The Practice of Storytelling with Jamie Marloo Thomas

1.5 Hours
Online
Online Experience
Year Round
Skip to product information
Storytelling is a cultural practice that has been used for over 100,000 years by Aboriginal people to survive and thrive.

Join Jamie for this online experience where he will share the many stories of his life including how a traumatised, blakfella kid living with his whitefella mum in a very small country town grew up to revitalise Maara cultural knowledge, practices and ceremonies. Jamie with the support of his Elders then built a highly successful Foundation and launched the internationally-accredited earth connection practice, Wayapa Wuurk, that has quickly become a global movement shared by thousands. 

Location

The comfort of your own home.

What to expect

Jamie is a proud GunaiKurnai man and Maara descendant who is passionate about storytelling as he believes it forms the foundation of everything we do in life - from creating our belief systems to our identities to keeping us safe to keeping culture alive to healing the past to creating wellbeing to protecting our future generations.

This virtual session will start with a cultural acknowledgement in the Peek Whuurrung language of his grandmother and children and with song, join Jamie for this storytelling experience that will include sharing his story, the Wayapa Wuurrk story and the cultural stories that have been a part of the revitalisation of his Maara culture.

Singing in language is another way Jamie shares stories so this will also be a part of this cultural experience.

The session will conclude with a Q&A session with participants invited to ask any questions they may have about this special storytelling experience.

For more information about Jamie see his bio here.

Jamie Marloo Thomas
Co-Creator and Director of Wayapa Wuurrk, Storyteller, Speaker, Author

Jamie Marloo Thomas is the Co-Founder & Director of Wayapa Wuurrk® and is a Senior Cultural Knowledge Holder for his Peek Whuurrung People of the Maara Nation and GunaiKurnai Communities.

He understands the pain of disconnection from culture as he grew up with his non Aboriginal family cut off from Aboriginal community, which is why he devoted 26 years to culturally mentoring young men.

Combining 27 years of vast professional experience in Men’s Health, Well-being, Drug and Alcohol Support, Family Violence Prevention, Youth Mentoring, Cultural Heritage and Ancestral Remains Repatriation, with his personal connection practice rooted in Aboriginal Dance and Ceremony, Jamie co-created Wayapa Wuurrk, the first known certified Indigenous wellness practice, in consultation with his Elders and Community.

Jamie is a regular speaker at conferences and events and is a published author contributing chapters to “Silver Linings” and “Being Fine, the other F Word”.

Ultimately Jamie’s work is about helping people reconnect to Earth, Spirit and their true Self, so they can experience the wellness secrets that the First Australians enjoyed for 100,000 years.

What is included

How to Participate:
Join via a video call. Download Zoom for free on a desktop or mobile device. After you book, you will receive an email with a link and details on how to join the virtual experience.

Meeting point

Online in the Zoom meeting room. Please note the event time is scheduled in AEST - Australian Eastern Standard Time (GMT+11.00). We will send you a calendar invite for this event. Please ensure you are available in your local time.

What to bring

  • Audio
  • Internet
  • Phone or laptop
  • Questions

YOUR EXPERIENCE PROVIDER

Wayapa Wuurrk

In 2014, Jamie Thomas and Sara Jones co-founded Wayapa Wuurrk®, which means “Connect to the Earth” in the language of the Maara & GunaiKurnai Peoples respectively. Wayapa was created to change thinking around how we view the idea of what it means to be well with a focus on Indigenous thinking that includes learning how to develop a relationship with our environment through the concept of ancient earth mindfulness. No matter how many gym sessions we do, steps we count or stretch our bodies into various postures, we can’t be well if Mother Earth is sick.

So in 2013, Jamie and Sara spent a year developing Wayapa Wuurrk to create an internationally-accredited modality that would add the most important word “Earth” to the well-known concept of Mind Body Spirit Wellbeing.

Today, Wayapa Wuurrk isn’t just about Sara and Jamie’s story it belongs to the growing number of certified Wayapa Practitioners who come from all walks of life, heritage, backgrounds and religions but who all have one thing in common, the desire to share the wisdom of their own ancestors who use to live like the First Peoples of Australia, connected to the Earth so they lived life well.

Wayapa Wuurrk® is proudly supported and endorsed by Jamie’s Cultural Elders who are pictured above.

In the first image pictured with Jamie are Peek Whuurrung Kirrae Whuurrung Maara Senior Elders Aunty Daphne Lowe, Aunty Adeline Thomas & Uncle Rob Lowe. In the second image with Jamie and Sara are Ngarrindjeri Senior Elders Uncle Major “Moogy” Sumner AO and Aunty Loretta “Bubbles” Sumner.

Jamie's Story

Jamie Marloo Thomas
Co-Creator & Director of Wayapa Wuurrk, Storyteller, Speaker, Author

Jamie Marloo Thomas is the Co-Founder & Director of Wayapa Wuurrk® and is a Senior Cultural Knowledge Holder for his Peek Whuurrung People of the Maara Nation and GunaiKurnai Communities.

He understands the pain of disconnection from culture as he grew up with his non Aboriginal family cut off from Aboriginal community, which is why he devoted 26 years to culturally mentoring young men.

Combining 27 years of vast professional experience in Men’s Health, Well-being, Drug and Alcohol Support, Family Violence Prevention, Youth Mentoring, Cultural Heritage and Ancestral Remains Repatriation, with his personal connection practice rooted in Aboriginal Dance and Ceremony, Jamie co-created Wayapa Wuurrk, the first known certified Indigenous wellness practice, in consultation with his Elders and Community.

Jamie is a regular speaker at conferences and events and is a published author contributing chapters to “Silver Linings” and “Being Fine, the other F Word”.

Ultimately Jamie’s work is about helping people reconnect to Earth, Spirit and their true Self, so they can experience the wellness secrets that the First Australians enjoyed for 100,000 years.

Sara's Story
Sara Jones wants to live in a world where Indigenous Knowledge is rightfully respected. She is the co-founder of Wayapa Wuurrk®.

Having worked within the Indigenous Community for over 15 years, Sara believes life could be so much better, if only we listened to the wisdom of the world’s oldest living culture. Bringing a deep respect for Aboriginal culture, Sara combines her business experience within Community, with her passion for Energy Healing, Metaphysics and any natural wellness practices. She has experienced the deep healing and wellbeing affects of Wayapa® personally so is dedicated to sharing it with others for a better world.

Together with Jamie, Sara is passionate about challenging thinking and restoring connection within and between people, the Earth and Spirit.

Ready for an experience you won't forget?
Our positive impact