Hello, I’m Jodi.
I’m a certified meditation and mindfulness instructor and certified mental performance coach! I’m also a wife, mother, manager, coach, daughter, sister & friend.
Like for so many of us, my path to meditation was born out of a personal need for its benefits. I had no idea what was in store for me at my first meditation workshop, but afterwards I knew I needed more of what I just experienced! There was power in the pause. Once I started meditating regularly, it changed everything about the way I lived my life.
From meditation, I discovered the joy that comes from living in the moment, I learned the skills needed to live intentionally and cope with stress, and I was able to replace judgment of others with compassion and grace.
In 2015, my husband and I had a wake up call. Our good friend was diagnosed with a glioblastoma grade 4 brain tumor, which is highly aggressive. He had four kids at home. It really made us take a look at ourselves and our lives. We made some big changes, including what we were putting in our bodies, totally cutting out soda, and living by the 80/20 rule.
Perry passed away in June of 2016. After his death, a friend of mine told me I should check out this workshop that Marsha Nieland was hosting featuring Avianna Castro, a renowned intuitive and meditation teacher, who would be speaking on intuition and the teachings of Dr. Wayne Dyer.
Now, at this time, I had never meditated before. It was the first time I had even heard of meditation. I had a go-go-go personality, I worked a fast-paced job as a manager of a law firm, coached college softball, and to be honest I was rarely in the present moment. I had even dealt with anxiety and high blood pressure from stress. After my first meditaiton experience, I knew I needed more of this in my life!
I didn’t become a consistent meditator right away, and I didn’t know much about it, but I knew what I felt after that workshop. So I asked for help and set up my first session with Avianna on October 1, 2016. She said to me, “You are missing it. You are so far ahead of everybody, you are missing what's right in front of you.”
From that day on, I’ve been more present. I began a consistent meditation practice. I limited my TV watching, I journaled, meditated, and really went into a cocoon. I realized that it’s okay to be different, that the friendships I had earlier in my life wouldn’t be supportive forever. I learned how to get reciprocity from nature, yoga – and not just other humans. That first meeting with Avianna was really the catalyst to my transformation. I am so grateful to her for that!
In 2017-2019, I drove multiple times to Avianna’s meditation studio in Michigan, I started writing my own meditations, I really got into that creative space. I meditated for 20-30 minutes every day, had a gratitude practice and mindfully said affirmations multiple times a day. In 2019, I did a 40-day meditation challenge called Feast for the Soul for the first time – 40 minutes of meditating every day, for 40 days straight. WOW, was that powerful.
On the last day of that challenge, I left for a meditation retreat with Marsha Nieland in Troncones, Mexico. I had so many “aha’s” on that trip. I had perspective about how I used to be so intense, but I had started to parent differently, manage at the firm differently, and coach differently. I used to sit in a space of being annoyed because people couldn’t get things done as fast as I thought they should, but I had stepped out of a judgment space, and landed in a space of grace. And it was all because of meditation.
After that retreat, I applied to meditation teacher training with the McLean Meditation Institute because I wanted to dive into the science of meditation. That training was even more instrumental in my growth as a person; it was deep and very rewarding. I graduated in December of 2020, and started Big Heart Meditation in January of 2021. My goal is simple: I want more people to know about meditation and mindfulness, and how it can completely shift your life.
In 2021 I combined my passion for sports with her knowledge in mental fitness! I began working as the Mindset/Mental Fitness Coach for the Coe College Softball Team from 2021 to present. The team has been Conference champions twice, regional champions twice, Super regional champions twice and the team reached the College World Series in 2023 placing third in the nation. I am also serve as the Mindset/Mental Fitness Coach for the Coe College Trap Shooting team, which claimed the Division III National Championship in 2023 and finished runner-up in the Division II All-American discipline at the ACUI National Meet in 2024.
I am truly passionate about helping athletes succeed both on and off the field. In 2024 and 2025 I worked with multiple high school baseball, softball, volleyball and basketball teams and also several club softball teams on mental fitness. I was the keynote speaker at the IGCA- Softball Clinic in 2025. I provide group coaching to both athletes and coaches to help individuals achieve greater success in sports and life. AND the really cool thing is that I am not just in the sports world, I have been a speaker at hospitals, colleges, businesses, conferences, and global meditation events, all sharing strategies for stress management and emotional intelligence. I am a featured meditation instructor on Insight Timer, the #1 Meditation App that helps with anxiety, sleep and relaxation and get to connect with people all across the globe!!
I LOVE what I get to do each day!!
“Jodi is a warm and loving meditation teacher with a big heart who always finds a way to help others rise to their full potential. I'm so grateful that she chose to attend the Meditation Teacher Academy and I know she’ll continue to shine bright and help her students find their inner glow with meditation and mindfulness. Jodi is a creative and generous teacher who has already made a huge impact on the lives of her students and is truly committed to making the world a better place.”
-Sarah McLean
Hay House best-selling author of Soul-Centered & The Power of Attention
“We hired Jodi for hands-on sessions during our Elevate Leadership Academy to ensure that leaders have a holistic understanding of health and how mindfulness and meditation can enhance their wellbeing and leadership.
She was our top-rated presenter because of her infectious energy and passion that draws you in. She is authentic and engaging in her storytelling, masterful in the craft of mindfulness and meditation, and is intentional in her approach to serving clients.
People want to be a better version of themselves because Jodi has inspired them! Do not hesitate to invest your time, energy, and resources with Jodi- she will create a memorable and long-lasting experience and change the game for your team!”
-Dr. Melissa Reade
Leader Valley Executive Director