A little bit about me…
EMBODIED JUSTICE. EMBODIED FAITH. EMBODIED LIVING.
New here? I’m Emily Joy. I’m a spoken word poet, yoga teacher (RYT 200) and embodied justice enthusiast from Nashville, Tennessee. Most days you can find me frantically tweeting between yoga classes or hopping on a plane to travel to universities, conferences and churches around the country and speak about issues of faith and sexuality. My absolute favorite thing to do is help people make peace with their bodies, whether that is through the practice of yoga or a discussion about religious trauma and sex-positive theology. I’m passionate about this work because I grew up in conservative Evangelical Christianity, believing that my body and my sexuality were the source of everything bad in my life. And even though I now know that to be false, the process of unlearning the lessons of anti-body theology and healing the wounds of purity culture is lifelong and ongoing. I hope that whatever I do, whether in my writing, teaching, or speaking, that I can help pry open some space and hold it open for people like you to do important healing work in your own heart and body.
I Offer…
POETRY: I’ve put out two studio albums of spoken word poetry, including one funded by a successful Kickstarter campaign. You can support me by downloading them here! I also have an upcoming collection of page poetry due out in February 2019. A good portion of my travel time is spent going to colleges, universities, justice-minded churches, conferences, festivals, open mics, poetry slam competitions, and anywhere poetry is heard and enjoyed. I’d love to come to you! I also teach spoken word and creative writing workshops for small and large groups. See where else I’ve performed here!
SPEAKING: I am available to speak to college and university groups, conferences, festivals, and chapel or church services on a variety of topics relating to faith, sexuality, justice and the body. I am also booking engagements for 2018 + 2019 to speak on #ChurchToo, the #MeToo spinoff campaign I co-created with Hannah Paasch to expose sexual abuse in faith communities and talk about how to end it once and for all. Inquire about my speaking availability here.
YOGA: I’m a 200-hour certified Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT), and I teach classes every week in the Nashville, Tennessee area. Check my Instagram every Sunday for my schedule! I also take private clients and have a developed a yoga and creative writing workshop that is available for booking now. Subscribe to my YouTube channel to be updated when I post a new flow or guided meditation!
Interested in booking me for an event? Drop me a line here and let’s talk!
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"Everything must burn in order to grow again"
What others have said about me…
“I am praying for you to get right with God.”
“You truly do not understand the Bible.”
“You pick and choose scriptures that only benefit you.”
“Seriously wrong and erroneous.”
“You are ridiculous. You have Satan playing with your mind.”
“Please don’t be so angry and bitter.”
“You, like so many others, are suffering from ‘Trumpophobia.'”
“Emily, you are not a joy. You are a sick and twisted psychopath. New name for you: Emily Sick & Twisted. That best sums you up in a poetic sense of the words.”
“I don’t know if you are a Christian or not.”
“It’s clear you are being raised up by the enemy as a tool of the Anti-Christ. YOU ARE NOT A CHRISTIAN!”
What can I say? I’m a big believer in #publishyourhatemail.
On a more serious note… here are some lovely words about me by even lovelier people:
“[Emily’s poetry] is a fresh breath of criticism, calling us to question what isn’t working in the church and the norms that keep us in spiritual boxes.” -Jason Ramsey, founder of ALTARWORK
“Emily herself carries such a safe presence that allowed the attendees to open themselves up to a level of vulnerability not expected when in a room with others they don’t know well.” -Sara Brown, funeral celebrant
“Emily’s poetry is sharp and prophetic. It skewers the ugliness of fundamentalist thinking.” -Morgan Guyton, UMC clergy, blogger and author
“Emily Joy [is a] fantastic spoken word poet who has an amazing mind, heart, and a lot to say.” -Kevin Garcia, blogger, amazing t-shirt creator, and general badass
“Emily was a wonderful presenter and effortlessly got everyone involved… My heart, my emotions, were engaged and lifted to the surface. I came away feeling refreshed and inspired in my creative work.” -Aaron Zink, singer-songwriter and teacher
“Emily’s workshop was an eye-opener for me. As I utilized the question guide light bulbs of revelation began popping and transformed the workshop into a revelatory experience for me.” -Randy Elrod, CEO of Creative Communities