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. Nicola Belen is a long-time listener of the show who has reached out to J a few times and is currently living in Hong Kong, they discuss her story and what things look like there with the pandemic. Nicola shares her experience of being a "third culture kid," the years she spent in New York and San Francisco, the evolution of her yoga through pregnancy and beyond, the yoga scene in Hong Kong, what is going on with yoga centers now with the restrictions in place, and the universal issues that people are facing everywhere in this unprecedented moment.

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. Barbara Verrochi, co-owner and director of The Shala yoga studios in Manhattan and Brooklyn, talks with J about surviving all these years and so far in the pandemic. They discuss their parallel paths through the early NY scene of the nineties, the evolution of practice over the years and the sustainability of small independent centers, what has contributed to her longevity and fortitude, managing the uncertainty of the shutdown orders, and the hope and faith that fuels a life-long passion for yoga. This episode is sponsored by Karmasoft.

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 Wheeler, Ph.D., former President of the Board of Directors at the International Association of Yoga Therapists, founder of Optimal State, talks with J about the current landscape of the "Industrial Yoga Complex" and embodying the principles of yoga. They discuss Amy's work as a sports psychologist, her training with TKV Desikachar and differences between the way he taught compared to what yoga looks like today, outcomes vs protocols, yoga therapy definitions, grim professional prospects for yoga teachers, and the satvic purpose of 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. Leana Marie Marshall, founder of Elle Em Consulting and blackyogateachers365, talks with J about her time at Corepower Yoga and the need for better training around diversity and inclusion in the yoga industry. They discuss the reasons why POC don't feel welcomed in yoga spaces, working her way through the Corepower system, her attempts to reform inequities and unfair policies, the harsh actions taken during the pandemic, and working to help everyone feel valued and respected. This episode is sponsored by Karmasoft.

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. Dylan Galos, epidemiologist and evaluator, friend of the show, talks with J about the current health crisis and the Black Lives Matter movement. They discuss the role of epidemiology, his background and areas of study, the science behind pandemics, data sets and policy recommendations, effectiveness of masks, impacts of social distance on mental health, the intersection of the shutdown and the BLM protests, a queer black man's perspective on the movement for justice, and aspects of yoga that help people get through the uncertainty of this life. Resources: Dr. Michael Osterholm's podcast on masks Video about herd immunity Video about why COVID-19 is so contagious Visualization about why COVID-19 is so contagious Article on models of COVID-19 contagion The End of Policing by Alex Vitale Article on white supremacist organizational culture

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. Todd Norian, author of Tantra Yoga: Journey to Unbreakable Wholeness, talks with J about his time in community and his path to Tantra. They discuss, his thirteen years at Kripalu, his relationship to Amrit Desai, what to make of fallen gurus, endurance training, desire for partnership and eating meat, coming to know that we are enough, and the Tantric teachings that support us in a process by which we shine the light of consciousness into the shadows of the unknown to gain self-knowledge. This episode is sponsored by Karmasoft.

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. Neal Pollack, aka "The Greatest Living American Writer" and author of Pothead: My Life as a Marijuana Addict in the Age of Legal Weed, talks with J about cannabis and addressing addiction issues. They discuss shared history from an earlier time in the yoga world, struggles Neal explores in his book and how marijuana may not always be as safe as advertised, underlying issues at play in addiction, what it took to make the necessary changes and find a better direction, and the honesty and fortitude essential to simply being a good 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. Mugs McConnell, author of Letters from the Yoga Masters, talks with J about the correspondence and lessons she received from Dr. Hari Dickman. Mugs shares the history of her relationship to yoga, how she ended up having access to over 700 letters from yoga figures such as Paramhansa Yogananda, Ramana Maharshi and Swami Sivananda, what to make of so many gurus falling from grace, whether we can separate teachings from teachers, and the earnest inquiry at the heart of yogic understanding. This episode is sponsored by Karmasoft.

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. Charles Eisenstein is an author whose recent essays, The Coronation and The Conspiracy Myth, caused some controversy in the yoga world and J happened into a chance to speak with him in response to the critiques. They discuss separation vs interbeing, whether or not he is a "trojan horse for the anti-vaxx movement," reasonable questions regarding the pandemic and science, conspiracy as a theory and myth, narrative warfare, orthodoxy and the pursuit of justice, and envisioning a new and ancient story of integration and peace.

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. Timothy McCall, MD, author of three books, Examining Your Doctor: A Patient's Guide to Avoiding Harmful Medical Care; Yoga as Medicine: The Yogic Prescription for Health and Healing, and his latest; Saving My Neck: A Doctor's East/West Journey Through Cancer, talks with J about reductionist science and the power of intuition. They discuss Timothy's decision to stop practicing medicine and dedicate himself to yoga, changing how we study holistic healing, medical discernment, cancer treatments, and how direct experience trumps everything else.

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. Derek Beres, columnist for Big Think and host of the EarthRise Podcast, talks with J about the intersection of conspiracy theories, the wellness industry, and healthy skepticism. They discuss Derek's history as a journalist and movement enthusiast, the article he wrote debunking the plandemic video, fake vs real conspiracies, media manipulation and the politics of healthcare, Derek's upcoming book on psychedelics, and the sort of dialogue necessary to make informed and smart choices. This episode is sponsored by Karmasoft.

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. Mel Russo, native New Yorker and old friend, reminisces with J about the early days and shares an inside take on the closing of Yoga Works and the future of the studio model. They discuss moving west, living in the east-village back when the rents were low, managing and owning a center, having to close shop and take a gig at Yoga Works, why it all fell apart there and what was happening when the pandemic hit, the current set of choices teachers face, and reaffirming the tiny beautiful moments that make yoga feel meaningful and worthwhile.

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. Nyk Danu, Therapeutic Yoga Teacher and Yin Yoga Teacher Trainer, has been corresponding with J for years and they finally connect to touch base on what's happening at the grassroots. They discuss Nyk's history and appetite for learning, hosting your own classes vs teaching at centers, offering classes in a series vs drop ins, the hardcore nature of simple practice, how different centers are handling the stay-at-home orders, digital teacher training, and keeping it together when the world is falling apart, This episode is sponsored by Karmasoft.

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. Derek Sivers, musician, producer, circus performer, entrepreneur, TED speaker, and best known as the founder of CD Baby, talks with J about shifting viewpoints, solving problems, and self expansion. They discuss means for utilizing inspiration, thinking smart instead of strategically, improving our business "top line," taking control and choosing how we engage digital technology, creative process as problem solving, expanding ourselves because it's fun, and reaffirming the intrinsic fascination and wonder that makes for a life worth living.

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. Joe Simek and Alexis Ridge-Simek, co-owners of Dragonfly Yoga and co-founders of The Fiaria Project, talk with J about their community coming together to get through the shut down. Originally intended to be recorded at a live event to celebrate the 15-year anniversary of their yoga center which had to be postponed indefinitely, they discuss how things were going before the pandemic hit, what steps they took to get ahead of the stay-at-home orders, and the heart and soul that is holding it all together. This episode is sponsored by Karmasoft.

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. Justine Wiltshire Cohen and Michael Ponte, owner and manager at Down Under Yoga School of Yoga in Boston, talk with J about what how things have been going since Justine was last on the show three years ago and what they are doing to meat the challenge of the pandemic crisis. They discuss Down Under's transition to making their teachers employees, responding to the needs of teachers and staff, important keys to their success, efforts they are making to survive the shut down, and the core principles that are guiding their choices.

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. Ryan Cunningham, co-host of Unrolled Podcast, returns to touch base on what has happened since their last visit and schools J on gender and identity. They discuss what happened after Ryan went from being a yoga center manager to owner, why they let go of running a studio and got licensed as a massage therapist, the decision to be more public about expressing their non-binary viewpoint, and why choosing pronouns has deeper implications for justice and the expansion of human consciousness. This episode is sponsored by Karmasoft.

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. Cecily Milne, founder of Yoga Detour, talks with J about the changing paradigm of yoga practice in the west and the ways in which she has grown and evolved alongside the changing conversation. They discuss her departure from Ashtanga Yoga and exploration of other movement modalities, the influences that have shaped her perspective, yoga classifications and meeting expectations, and challenging ourselves to move through the discomfort of breaking patterns that no longer serve and trust in our own powers of perception.

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. Diane Paylor, author of Yin Yoga: Essential Poses and Sequences for Balanced Energy, participated in J's Weekly Teachers Class last year and they re-connect in this intimate conversation about struggles and strengths. They discuss Diane's mom's struggle with cancer, her former life as a writer for Sassy magazine and the trauma of having a dream come true turn into a nightmare, finding yourself through yoga, focusing on strengths instead of struggles, and delving into truth with courage. This episode os sponsored by Karmasoft.

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. Rob Walker, author of the The New Yoga: From Cults and Dogma to Science and Sanity, talks with J about taking a hard look at critical questions and proposing common-sense yoga for the future. They discuss how yoga classes have recently changed, the movement to make yoga classes safer and more inclusive by debunking myths and telling a more accurate history, drawing upon movement science, and six principles that add clarity and encourage further inquiry into the benefits of yoga. This episode is sponsored by Ropana CBD.

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 Hayes, founder of Buddha Body Yoga and an early pioneer in bringing yoga to larger bodies, talks with J about his early NY roots and the evolving conversation around how to make yoga more inclusive. They discuss Michael's early studies in Gurdjieff and massage therapy, the process of discovering yoga that worked for him, choosing to go against the grain, some of the tools he prefers, and the perseverance and passion that fuels and sustains a lifelong inquiry into the nature of yoga. This episode is sponsored by Karmasoft.

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. Kaya Mindlin, founder of Supreme Release Yoga, was referred to J as someone who would speak candidly with him about difficult topics and she did not disappoint. They discuss the meaning of Parampara, misinformed mindsets that modern approaches to yoga propagate, Vedic astrology and Ayurveda, guidance on how to choose teachers and appropriateness in relationships, and the truth that we lack nothing and Yoga can not give you anything even though it allows you to discover everything, This episode is sponsored by Ropana CBD.

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 Meditation in the Yoga Tradition and The Secret Power of Yoga, returns to offer J a yogic perspective on meditation and a practical application of Patañjali's Yogasūtras. She discusses the concept of "dynamic stillness," the difference between consciousness and mind, residing in the heart instead of controlling the mind, thinking of ashtanga yoga as facets rather than limbs, defining Dharana-Dhyana-Samadhi as states that cannot be practiced, and nurturing a sustained steady rhythm and a dedicated 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. Ranju Roy and Dave Charlton, coauthors of Embodying the Yoga Sutra: Support, Direction, Space, join J to discuss a snapshot of their current understanding of yoga through a consideration of Patañjali's Yogasūtras and the teachings of TKV Desikachar. They talk about how they decided on the eighteen sutras they used in the book, yoga as relationship, what the organizing principles of support-direction-space are referring to, and the practical application of yoga to facilitate positive change. This episode is sponsored by Ropana CBD.

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. Haley Laughter, founder of Hozho Total Wellness, talks with J about the difficulties which affect Native Americans experiencing historical trauma, and incorporating indigenous teachings into yoga practice. They discuss the "assimilation" of Haley's parents and the effects that had on her early life, giving up the "american dream" to move closer to her Navajo roots, connections between yoga and indigenous philosophy, and utilizing practice to connect with the elements and our existence on the planet. This episode is sponsored by Karmasoft.

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. Colleen Boyd, owner of downtown desert yoga in Las Cruces NM, answered J's call for alternative event spaces and it led to this conversation about the evolution of modern yoga practice and industry. They discuss the early yoga scene in Las Cruces, life turns that shape our directions, becoming a teacher and center owner, incorporating new information and adapting practice accordingly, and the role we play in shaping yoga for future generations by becoming part of the conversation. This episode is sponsored by Ropana CBD.

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. Greg Peterson, creator of The Urban Farm and host of The Urban Farm Podcast, joins J to talk about creating a more sustainable future by becoming more aware of where your food comes from and learning how to grow your own. Greg's wife is a yoga teacher who listens to the show and J has been thinking about food and it lead to this conversation about Greg's entrepreneurial spirit, landing on The Urban Farm, creating community, and having a passion for the things that light us up. This episode is sponsored by Karmasoft.

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. Coby Kozlowski, author of One Degree Revolution, has run into J in a hallway twice over the years and they finally connect for this conversation on using whatever tools you can to hold integrity and fulfill a sense of purpose. They discuss Coby's work as a coach as well as a yoga teacher, how she ended up developing Kripalu Vinyasa and getting on the Yoga Journal circuit, returning back to work after a hiatus, letting go of things to create new space and getting clear about how we want to move through the world. This episode is sponsored by Ropana CBD.

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. Tatiana Mesar, founder of Zen Yoga Berlin, hosted J for a tour event and the two connected for this conversation on her Croatian roots, like-minded viewpoint, and parallel paths in the yoga world. They discuss the yoga scene in Croatia, going from Transcendental Meditation to rave parties, studying classical flute and the NY downtown music scene, the radical nature of both punk rock and yoga, the evolution of yoga industry, the Axis Syllabus, and the universal threads of yoga that cross all time and culture. This episode is sponsored by Karmasoft.

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. Nikki Vilella, senior teacher and co-owner at NYC's Kula Yoga Project, speaks for herself after being mentioned on the show regarding touch and consent in yoga classes. They reminisce about the early days and then get into a candid discussion on teacher training, deep adjustments and the changing narrative around touch and consent, ethics and legislation, the survival of independent yoga centers, finding community. not trying to be everything, and making it work despite all odds. This episode is sponsored by Ropana CBD.

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. Seth Powell and Chase Bossart come together with J for an in-depth debate into the nature and substance of Patañjali's Yogasūtras. They discuss whether the sutras and the commentary are written by the same person, differing views on what the text says yoga is, whether it involves stilling the mind to reach a liberation beyond this world or a means of finding clarity and purpose in having this existence, distinguishing between mind and consciousness, and the power of deep yogic inquiry. This episode is sponsored by Karmasoft.

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. David Moore, director at the School for F.M. Alexander Studies and author of Smart Yoga: Apply the Alexander Technique to Enhance Your Practice, Prevent Injury, and Increase Body Awareness, talks with J about the elusive technique created by F.M Alexander. They discuss David's experience of what Alexander defined as "control of human reaction," the difference between sensing and feeling, educated intuition, letting go of old patterns by engaging your whole system in doing something else. This episode is sponsored by Ropana CBD.

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, Lear, founder of Pangea Yoga and Yoga4Drummers, sits down with J to talk about his unique mix of Trager Approach and Ashtanga Yoga. Michael was born in Easton PA, the town that J moved to a few years ago. They discuss the early yoga scene there and his relationship to Ashtanga Yoga, his work with integrative somatic therapies, how he ended up doing service work around the world, transference of healing through nervous system communication, and the pure joy of rocking out. This episode is sponsored by Karmasoft.

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. Jay Fields, author of Teaching People Not Poses, talks with J about their parallel journeys from the early blogosphere days and postural practice to embodiment principles and resilience. They discuss her studies in yoga and neuroscience, some pivotal events in her life that caused Jay to cherish life anew, the principles of embodiment and resilience that she has come to understand and teach, methods for inviting inquiry instead of imposing experience, and the power of doing things just for fun. This episode is sponsored by Ropana CBD.

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. Alex Auder, director of Magu Yoga, is a long-time friend of J's from the early NY days and they get together to talk about her newly-gained Instagram stardom and the recent conversation around consent and touch. They discuss what is behind Alex's irreverence and trolling on social media, the NY times article, somatic dominance and implicit abuse, the precarious balance between holding people accountable and cancel culture, and the need for modern yoga to evolve beyond its history of abuse. This episode is sponsored by Karmasoft.

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. Catherine Salin Derrow, featured in a recent high-profile NY Times article, talks with J about her experience of becoming a flashpoint around consent and touch in yoga. They discuss what happened behind the scenes at the workshop covered by the NY Times, old-school teaching and healthy boundaries, holding people accountable and cancel culture, and the uncomfortable contradictions and difficult questions that must be reckoned with for us to find a healthy way forward. This episode is sponsored by Ropana CBD.

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. Ethan Nichtern, author of The Road Home: A Contemporary Exploration of the Buddhist Path, has a candid conversation with J about the scandal in the Shambhala Buddhist community, the underlying dynamics at play, and the broader implications for modern spiritual seekers. They discuss the origins of the tradition, his childhood in the community, gurus and his relationship to Chögyam Trungpa and Sakyong Mipham, and what might be needed to foster change in both our inner lives and outer politics. This episode is sponsored by Karmasoft.

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. Ean Price Murphy, founder of Moxie Bookkeeping, is an old friend who reconnects with J to discuss how to overcome money shame with cash-management systems that even yoga teachers can understand. They talk about Ean's viewpoint on numbers and business as a balance of order and chaos like jazz music, the emotional nature of money, using percentages and the Profit First system, and some actionable steps that anyone can take to empower themselves financially and fulfill a sense of purpose. This episode is sponsored by Ropana CBD.

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. Donna Farhi returns to the show to talk with J about addressing the fundamental problem of power abuse in Iyengar Yoga and beyond. They discuss the difference between pedagogy and 'heutagogy' or self-determined learning, when quiet authority is given by students or authoritarianism is asserted by teachers, educating people about what is between the lines and understanding the invisible matrix so we can make change, and the inquiry and shared humanity that makes for a lifelong sustainable yoga career. This episode is sponsored by Karmasoft.

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 Quinn Suplina, founder of Bend and Bloom Yoga in Brooklyn, NY, talks with J about how her center has managed to survive when so many others have closed. They discuss what things were like when they opened their studios, the influences that shaped Amy's choices, what has contributed to her centers' sustainability including how much she pays her teachers, her thoughts on social justice and unionization efforts, and the healing power of fostering relationships and developing community. This episode is sponsored by Ropana CBD.

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. Julie Dohrman, founder of Shaktiyoga New York, connects with J on the unionization effort at Yogaworks NYC and their shared experience of the evolving yoga industry. They discuss the early days of the NY scene and Julie's initial foray into yoga, her time in the Anusara community and the trauma of its devolution, the difference between working for a corporation and an independent center owner, survival as a professional teacher, and the effort to create a yoga teacher union as a way to change the industry. This episode is sponsored by Karmasoft.

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. Luvena Rangel, founder of The Curvy Yogi, talks with J about the trauma caused by colonization and the difference between cultural appropriation and appreciation. After reading Luvena's blog, Too Much Ado Around Isms, Or is it?, J reached out to discuss the hurt caused by western yoga teachers' insensitivity to the experiences of Desi's and BIPOC (Black/Indigenous/People of Color,) and how to stop perpetuating a legacy of injustice by recognizing privilege and creating more impartial narratives. This episode is sponsored by Ropana CBD.

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. Godfrey Devereux, author of many books including The Elements of Yoga, holds a special place in J's mind and joins him to discuss the early seeds he planted and the hard-nosed realism he is known for. They discuss his formative years, the role he played and his regrets in "mainstreaming" yoga, gurus and rejecting hierarchies, zen and the influence of child development education, the harm created by using poses for anything other than developing sensitivity, and keeping mysticism practical. This episode is sponsored by Karmasoft.

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. Marlysa Sullivan, coauthor of Yoga and Science in Pain Care and assistant professor at Maryland University of Integrative Health, talks with J about Eudaemonic Well-Being, Polyvagal Theory, and the difference between Yoga and Yoga Therapy. They discuss the intersection between yoga philosophy and biomedical science, samkya and evidence informed practice, creating research models that root the data in yoga, and a mutual agreement on potentially clarifying the definition of yoga therapy. This episode is sponsored by Ropana CBD.

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. Ian Baker, author of Tibetan Yoga: Principles and Practices, talks with J about Tibetan Yoga and its radical underpinnings of Tantric Buddhism. They discuss Ian's relationship to the Dalai Lama and the permission he was granted to reveal long-held secrets, misconceptions about Buddhism, the red-robbed sutric path of the renunciate and the white-robbed integrative path of the tantric, and the importance of restoring personal agency obscured by hierarchical Institutions and abused by spiritual leaders. This episode is sponsored by Karmasoft.

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. Nathan Oxenfeld, founder of Integral Eyesight Improvement, talks about the Bates Method and helps J unravel some os his own vision patterns. They discuss Nathan's journey of improving his eyesight and no longer needing glasses, Dr Bates and his method, connections and parallels between Integral Yoga, Sri Aurobindu, and the Bates Method, conventional notions about eye health that limit our perceptions of what is possible, and the deeper implications of inquiry into eyesight. This episode is sponsored by Moonclerk and Ropana CBD.

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. Timothy Lynch, formerly authorized Mysore Ashtanga Method teacher, invites J to his Mysore room for a practice and discussion on the state of Ashtanga Yoga. A few weeks before they got together, Timothy decided to have his name removed from the authorized Ashtanga teachers list and they talk about why he made that decision, the history of his practice, consistency vs needing to evolve, and the responsibility of the AY community to repair and address the history of abuse. This episode is sponsored by Karmasoft.

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 Coniglio, an official Wim Hof Method Instructor, visits J in PA for an exchange of yoga, friendship, and ice baths. After J gave Dan a yoga class in his studio, Dan took J through a Wim Hof session that culminated in this conversation about the three pillars of: breath, mind and cold. They also discuss how Dan got to the method, parallels to yoga, understanding the value in uncomfortable rituals, and the importance of remaining open to the full range of experience possibility. This episode is sponsored by Moonclerk and Ropana CDB.

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. Chara Caruthers, author of Eat Like You Love Yourself, offers J a fresh look at Ayurveda as a means to know and love ourselves. Chara has been participating in J's weekly teacher's class and when he saw that she hosts a TV show on Ayurvedic cooking, he seized the opportunity to learn about her, discuss some commonly held misconceptions about Ayurveda, and explore practical ways of thinking about and applying Ayurvedic principles that inspire us to make healthier choices. This episode is sponsored by Karmasoft and Moonclerk.