Mindfulness and Somatics: Q+A with Jyoti Thakkar
published August 13, 2023
Jyoti Thakkar is a mindfulness guide in the Charlotte, NC area. She is currently studying toward certification as a trauma-informed somatic practitioner. She serves as a guide for her clients to reconnect with their body and mind. She takes a warm, gentle individualized approach for working with her clients.
You can find her on Instagram at @followyourjyoti or through email at followyourjyoti@gmail.com.
In this Q+A with Catharine Hannay, founder of MindfulTeachers.org, Jyoti discusses the importance of body-based awareness practices.
Catharine: What does a somatic practitioner do, and why did you decide to pursue certification?
Jyoti: A somatic practitioner focuses on guiding clients through exploring emotions and healing trauma that are stored in our body. Soma translates to 'living body' in Greek.
Our body sends our mind messages through our nervous system. Our body and mind are constantly communicating, but actually 80% of the communication travels from our body to our mind while only 20% travels from our mind to our body.
I decided to pursue a certification because I believe that we come home to our inner light through walking in the darkness of gently understanding our emotions and trauma.
Catharine: What advice would you give to someone who’s considering certification in somatics, mindfulness, meditation, and/or yoga?
Jyoti: I would advise someone that’s choosing a program to consider what piqued their interest in a practice and find a program that resonates with that. I looked into several programs before choosing.
Several factors went into my decision including looking at program certifications, reading reviews, speaking with alumni from the program and connecting with others in the program.
I believe choosing a program involves allowing yourself to keep an open mind to new practices and taking the time to be fully present.
Catharine: Your mindfulness certification program included a focus on positive psychology. Could you briefly explain what ‘positive psychology’ means, and how it’s different from ‘toxic positivity’?
Jyoti: Positive psychology means focusing on someone’s strengths and connection with others. A great example is gratitude lists to remind us about the things in our lives that we’ve thankful for.
It’s different from toxic positivity because it still leaves space to experience and sit with difficult emotions. Toxic positivity suppresses emotions that aren’t light, like anger, fear, and sadness. If we don’t give space to a full spectrum of emotions, then the emotions we suppress become heavy inside our body.
Catharine: You recently left a job in healthcare administration. Did you find that your mindfulness practice helped you in this type of work?
Jyoti: While I was working in healthcare administration, practicing mindfulness allowed me to hold space and compassion for each stakeholder, including patients, fellow administrators, and medical staff.
It also helped me gain the awareness that I didn’t feel connected to healthcare administration anymore. I don’t feel aligned with how our healthcare system operates and mindfulness provided me with the awareness to realize that I wasn’t happy anymore and I needed to make a change.
Catharine: Your hobbies include dancing and hiking. How do these physical pursuits help you to stay mindful?
Jyoti: Dancing is one of my favorite ways to drop into my body. I intuitively move my body and feel present in the moment while tuning into the music. I’m able to release stress and emotions through dancing.
Hiking is a great way to reconnect with nature and feel grounded. It allows you to be present through noticing the ground beneath you, the trees around you, the sun shining through the leaves, and taking in the beautiful views.
Related Posts
There are many more resources on mind-body practices here at MindfulTeachers.org, including the following posts: