J. Brown Yoga Talks

You are listening to the free version of J. Brown Yoga Talks. To hear the rest of our conversation, please subscribe to podcast premium at: https://www.jbrownyoga.com/premium. Bari Gratton, coauthor of an Open Letter To Yoga Alliance along with collaborators Meghan Maris, Courtney Ng, Gayatri Sehgal, and Shuo Wang, talks with J about the possibility for change in the yoga profession. They discuss the Masters of Arts in Yoga Studies program at Loyola Marymount University, problems with the Yoga Alliance and how the final project they did together came about, whether yoga teaching ought to be regulated, suggestions for reform, appropriation and racism, and engaging in good faith dialogue that respects differences.

You are listening to the free version of J. Brown Yoga Talks. To hear the rest of our conversation, please subscribe to podcast premium at: https://www.jbrownyoga.com/premium. Blake Tedder, host of Inner Explorations with Angela and Victor: A Yoga Podcast, talks with J about healing trauma and going deeper in personal practice. They discuss Blake's process of recovery after being in a plane crash and having his appearance scarred by burns, discovering yoga and the influence of his teachers, disassociation and ways to embodiment, his evolution in personal practice from chasing healing to going within and listening to the body, and being directed by the intelligent Life Force that flows through us.

You are listening to the free version of J. Brown Yoga Talks. To hear the rest of our conversation, please subscribe to podcast premium at: https://www.jbrownyoga.com/premium. Karin Lynn Carlson, author of the substack Gristle and bone, talks with J about leaving the yoga profession and the power of prayer. They discuss the pitfalls of a group yoga class context, her decision to wind down her teaching, importance of mentorship, a cultural moment defined by repressed futility, the role of practice in bringing about a state of awareness, her turn to writing and most recent post, triage for despair, acknowledging a higher power, choking on hope, and the way prayer renders us responsibility for our humanity.

You are listening to the free version of J. Brown Yoga Talks. To hear the rest of our conversation, please subscribe to podcast premium at: https://www.jbrownyoga.com/premium. Nick Beem, co-founder of Grateful Yoga, talks with J about the implications of yoga as ritual vs technology. They discuss the contrasts between Nicks training in Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy and ParaYoga, why framing yoga as a set of tools for self improvement is lacking, becoming fatigued by intellectual gyrations, intention empowering practice more than some universal metaphysics, recognizing our animistic ancestry and a More Than Human world, and learning to ride the slippery edge where doing and surrender blend together.

You are listening to the free version of J. Brown Yoga Talks. To hear the rest of our conversation, please subscribe to podcast premium at: https://www.jbrownyoga.com/premium. Kat Rosenfield, author of No One Will Miss Her and co-host of the Feminine Chaos Podcast, talks with J about her recent article on politics in the yoga space. They discuss Kat's evolution as a freelance pop culture and political writer, her separate life in yoga practice and teaching, the merging of those worlds in her article regarding the high tension and fierce infighting in online yoga communities, broader patterns and implications around identity politics, and reserving the right to let yoga remain a more neutral ground in the culture wars.

You are listening to the free version of J. Brown Yoga Talks. To hear the rest of our conversation, please subscribe to podcast premium at: https://www.jbrownyoga.com/premium. Sophie Strand, author of The Flowering Wand: Rewilding the Sacred Masculine and facilitator of the online course, Myth & Mycelium: Rerooting & Rewilding the Gospels, talks with J about summoning enchantment and healing beyond hope. They discuss Sophie's health journey and the misgivings of the medical industrial complex, epiphanies around fungi organisms and fungal networks, metabolic environment, cultural stories vs lived experience, gating out miracles, "the animate everything," and alchemical storytelling.

You are listening to the free version of J. Brown Yoga Talks. To hear the rest of our conversation, please subscribe to podcast premium at: https://www.jbrownyoga.com/premium. Nischala Joy Devi, author of The Secret Power of Yoga: A Woman's Guide to the Heart and Spirit of the Yoga Sutras, returns to talk with J about her revised interpretation of Patanjali's last two padas. They discuss what led to doing a revision of her writing on Yoga Sutras, the criticism she has received since the first edition, why so little consideration is given to the third and fourth padas, going beyond practice and mind, renunciation, the grace of intuitive wisdom, and relinquishing our efforts so we might effortlessly reside in our heart.

You are listening to the free version of J. Brown Yoga Talks. To hear the rest of our conversation, please subscribe to podcast premium at: https://www.jbrownyoga.com/premium. Leslie Kaminoff, founder of The Breathing Project and coauthor of Yoga Anatomy, returns to talk with J about the changing professional landscape and deeper inquiries into the nature of healing. They discuss Leslie's bout with long covid and the procedure that reset his heart, working on the third edition of Yoga Anatomy, TKV Desikachar and teachings on Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, Leslie's coming show examining one-to-one teaching, having faith, surrendering to dharma, intuition and knowledge, and forever continuing to learn and discover.

You are listening to the free version of J. Brown Yoga Talks. To hear the rest of our conversation, please subscribe to podcast premium at: https://www.jbrownyoga.com/premium. Dr. Shamini Jain, Founder and Director of the Consciousness and Healing Initiative and author of Healing Ourselves: Biofield Science and the Future of Health, talks with J about how there need be no divide between science and spirituality. They discuss healing as the absence of disease (pathogenesis) vs a reflection of harmony (salutagenisous,) what placebo research tells us about the power of consciousness to heal ourselves, Jainism, and how when it comes to healing the biggest aura (nature) always wins.

You are listening to the free version of J. Brown Yoga Talks. To hear the rest of our conversation, please subscribe to podcast premium at: https://www.jbrownyoga.com/premium. Amy Matthews, co-founder of Babies Project and Program Director for the Somatic Movement Educator (SME) and Infant Developmental Movement Educator (IDME) programs at Sonder Movement Project, returns to talk with J about redefining what it is to be human and reimagining educational models. They discuss the jarring stop to being a traveling teacher, the third edition of Yoga Anatomy, yoga and somatics, embodiment, ourselves as more than individuals, and developing pedagogical starting points based in curiosity.

You are listening to the free version of J. Brown Yoga Talks. To hear the rest of our conversation, please subscribe to podcast premium at: https://www.jbrownyoga.com/premium. Lorin Roche, author of the Radiance Sutras and creator of the Radiance Sutras School of Meditation, talks with J about instinctive meditation and the Vijñāna-bhairava-tantra. They discuss the natural unfolding of meditative experience, formalities and spiritual cosplay, distrust and ethics in meditation teachings and groups, unpacking sanskrit texts and the language of spirit, discovering that which captures our attention and brings delight, and the awareness that a current of love energy between earth and sun flows through us.

You are listening to the free version of J. Brown Yoga Talks. To hear the rest of our conversation, please subscribe to podcast premium at: https://www.jbrownyoga.com/premium. Harmony Slater, host of the Finding Harmony Podcast, talks with J about reconciling the past and moving forward with grace. They discuss a recent podcast episode with Eddie Stern and some of its implications for modern practitioners, if there is such as thing a 'yoga community,' rigidity in form, hierarchies of power and influence, philosophical underpinnings of eastern and western faiths, radical vs qualified nonduality, and keeping ones mind on God without falling into the trap of religion through an understanding of divine consciousness.

You are listening to the free version of J. Brown Yoga Talks. To hear the rest of our conversation, please subscribe to podcast premium at: https://www.jbrownyoga.com/premium. Indu Arora talks with J about the history and philosophies of yoga. They discuss the traditions she grew up with and when her formal studies took hold, being curious about the origins of yoga and respectful of the cultures that have heralded it into the world, sun salutations and utilizing sanskrit words to understand root ideas, distinguishing between yoga nidra and meditation, going from 'external thrill to internal still,' duality and oneness, purusha and prakriti, making nature your guru, and the co-creation of knowledge to empower.

You are listening to the free version of J. Brown Yoga Talks. To hear the rest of our conversation, please subscribe to podcast premium at: https://www.jbrownyoga.com/premium. Frey Faust, creator of The Axis Syllabus and author of 101 USELESS EXERCISES...and what to do instead, talks with J about increasing awareness through an exploration of physiological or biological principles. They discuss his departure from the NY dance scene, pitfalls of standardization and funding, addressing pain by compiling information about the body that ended up contradicting conventional notions, form, fractals, symbols, stretching ligaments, and checking our own perceptions to be clear on what vision of reality we are working with.

You are listening to the free version of J. Brown Yoga Talks. To hear the rest of our conversation, please subscribe to podcast premium at: https://www.jbrownyoga.com/premium. Daniel Simpson, author of The Truth of Yoga: A Comprehensive Guide to Yoga's History, Texts, Philosophy, and Practices, talks with J about the origins of physical practice and what connects modern yoga to its ancient roots. They discuss the tendency of historical figures to invent things but still present them as being very old, influences that led to a modern postural approach, Hatha Yoga Pradipika, tantra, distinguishing Nivritti and Pravritti from duality and nonduality, and defining yoga by questioning the how and why more than the what.

You are listening to the free version of J. Brown Yoga Talks. To hear the rest of our conversation, please subscribe to podcast premium at: https://www.jbrownyoga.com/premium. Kathryn Bruni-Young, creator of Mindful Strength, talks with J about her mother's legacy and the adaptability of human bodies. They discuss turning grief into a handstand club, when Kathryn's mom, Diane Bruni, came to J's class and the significance of her appearance on the show, the alarm her mom sounded and the infamous Facebook page she started, feeling uncomfortable about social media outpourings after her mom's death, and understanding the biopsychosocial purpose behind strength training for resilience and well-being.

You are listening to the free version of J. Brown Yoga Talks. To hear the rest of our conversation, please subscribe to podcast premium at: https://www.jbrownyoga.com/premium. Steve James, creator of the Movement Koan Method® and host of the Guru Viking Podcast, joins J for a comparative inquiry into spiritual traditions and philosophical viewpoints. They discuss living on a boat, the value of survival training, some of the experiences and people who have influenced Steve's understanding, working with Michaela Boehm and The Non-Linear Movement Method®, the purpose of long-sitting meditation, and appreciation for a multiplicity of contemplative disciplines and wisdom teachings.

You are listening to the free version of J. Brown Yoga Talks. To hear the rest of our conversation, please subscribe to podcast premium at: https://www.jbrownyoga.com/premium. Alejandro Chaoul. author of Chod Practice in the Bon Tradition, Tibetan Yoga for Health and Wellbeing, and Tibetan Yoga: Magical Movements of Body, Breath & Mind, talks with J about the philosophy and practice in Tibetan Buddhism. They discuss his cultural Jewish upbringing and the moment of realization where Buddhism became his path, meeting UG Krishnamurti, movement and breath technique in tsa lung trulkhor, (also known as Tibetan Yoga,) and the many paths that lead to deeper awareness and enlightened experience.

You are listening to the free version of J. Brown Yoga Talks. To hear the rest of our conversation, please subscribe to podcast premium at: https://www.jbrownyoga.com/premium. Angela Farmer and Victor van Kooten talk with J about exploring our inner worlds and the power of formlessness. They discuss their early experiences with BKS Iyengar, how things changed over time and deciding to go a different way, fear-based teaching vs permission to make your own determinations, playfulness rather than striving, tapping into our "animal insides," feeling into things rather than thinking them, relinquishing control, receiving natures wisdom, and honoring the elemental part of ourselves and the environment.

You are listening to the free version of J. Brown Yoga Talks. To hear the rest of our conversation, please subscribe to podcast premium at: https://www.jbrownyoga.com/premium. Doug Keller talks with J about the history and philosophies of yoga. They discuss why Doug left academia to spend 14 years in Siddha Yoga Ashrams, the process of adaptation that defines yoga's evolution, vedic tradition, capital T tantra, Hatha Pradipika and the democratization of practice, meditation and samadhi according to different viewpoints, attempting to escape vs embracing the cycle of rebirth, manifestations and expressions of expanded consciousness, and the importance of knowing truth from within.

You are listening to the free version of J. Brown Yoga Talks. To hear the rest of our conversation, please subscribe to podcast premium at: https://www.jbrownyoga.com/premium. Melissa McKay, meditation teacher and old friend of J, talks about the practice and purpose of vipassana and metta meditation. They discuss the center Melissa had in Brooklyn and her son, her teachers from Burma and the ways she learned from them, entry points and deeper teachings, meditation as an intentional habituation of the mind, accessibility and the many different containers for meditation, easing stress and suffering, enlightened beings and heavenly realms, and the enduring power of loving kindness and compassion.

You are listening to the free version of J. Brown Yoga Talks. To hear the rest of our conversation, please subscribe to podcast premium at: https://www.jbrownyoga.com/premium. Cara Suttie joins the show to talk with J about the impact of the pandemic on the work of making yoga more accessible. They discuss Cara's experience of coming to yoga before the power craze took over, healing trauma somatically, pros and cons of online classes for people who don't fit preconceived molds, studio culture before the lockdowns changed everything, possibilities for change as we start to come back together, not controlling and being present for the journey, and feeling comfortable in your worth as a person.

You are listening to the free version of J. Brown Yoga Talks. To hear the rest of our conversation, please subscribe to podcast premium at: https://www.jbrownyoga.com/premium. Swami Saradananda, author of Sitting Comfortably: Preparing the Mind and Body for Peaceful Meditation, talks with J about the Haṭha Yoga Pradīpikā. They discuss Swami Saradananda's departure from the Sivananda organization after 26 years, getting a masters degree in Traditions of Yoga and Meditation, origins of the sun salutation and other misconceptions about Hatha Yoga, the difference between a full-body mudra and an asana, the purpose of kriyas and raja yoga, meditation vs relaxation, and the experience of samadhi.

You are listening to the free version of J. Brown Yoga Talks. To hear the rest of our conversation, please subscribe to podcast premium at: https://www.jbrownyoga.com/premium. Lucas Rockwood, founder of YOGABODY and host of The Lucas Rockwood Show, returns to talk with J about what is happening in the yoga industry in a post-pandemic world. They discuss the arc of the yoga center model and the impact of lockdowns over the last two years, having to close three centers and making the bankruptcy call quickly, advantages for yoga teachers in pivoting everything online, manufacturing yoga-toe separators, saying "no" to polarization, and surviving this period of rapid change with fortitude and integrity.

You are listening to the free version of J. Brown Yoga Talks. To hear the rest of our conversation, please subscribe to podcast premium at: https://www.jbrownyoga.com/premium. Taran Rosenthal, founder of Flying Needle Acupuncture, reunites with J after 28 years to talk about Chinese medicine and relational healing practices. They discuss the self-discovery through dance they shared in NYC, Taran's move west and subsequent foray into Brazilian spirituality, his realization that he needed to change his career and transition to Chinese medicine, the spectrum of hands-on to hands-off interventions, taking 'things' to a nonverbal space, and improvisatory co-creative dances of human exchange that ease suffering.

You are listening to the free version of J. Brown Yoga Talks. To hear the rest of our conversation, please subscribe to podcast premium at: https://www.jbrownyoga.com/premium. Cory Nakasue is an old friend of J's who joins the show to talk about Astrology and alternative ways of understanding. They discuss the heyday and gentrification of Williamsburg Brooklyn, Cory's choice to let go of pursuing credentials in favor of co-creating new stories, how the stars reflect rather than determine, finding language that helps give expression to our experience, our magical world rich with the materials to invent, the "interregnum" of our times, and how we can better understand ourselves, each other, and create meaning.

You are listening to the free version of J. Brown Yoga Talks. To hear the rest of our conversation, please subscribe to podcast premium at: https://www.jbrownyoga.com/premium. Julia Frodahl, founder of A Million Compassionate People and an old friend of J's, joins the show to talk about the existence of spirit and creating the space needed for change. They discuss the crossing of their paths in Brooklyn 20 years ago, the ordeal that destroyed and redefined her life, sources of wisdom and healing, Taosim, western psychology, quantum physics, dream tending, intuition and imagination, communicating through poetry, and the essential importance of learning skills of compassion, cohesion, and equanimity.

You are listening to the free version of J. Brown Yoga Talks. To hear the rest of our conversation, please subscribe to podcast premium at: https://www.jbrownyoga.com/premium. Dan Vekhter talks with J about his work as a neurologist, the nature of consciousness and recognizing spirit. They discuss Dan's blog writing during medical school, the demands of being a doctor, the sorts of cases he works with and the role he plays in peoples lives, the limitations of existing protocols, what spirit is and where it might fit in the healing process, materialistic viewpoints that squelch reverence, his poem entitled: "finger smoothies," and reaffirmation of an uncomplicated path towards deeper understanding and humanity.

You are listening to the free version of J. Brown Yoga Talks. To hear the rest of our conversation, please subscribe to podcast premium at: https://www.jbrownyoga.com/premium. Michael Meade, author of Awakening the Soul, The Genius Myth, and The Water of Life: Initiation and the Tempering of the Soul; and creator of the Living Myth Podcast, talks with J about initiation into the holy waters of our collective story. They discuss stages of initiation, the activation of myths, pronounced rationality and exaggerated objectivity leading to a broken system based on a broken cosmology, moving towards resilience and a feeling of organic change, mythic poetic unity, and healing through the natural yoga of our own inner genius.

You are listening to the free version of J. Brown Yoga Talks. To hear the rest of our conversation, please subscribe to podcast premium at: https://www.jbrownyoga.com/premium. Tori Lunden, author of How Not To Teach Yoga: Lessons on Boundaries, Accountability, and Vulnerability - Learnt the Hard Way, talks with J about the need for yoga teachers to take an honest look at themselves and have the courage to evolve. They discuss Tori's progression from social work into yoga, being a wannabe guru, the pros and cons of charisma, the manipulation of people pleasing, boundaries and accountability, authenticity with skill, self-righteousness, humility, inclusion, and challenging ourselves to grow and do better.

You are listening to the free version of J. Brown Yoga Talks. To hear the rest of our conversation, please subscribe to podcast premium at: https://www.jbrownyoga.com/premium. Sadia Bruce returns to the show to explain how she went from questioning the profession of yoga to becoming more entrenched in it then ever before. They discuss their talk from five years ago, private teaching and being simultaneously both the help and authority, getting a gig at Kripalu just before the pandemic started, processing the misgivings of a teacher they have in common, doing online teacher trainings, breaking from dysfunctional conventions, and tapping into the innate rhythms that connect us to the forces of life and love.

Annabelle Brown, J's youngest daughter who just turned 7, joins the show to document a moment of time and share the wisdom of an unvarnished mind. They discuss the creation of imaginary worlds, life directions and passions, Annabelle's relationship with her sister, her perspective on the pandemic, whether being able to fly is better than invisibility, how the podcast is part of J's yoga, moving from Brooklyn and starting a new life, and the expressions of love, family, and friendship that make being human special. To subscribe and support the show… GET PREMIUM. Check out J's other podcast… J. BROWN YOGA THOUGHTS.

You are listening to the free version of J. Brown Yoga Talks. To hear the rest of our conversation, please subscribe to podcast premium at: https://www.jbrownyoga.com/premium. Tatjana Mesar, creator of Dynamic Mindfulness, returns to talk with J about adapting yoga to a post-pandemic world and staying true to who we are. They discuss the time they spent together just before the pandemic hit, the closing of Zen Yoga Berlin, her retreat to nature and the power of our environment to heal, transitioning online and developing teacher training that works in the new context, the role of science and anatomy in yoga inquiry, intuition, nonlinear poetry, and learning to trust yourself in the process of yoga's unfolding.

You are listening to the free version of J. Brown Yoga Talks. To hear the rest of our conversation, please subscribe to podcast premium at: https://www.jbrownyoga.com/premium. Lauren Walker, founder of Energy Medicine Yoga and author of The Energy To Heal, returns to talk with J about seeing ourselves as energy and coming together to create healing fields. They discuss her experience and views of Rod Stryker and the calamity in the Parayoga community, healing traumas and holding teachers accountable, understanding that the substrate of all existence and experience is energy, ramifications of reductionist materialism, and the 8 month free course she is offering to co-create healing.

You are listening to the free version of J. Brown Yoga Talks. To hear the rest of our conversation, please subscribe to podcast premium at: https://www.jbrownyoga.com/premium. Renee Diamond, founder of Westchester Academy of Yoga (WAY,) and Joanna Rajendran, author of My Guru Wears Heals, talks with J about the life and legacy of Tao Porchon-Lynch. They each discuss how they found their way to Tao, some of the life experiences that made her so inspirational, the adventures she took them on, wonders they witnessed and what they like to call the "Tao Effect," methods and purpose at work in her teaching, the spirit of connection she facilitated, and the love she embodied and shared with all she met.

You are listening to the free version of J. Brown Yoga Talks. To hear the rest of our conversation, please subscribe to podcast premium at: https://www.jbrownyoga.com/premium. Adam Keen, host of the Keen on Yoga Podcast, talks with J about the evolution of yoga education and embodying devotion. They discuss behind the scenes podcast stuff, Purple Valley in Goa, nostalgia for earlier days when there was less competition, discovering the Ashtanga Vinyasa method and becoming "authorized," reconciling abuse histories of our teachers, when the linear journey of progress becomes the greatest obstacle, and distinguishing between faith, belief, and devotion in a process of learning to see more honestly.

You are listening to the free version of J. Brown Yoga Talks. To hear the rest of our conversation, please subscribe to podcast premium at: https://www.jbrownyoga.com/premium. Michael Falcone talks with J about his journey to Africa and India. They discuss the synchronicity that brought them together, why Michael left a career in law, the experiences behind his interest in shamanism, the moment in a yoga class that changed his perspective, learning from Mandanza Kandemwa, dancing with Ju/Hoansi Bushman, how a search for Mahavater Babaji landed him stranded in a cave in Rishikesh at the beginning of the pandemic, and how the "heart of spiritual practice is that it should be done for its own sake."

You are listening to the free version of J. Brown Yoga Talks. To hear the rest of our conversation, please subscribe to podcast premium at: https://www.jbrownyoga.com/premium. Joshua Schrei, host of The Emerald Podcast and creator of The Mythic Body, talks with J about the animate world in which we live. They discuss the substrate of ecstatic unified experience underlying all human history, the difference between the mystic and the mythic, technologies of rapture and mechanisms of repetition, where science and spirituality meet, resonance across different axis, ritual paradigms, connection to muses, and the growing imperative to revive communal rituals of wonder that resound with the pulse of the present.

You are listening to the free version of J. Brown Yoga Talks. To hear the rest of our conversation, please subscribe to podcast premium at: https://www.jbrownyoga.com/premium. Kristin Leal, author of MetaAnatomy: A Modern Yogi's Practical Guide to the Physical and Energetic Anatomy of Your Amazing Body, talks with J about the mapping of human body and experience. They discuss the Jivamukti Yoga Center on Second Ave that they both started practicing at, who Kristin went on to study with from there, Rod Stryker and scandal in the Parayoga community, failed models, how we hold teachers and teachings, gross and subtle anatomy, wiggling in poses, spiritual realities, and the practicality of "being in your heart."

You are listening to the free version of J. Brown Yoga Talks. To hear the rest of our conversation, please subscribe to podcast premium at: https://www.jbrownyoga.com/premium. Brandt Passalacqua, creator of Breathing Deeply Yoga Therapy, talks with J about yoga therapy and subtle aspects of yoga. They discuss being a musician in NYC in the early 90's, Brandt's near death experience and the role yoga played in his miraculous recovery, his time at Sivananda and studying with Mukunda Stiles, when teachers fulfill their roles and students move on, comparing yoga and yoga therapy, issues of institutionalization, the role of intuition, and the spirit of coming together in the name of balance and health.

You are listening to the free version of J. Brown Yoga Talks. To hear the rest of our conversation, please subscribe to podcast premium at: https://www.jbrownyoga.com/premium. Simon Goss is a listener who reached out and J thought it would be fun to get to know him on the show. They discuss Simons background in football, growing up in the inner city of Los Angeles, why he spent four years in the Marines, the massage that changed everything, becoming a massage therapist and getting into yoga, overcoming toxic masculinity, dad stuff, being sensitive and having the courage to be vulnerable, how yoga helps people, and the shared experience and inquiry that connects the two of them through the podcast.

You are listening to the free version of J. Brown Yoga Talks. To hear the rest of our conversation, please subscribe to podcast premium at: https://www.jbrownyoga.com/premium. Robert Moses, founder of Namarupa: Categories of Indian Thought, talks with J about subtle aspects of yoga philosophy and life. They discuss his transition from architecture to a spiritual path, his time as a disciple of Swami Vishnudevananda and life after the ashram, working through our karmas, Hatha Yoga Pradipika, Advaita Vedanta and the "beginningless beginning which never existed," theory of the Yuga cycle and the advantage of being in the Kali Yuga, and keeping ourselves asking the big questions that yoga intends us to explore.

You are listening to the free version of J. Brown Yoga Talks. To hear the rest of our conversation, please subscribe to podcast premium at: https://www.jbrownyoga.com/premium. Gina Zimmerman is an old friend of J's and they talk about longevity as a teacher and going beyond personal identity. They discuss meeting in Brooklyn 18 years ago, NY during 9/11, the rise and fall of Anusara, sustainability and scale, placing people at the alter of your heart, developing an inner ear from which we can hear clearly, operating from a subtle place, smaller and larger forms of intuition, countering the seeking mechanism, corporeal grace, authenticity in spiritual practice, and becoming equipped to hold the fullness of life.

You are listening to the free version of J. Brown Yoga Talks. To hear the rest of our conversation, please subscribe to podcast premium at: https://www.jbrownyoga.com/premium. Mike Huggins, founder of Transformation Yoga Project and author of Going OM: A CEO's Journey from a Prison Facility to Spiritual Tranquility, returns to report on what is happening in yoga service. They discuss the impact of the pandemic, dramatic shifts that need to happen in the non-profit yoga service segment, the direction that Transformation Yoga project has chosen, why the models are broken, needing to "go big or go real small," and having courage to actualize our felt experience of yoga in ways that are true to our deeper purpose.

You are listening to the free version of J. Brown Yoga Talks. To hear the rest of our conversation, please subscribe to podcast premium at: https://www.jbrownyoga.com/premium. Lizzie Lasater talks with J about her mom, finding her dharma, and walking a mystical path of beauty. They discuss her childhood experience of having a famous yoga mom, developing her own practice, moving from architecture to producing yoga videos and teaching, gentle and restorative practice before it was popular, becoming a mom herself at the onset of the pandemic, holding the moment close without gripping too tight, trusting intuition, and coming to cherish the simple moments that reaffirm the majesty and beauty of life.

You are listening to the free version of J. Brown Yoga Talks. To hear the rest of our conversation, please subscribe to podcast premium at: https://www.jbrownyoga.com/premium. Jacob Kyle, host of the Chitheads Podcast and founding director of Embodied Philosophy, talks with J about the limits of academia, raising the bar on yoga education, and the divine nature of life. They discuss Jacob's transition from western to eastern philosophy and the intersection of scholar and practitioner, NYC and outdated models for teacher/student relationship, Neelakhanta Meditation, 200 hour teacher training, starting a podcast and developing an online platform, and the relevance of nondual tantra for modern society. Get 25% off at Embodied Philosphy with coupon code: YOGATALKS25

You are listening to the free version of J. Brown Yoga Talks. To hear the rest of our conversation, please subscribe to podcast premium at: https://www.jbrownyoga.com/premium. Eliana Moreira talks with J about the dark side of yoga celebrity and navigating the post-pandemic reality. They discuss Eliana's adverse reaction to years of hot yoga and how it lead her to Ayurveda, her early studies in different approaches, why she declined an invitation to study with BKS Iyengar, opening a yoga center, meeting Dr. Timothy McCall, her fathers death and the mystical implications it had on her practice, the timing of the pandemic, difficult decisions, and finding the right balance of money and bliss so the yoga remains true.

You are listening to the free version of J. Brown Yoga Talks. To hear the rest of our conversation, please subscribe to podcast premium at: https://www.jbrownyoga.com/premium. Paul Langland, choreographer, dancer, and teacher who for the last 46 years has been an innovator in dance and performance, talks about his work exploring human experience and creative expression. They discuss J's time studying with Paul at the Experimental Theater Wing in the 90's, the origins of contact improvisation and the listening skills it requires, how Paul came to work with Meredith Monk and Ping Chong, Mary Overly first and six viewpoints, Alan Wayne technique, and finding virtuosity in performance and life.

You are listening to the free version of J. Brown Yoga Talks. To hear the rest of our conversation, please subscribe to podcast premium at: https://www.jbrownyoga.com/premium. Carl Horowitz talks with J about their formative years in the NY Yoga scene and holding a line of integrity. They discuss Carl's former life as a professional skater, some of the choices he has made in relationship to the yoga industry, why he preferred teaching at Crunch Gym to yoga centers, purposes in asana, effective yoga teacher training, observing patterns of tension and the need for personal practice, reconciling the abuse histories of our teachers, family life and the death of Carl's wife, and the spirit of inquiry behind any authentic yoga.

You are listening to the free version of J. Brown Yoga Talks. To hear the rest of our conversation, please subscribe to podcast premium at: https://www.jbrownyoga.com/premium. Michelle Ryan returns to the show to talk with J about the problems with teacher training and the deeper issues corrupting yoga. They discuss what happened to her yoga center since they last spoke and the collective model she attempted to forge, her opposition to the Yoga Alliance 200-hour standards, cultural appropriation of indigenous knowledge, the detriment of neoliberal politics and late stage capitalism, and holding ourselves and others to account for what we claim to know or be. This episode is sponsored by Moonclerk.