levels eventually led me back to grad school at Lesley University to study Mental Health Counseling with a Holistic Specialization.
Working within the mental health field is my calling. We’re living amidst what many are calling a mental health crisis. And this is not limited to those who are diagnosed with diseases of addiction or severe mental illness. In fact, I don’t know a single person who doesn’t struggle with some degree of mental/emotional dis-ease, whether it be chronic stress, anxiety, bouts of depression or having a general sense of discomfort with one’s own emotions.
My approach to mental and emotional well-being is quite unique, as I utilize a body-centered approach. My coaching sessions include the conversation typical of traditional coaching/therapy sessions but with the integration of gentle movement and breath work. While I believe traditional talk therapy and coaching to be a wonderful vehicle for healing, they often miss a lot of valuable information coming from the body. If you’ve ever talked and talked about a problem and still felt like crap, this is why. Because talking doesn’t always necessarily make us feel better, nor does it guarantee anything will change. In fact, over-intellectualizing our problems (i.e. talking, analyzing, problem-solving) can be a great way to AVOID how we FEEL about our problems and thus, a great way to avoid the pain that often comes with the truth.
My body-centered approach to coaching offers people the opportunity to get out of their heads and drop down into the experience in their bodies. I believe there to be a wisdom in the body that often gets ignored (i.e. digestive issues when you’re overstressed or chronic migraines that get worse whenever you’re meeting with your awful boss). Bringing body sensations into the conversation often helps clients access deeper levels of truth, and thus have a greater likelihood of making a significant change. In addition, working with physical discomfort, through gentle movement and breath work elicits what’s called the relaxation response, an extremely effective way of bringing a sense of calm and ease to both the body and mind.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not always been a smooth road. And yet I actually wouldn’t have done things differently if I could. Breaking away from a conventional career path felt risky and sometimes still does.
I’ll never forget sitting around the family dinner table, feeling my heart beating out of my chest. I was 22 and terrified to tell my dad I’d be quitting my job and going to Mexico for yoga teacher training. I was terrified to disappointment him, terrified to step outside the “traditional” path, terrified to walk away from the “security” and “comfort” promised by a 9-5.
As I think back on the last 10 years of my life, it’s conversations like those, the ones that made me sweat just a little… those are the ones that have made all the difference.
When we shy away from the conversations we know we need to have or convince ourselves it’s “not that important,” we deceive ourselves and the people we love. But when we speak the words, when we allow our voices to shake for the sake of the truth, well, that’s how we liberate our souls.
Were there people and/or experiences you had in your childhood that you feel laid the foundation for your success?
My brother and I would be running out the door to school and my mom would shout, “Make a difference in the world!” My mom is someone who’s always questioned the status quo, who’s always been a seeker of truth. All my life I’ve witnessed her continuing to fight for what she believes in, even if she’s fighting alone. I’ve always admired that in her and feel committed to living in this way as well.
Similarly, when I went off to college, my dad wrote me a list of “Dad’s best tips for a great college experience,” one of which included the question, “Will they know you were here, and why?” My dad is one of the hardest workers and most humble people I know. To this day that question has stayed with me and has inspired me to find meaning in all I do and to create an impact that will be lasting in the lives of others.
Pricing:
- Body-centered coaching session, 1.5 hours ($150)
- Bundle of 3 sessions ($425)
Contact Info:
- Website: www.jodygrimm.com
- Phone: 860-573-0400
- Email: jody@jodygrimm.com
- Instagram: @jodyamelia
Getting in touch: BostonVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
