After
20 years in Los Angeles and a career in the film industry, Jody
Curtis was guided to the Mojave desert in 2008.
A
seeker of deeper spiritual understanding from an early age, her
first experience with desert was visiting her Mom and step-dad
during one of their annual stops in Slab
City. Taking several days to wind down from the
stress of the city, Jody often found she didn’t want to leave the
desert to go back home.
Just
after leaving her job at NBC, Jody was diagnosed with Stage 4
Cancer. A defining moment for Jody, her first thought was 'I have
to get out of the city and get back to nature’.
By
this time, her Mom had settled in Landers and so, Jody moved to the
desert, having purchased a home sight unseen.
Traveling back and forth from this desert, Jody
often passed the Institute of Mentalphysics and wondered what the
place was and try as she might, was never able to locate
information online. After moving to the desert, that curiosity
remained, Jody telling her mother, “I think I’m supposed to work at
this place.” One day she decided to just walk in and talk to the
Director and a few months later, Jody, a web designer, was working
there, combing through historical documents and records to create
an online presence for what is also known as the Joshua Tree Retreat
Center.
During
her ten years working at the Institute of Mentalphysics, Jody
became a Reverend and teacher of the breath work.
In this episode, Jody
also shares the background and history of the Institute and of
Founder Edwin Dingle, named Ding Le Mei
by his eastern teachers.
If you're interested in checking out
the breath work class, currently every Wednesday at 11 a.m., dial
in using Zoom conferencing, Meeting ID 882 7880 8645 and use the
password: Wellness.