
J. Brown Yoga Talks
531 episodes — Page 9 of 11
Ep 131Philip Goldberg - "Maha Lineage and The Life of Yogananda"
EYou 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. Philip Goldberg, author of American Veda and The Life of Yogananda, talks with J about the long arc of yogic spiritual teachings migrating into western culture, and some of the important figures and moments that have shaped its progression. They discuss the roots of yoga's export to America and the impetuous for writing American Veda, his new book on Yoganandya and why it was the perfect follow up, the importance of tradition and the democratization of yoga. This episode is brought to you by YogaBooksWholesale.com and Karmasoft.
Ep 130Larry Payne - "Prime of Life, Yoga Therapy Rx"
EYou 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. Larry Payne, founder of Prime of Life Yoga and Yoga Therapy Rx, gives J a dose of expertise and humor in this conversation about his life and career. They discuss his journey to India and the many amazing teachers he encountered, the influence of TKV Desikachar on his life and teaching, bridging yoga and western medicine and the challenges therein, differences between yoga and yoga therapy, and the grand picture of yoga spreading around the world with the power of its transformative qualities. This episode is brought to you by YogaAnatomy.net.
Ep 129Mirka Scalco Kraftsow - "With Courage and Love for Desikachar"
EYou 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. Mirka Scalco Kraftsow, cofounder of the American Viniyoga Institute, brings her special brand of shakti to the podcast and talks with J about the spirit that guided her to her teachers Gary Kraftsow and TKV Desikachar, and her ongoing journey to bring the teachings of yoga to light. They discuss her childhood in Italy, her time with Rajneesh/Osho, how she met Gary and her relationship with Desikachar, the progression of Viniyoga, and the simple sadana of ordinary life. This episode is sponsored by Yogalifestyle.com and Karmasoft.
Ep 128Gary Kraftsow - "What is Viniyoga?"
EYou 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. Gary Kraftsow, founder of the American Viniyoga Institute, author of Yoga for Wellness and Yoga for Transformation, talks with J about his precedent-setting career in yoga and yoga therapy. They discuss his relationship to TKV Desikachar and the impact it had on his teaching, why the efforts to create a national organization were thwarted, the story behind him using the name Viniyoga, TKV's son, yoga in healthcare, the definition of yoga therapy, and the true spirit of the teachings. This episode is brought to you by YogaAnatomy.net.
Ep 127Richard Miller - "Nondual Wisdom, Modern Adaptation"
EYou 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. Richard Miller, founder of iRest Yoga Nidra, co-founder of The International Association of Yoga Therapy and founding editor of the professional Journal of IAYT, talks with J about his many years of study and the work he has done integrating teachings for others. They discuss nondual philosophy, his relationship to TKV Desikachar, his use of Yoga Nidra in the military, making sense of the scandals, and the core principles at work in the process of healing through yoga. This episode is sponsored by Yogalifestyle.com and Karmasoft.
Ep 126R. Sriram - "Legacy of TKV Desikachar"
EYou 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. R. Sriram comes to the Unites States of America for the first time to attend a celebration of his longtime teacher T. K. V. Desikachar and sits down with J for this conversation about the man and the legacy he left the world. They discuss Sriram's early studies in Madras, T Krishnamacharya, moving from India to Germany, his views on cultural appropriation and the popularity of yoga in the west, the scandal around T.K.V.'s son Kausthub, and the simplicity and authenticity at the heart of the tradition. This episode is brought to you by YogaAnatomy.net.
Ep 125Faith Hunter - "Spiritually Fly"
EYou 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. Faith Hunter, creator of Spiritually Fly, talks with J about the life events that fueled her commitment to yoga, some shared roots in NYC, and the course of her high-profile career. They discuss her early work with a national HIV/AIDS organization, the transition into teaching and owning a center, the breaks that enabled her to expand outside of her immediate sphere, how she came up with her signature Spiritually Fly Sutras, and the current state of the yoga industry. This episode is sponsored by Yogalifestyle.com and Karmasoft.
Ep 124Jerome Armstrong - "History of Hot Yoga"
EYou 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. Jerome Armstrong, author of Calcutta Yoga, talks with J about his new book on the history of hot yoga. They discuss the largely untold story of Buddha Bose & the Yoga Family of Bishnu Ghosh and Yogananda, and how that led to Bikram Yoga. Jerome also speaks to his own experience of practicing both standard hot yoga and the more traditional teachings of Ghosh Yoga, and the crazy turn of events that led to the discovery of a rare document and a relationship to the family. This episode is brought to you by YogaAnatomy.net.
Ep 123Benjamin Lorr - "Exposing Bikram Yoga"
EYou 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. Benjamin Lorr, author of Hell-Bent: Obsession, Pain, and the Search for Something Like Transcendence in Competitive Yoga, talks with J about Bikram Yoga, how it lead to writing his tell-all book on the subject, and the aftershocks that are still being felt today. They discuss Benjamin's first place prize in a yoga competition, paradoxes at work in Bikram Choudhury and his yoga system, power dynamics and cult behavior, larger cultural implications, and his new book project focusing on Trader Joes. This episode is sponsored by YogaLifestyle.com and Karmasoft.
Ep 122Arundhati Baitmangalkar - "Modern Yoga Meets Bollywood"
EYou 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. Arundhati Baitmangalkar, founder and lead teacher of Aham Yoga and Bollyworks Dance, sent J a supportive email after hearing him speak about being accused of cultural appropriation, and J remembered some blogs that Arundhati had written on yoga in the west vs east, and it led to this wide-ranging conversation. They discuss Arundhati's first Power Yoga classes in Bangalore, her study of classical yoga in Mysore, moving to the USA, and how she made her own thing happen. This episode is brought to you by YogaAnatomy.net.
Ep 121Beryl Bender Birch - "The Original Power Yoga"
EYou 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. Beryl Bender Birch, author of Power Yoga and founder of The Hard and the Soft Yoga Institute, joins J for a look back at the earliest remnants of yoga in the west, its progression into the mainstream, and the role she played in shepherding it forth. They discuss what yoga was like in the late sixties and early seventies, how she found her way into teaching yoga for athletes and coming up with the name 'Power Yoga', Patabhi Jois, and her work with the Give Back Yoga Foundation. This episode is sponsored by Yogalifestyle.com and Karmasoft.
Ep 120Kristen Fewel - "Yoga Center Reinvented, Invitation to Awaken"
EYou 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. Kristen Fewel, author of The Gift of Awakening and founder of Full Circle Yoga & Healing Arts, reached out to say that she was inspired by some of the talks on the podcast to transition her yoga center away from the conventional way of doing business to a less extractive rental model so J invited her on to have a conversation about what she is doing and how it is working out. They also discuss her newly published book that bravely delves into realm of the mystical and the possibility of awakening. This episode is brought to you by YogaAnatomy.net.
Ep 119Erin Heisel - "Flow States and Play Spheres"
EYou 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. Erin Heisel is a podcast listener who reached out to J after hearing him talk about 'flow states" which led to this conversation about her research into play and its relevance to yoga and beyond. First, Erin lays out a theoretical framework for play and then they discuss whether flow requires physical challenge, the elements that bring about flow or play spheres, the effects of entering those kinds of mind states, and the relevance to how we practice yoga and engage ourselves in life. This episode is brought to you by Yogalifestyle.com and Karmasoft.
Ep 118Joe Simek - "Small Yoga, Big Impact"
EYou 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, co-owner of Dragonfly Yoga and co-founder of The Fiaria Project, reached out to J after hearing he was moving to PA and invited him to his studio where they started a conversation that continues in this talk. They discuss their common history in music, how Joe let go of his corporate life and focused on health and family, his experience of becoming a foster parent and starting a non-profit to help others who do the same, and the realities of keeping things small and still making it work. This episode is brought to you by YogaAnatomy.net.
Ep 117Cheryl Urbanczyk - "Female Muslim Hijab-Wearing Yogi"
EYou 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. Cheryl Urbanczyk, yoga-teacher-in-training and regular podcast listener, sent J an email that caught his attention and prompted this talk about her faith and yoga. They discuss Cheryl's conversion from Catholicism to Islam, misconceptions about Muslims, how she came to yoga, and some of the unique obstacles that the Muslim community face getting exposed to yoga. They also discuss her plan to create women's only yoga classes and mindful movement for women and girls. This episode is brought to you by Yogalifestyle.com and Karmasoft.
Ep 116Andrea Ferretti - "Yogaland and Editorial Transparency"
EYou 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. Andrea Ferretti, creative director for Jason Crandall Yoga Method and host of Yogaland Podcast, joins J to talk about their common experience of being both parents and podcast hosts in the yoga world. They discuss Andrea's early avenues into yoga and publishing, her many years as an editor at Yoga Journal Magazine, how her relationship to Jason Crandall went from professional to personal, what it means to be a yoga family, and the mind-expanding challenge, and joy, of producing podcasts. This episode is brought to you by YogaAnatomy.net.
Ep 115Prabha Sinha - "Turning Grief Into Giving"
EYou 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. Prabha Sinha, founder of the Pratyush Sinha Foundation and Lehigh Valley Yoga Festival, sits down with J to talk about her journey from India to America and the story behind the foundation and festival she has dedicated her life to. They discuss misconceptions about yoga in the west, cultural differences and universal truths, the death of her son and how it led to her yoga, insights after overcoming a brain tumor, and the heart and soul that goes into making it all happen. This episode is brought to you by Yogalifestyle.com and Karmasoft.
Ep 114Matthew Remski - "Somatic Dominance and Trauma Awareness"
EYou 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. Matthew Remski and J have a long-standing friendship and dialogue which carries into this talk about the rapid paradigm shift taking place in the yoga world around consent and authority. They discuss Matthew's recent article profiling victims of sexual assault by Pattabhi Jois, the process that transformed WAWADIA into a consideration of somatic dominance, pitfalls when asking tough questions, the line between cult-like and cult, and how we navigate new and unchartered paths. This episode is brought to you by YogaAnatomy.net.
Ep 113Sarai Harvey-Smith - "Beyond Mysore and KPJAYI"
EYou 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. Sarai Harvey-Smith talks with J about becoming part of the Ashtanga Yoga community and how she is navigating her way in light of the revelations surrounding abuse by Pattabhi Jois. They discuss Sarai's process of getting into yoga and becoming authorized at KPJAYI, her love of the practice and teaching, the reasons for her gradual transition away from the system, and her clear position statement and suggestions for the AY community to heal and move forward. This episode is brought to you by Yogalifestyle.com and Karmasoft.
Ep 112Scott Johnson - "Stillpoint Yoga London"
EYou 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. Scott Johnson, founder of Stillpoint Yoga London, joins J for a continuation of the friendship and conversation that started between them when they met in London a few months earlier. They discuss Scott's former life as an electrician, the importance of family, the motivations for his yoga and center, his relationship to the Astanga Yoga Tradition and feelings about the current crisis the community is facing. They also talk about low-overhead business models and finding shared or alternative spaces. This episode is brought to you by Yogaanatomy.net.
Ep 111Kino MacGregor - "Conflicts and Confluences"
EYou 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. J interviews Kino MacGregor, founder of Miami Life Center and OMstars, about a few of the hot button topics at the forefront of yogaland. In this difficult conversation, they discuss the current situation in the Ashtanga Yoga Community regarding revelations of sexual abuse by Patabhi Jois, recent contract disputes and related issues resulting from the sale of Cody video app to Alo Yoga clothing company, and Kino's individual perspective on the business and soul of the mainstream yoga industry. This episode is brought to you by Karmasoft.
Ep 110Tara Stiles - "Yoga Rebel circa 2011"
EYou 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. Tara Stiles, founder of Strala Yoga, helps J get over some of his personal baggage regarding the Industrial Yoga Complex by giving him insight into her trajectory and teaching. Tara shares the story of her humble beginnings in a small town, the happenstance that led to a modeling career, the process of coming into yoga as a profession, and the trials and tribulations of having a high profile career. They also explore the relative nature of status, and misperceptions we have about money. This episode is brought to you by YogaAnatomy.net.
Ep 109Peter Blackaby - "Intelligent Yoga"
EYou 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. Peter Blackaby, author of Intelligent Yoga, talks with J about the newly revised second edition of his book and the implications it has on our ideas about yoga and ways in which we teach it. They discuss the fundamental premise that no living thing exists in isolation, how addressing pain is more about life than muscles, and the importance of developing attentive discernment and fashioning a healthy context for practice. Peter also assuages some of J's concerns on standardization and codification of yoga. This episode is brought to you by Karmasoft.
Ep 108Schuyler Grant - "Kula and Wanderlust"
EYou 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. Schuyler Grant, founder of Kula Yoga Project and co-creator of Wanderlust Festival, communes with J on their shared past in the early NY scene and on all that has happened since. Schuyler tells the story of her unusual trajectory into becoming a teacher, the circumstances and motivations behind becoming a center owner, and the inspiration that led to creating a yoga festival that completely changed the game. They also candidly address the financial realities of the profession and industry. This episode is brought to you by YogaAnatomy.net.
Ep 107Ana Forrest and Jose Calarco - "Fierce Medicine"
EYou 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. Ana Forrest, creatrix of Forrest Yoga, and her partner Jose Calarco, join J for a discussion on their current work and some of the roads that brought them there. Jose fills J in on his role and the current incarnation of the ceremonies they are producing. Ana talks about her early jump into death and back into life, and the progression of her renowned practice from its early origins, through yoga's transition from underground to mainstream, the present day, and tracking right into the mystery. This episode is brought to you by Karmasoft.
Ep 106Gernot Huber - "Disrupting the Stress Response"
EYou 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. Gernot Huber, founder of Yoga Mind Yoga Body, happened to take a few of J's live stream classes via a mutual friend and had some constructive feedback and criticism. In this talk, they discuss Gernot's background in silicon valley, his studies in ecology and evolutionary biology, how he ended up being a yoga teacher, and his ideas on learning to disrupt the stress response. Ultimately, they engage in a spirited and friendly debate on the pros and cons of periodically engaging your edge with mindfulness and non-attachment to achievement.
Ep 105Danny Paradise - "Evolution of Ashtanga"
EYou 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. Danny Paradise, renowned teacher and writer/co-producer of Love Will Rescue You, joins J to talk about how things have evolved from his first experiences in 1976 until the present day. They discuss the influences that have informed his teaching, including shamanism and the Egyptian roots, and how his practices are designed to show the interrelatedness of different cultures and disciplines. They also touch on the commodification of yoga, celebrity clients, and the Pattabhi Jois scandal. This episode is brought you by Karmasoft.
Ep 104Theo Wildcroft - "Post-Lineage Yoga"
EYou 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. Theo Wildcroft was kind enough to let J stay with her during a recent trip to England. On their last day together, they sat down to have this conversation about different yoga cultures. They discuss how yoga happens in alternative spaces, distinctions in philosophy that shape a persons teaching, and the challenges we face when trying to forge uncharted paths. They also discuss the thesis she is working on regarding 'Post-Lineage Yoga', examining the intersection between lineage traditions and the commodification of yoga.
Ep 103Andrew Tanner - "YA Standards Review Project"
EYou 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. Andrew Tanner, chief ambassador for Yoga Alliance, joins J to discuss the Standards Review Project and the recently released survey. The conversation gets a bit heated as J grapples with his YA status and what he sees as fundamental flaws with both the survey and the organization. Andrew does his best to reassure J that the process YA has embarked on will be open, democratic and transparent. In the end, the spirit of friendship holds in this passionate exchange tackling the many difficult issues at play. This episode is brought to you by Karmasoft.
Ep 102Jonathan Sattin - "triyoga London"
EYou 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. Jonathan Sattin, founder of triyoga, sits down with J at the head offices in London to talk about how he went from holding yoga classes in his living room to creating one of the premier destinations for yoga in the UK. They discuss what it takes to build an operational structure that can survive and grow for eighteen years, amassing five locations, 200+ teachers, and the inherent challenges that come when you get that big. They also touch on the financial realities at work, current trends, and what it might mean to bring integrity to scale.
Ep 101Roseanne Harvey - "its all yoga, baby"
EYou 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. Roseanne Harvey, founder of its all yoga, baby and co-editor of 21st Century Yoga: Culture, Politics and Practice, is an old friend of J's from the blogosphere days who has been away from the yoga world for a time but has recently emerged once again. In this conversation, they talk about the heyday of the internet, that time Roseanne slept in J's bed, and what is behind her sort-of departure and semi-return to yogaland. They also tackle debt, money, and the yoga of getting our financial houses in order. This episode is brought to you by Karmasoft.
Ep 100Richard Freeman - "Synthesizing Contemplative Traditions"
EYou 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. Richard Freeman was the person J most wanted to speak with when starting the podcast and his dream is finally realized in this conversation celebrating the 100th episode. They discuss what yoga was like in the late 60's, how Richard came to study with BKS Iyengar and Pattabhi Jois, universal threads that run through the many different contemplative traditions he has inquired into, trends that have emerged with the progression of yoga into the mainstream, and the importance of remaining curious about the nature of reality.
Ep 99Amina Naru - "Yoga in the Criminal Justice System"
EYou 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. Amina Naru, board member and project manager at the Yoga Service Council, owner of Posh Yoga, talks with J about her work bringing yoga into juvenile detention centers and prisons, and the new Best Practices for Yoga in the Criminal Justice System. They discuss her spiritual name, some of the trials and tribulations that have shaped her journey into yoga, her experience of being a black woman in a predominantly white profession, the process of creating community, and the profound gift of shared acceptance, wellness, and purpose.
Ep 98Tiffany Cruikshank - "Yoga Medicine"
EYou 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. Tiffany Cruikshank, founder of Yoga Medicine, joins J for a discussion about her early challenges and roots into yoga and holistic healing modalities, and the process of developing her professional work as a teacher and educator. Their conversation includes a consideration of changing paradigms in yoga, how she incorporates or separates her yoga with her work in sports medicine and orthopedics, her experience of navigating the yoga industry, and developing training with a focus on fusing the two worlds of eastern and western medicine.
Ep 97Maria Kirsten - "Yoga for Grown Ups"
EYou 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. J met Maria Kirsten, founder of Yoga for Grown Ups, through mutual contacts in Japan and they kind of hit it off after discovering they share many common experiences and viewpoints in yoga. In this conversation, they compare notes on teaching and discuss a range of topics including the importance of self-directed mentorship, fostering gradual progressions and relationships over time, teaching people about themselves more than poses, finding your root and stabilization, somatization, and asking the big questions about where it's all going.
Ep 96Rexx Anthony - "Rogue Ashtanga"
EYou 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. Rexx Anthony, founder of Rogue Ashtanga, wrote a blog post entitled "A Cautionary Tale on Operating Yoga Studios" that caught J's attention and spurred this conversation. They talk about Rexx's early adoption of Ashtanga Yoga and how the system has changed over the years. They also discuss the trends and tribulations of managing a yoga center, some of the pressing issues facing the industry, the challenges that yoga teachers grapple with, and the personal and professional factors that make up a life in the grassroots world of yoga.
Ep 95Seane Corn - "Assume Humanity"
EYou 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. Seane Corn, creator of 'Off the Mat, Into the World', joins J for a lively and wide-ranging discussion on coming into adulthood as teachers alongside yoga going mainstream. Seane talks about the early days of NY Yoga and Life Cafe, her migration west, how she became a "yoga celebrity," and the political activism that she spearheads. The conversation also examines the evolution of yoga as a profession, healing trauma, sexual misconduct in the yoga world, and the light, shadows and people that have shaped her inspirational teaching.
Ep 94Or Shahar - "Israeli Buddhist: Light of the Dawn"
EYou 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. Or Shahar, from freedomyoga.info, is a podcast listener with a booker who got a bit lucky and caught J in a moment that led to this candid and unexpected conversation about family, cultural divides, and the universality of yoga. Or shares her process of healing depression and trauma, how she ended up making a life for herself in Berlin, overcoming the obstacles that yoga teachers face as professionals, and the challenge of meeting people where they are while still holding true to principles that explore the depth of practice.
Ep 93Barbara Benagh - "Boston Legend, Slow Flow Master"
EYou 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 Benagh, legendary indy yoga teacher, joins J to trace the history and evolution of yoga from the 70's until the present day. They discuss her early adoption of Iyengar yoga, her progression into a more somatic approach, the teachers and influences that have inspired her along the way, her relationship to and feeling about the ascendance of yoga as big business and the celebrity of yoga teachers, and how she ended up going against the grain and setting a precedence of cultivating her own sensibilities and charting her own course.
Ep 92Justine Mastin - "Fangirl Geek-centric YogaQuest"
EYou 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. Justin Mastine, creator of YogaQuest, talks with J about bringing yoga to the geek community. They discuss what it means to be a geek, the process of embracing her inner nerd through yoga, and how she came to create a narrative-based practice that gives permission for people to be who they are even when it doesn't fit what other people think is normal. Justine also shares her insights into the unique issues that those with passionate fandoms face, and provides an example of what it means to bring yoga with whimsy to unconventional spaces.
Ep 91Anneke Lucas - "Conspiracy of Patriarchy"
EYou 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. Anneke Lucas, founder of Liberation Prison Yoga, returns to talk with J about her thoughts on the resurgence of the #metoo movement, the politics of power addiction, and the larger implications for the yoga world. They discuss the public reckoning that men are being confronted with, areas in which we are still operating with blinders, the prevalence of pedophilia and conspiracies that cover it up, enabling in the ashtanga tradition, bringing yoga into the criminal justice system, making space for healing, and what it means to be liberated.
Ep 90Jill Miller - "Hip Replacement Surgery"
EYou 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. Jill Miller, creator of Yoga Tune Up® and The Roll Model Method®, talks with J eight days after receiving hip replacement surgery. They discuss their parallel journeys, Jill's decision to go under the knife, what its been like since, the blowback she got online, and why J is both grateful and freaked out by her example. The conversation also touches on issues surrounding injuries in yoga, the role that anatomy plays in mitigating risk factors, radical transparency, and the challenge of being able to evolve and grow while under public scrutiny.
Ep 89Alexis Marbach and Caitlin Lanier - "Trauma-Informed Yoga"
EYou 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. Alexis Marbach and Caitlin Lanier, members of The Breathe Network, talk with J about the evolving world of trauma-informed yoga. They discuss the expansion of trauma sensitivity in the wake of yoga scandals, whether increased training is warranted, pitfalls in labeling and standardizing individual experience, Flip Chips, and how the current landscape is changing the dynamics and context. They also tackle some of the sticky realities implicit in addressing power dynamics, and being able to make mistakes publicly and learn from them.
Ep 88Sadie Nardini - "Rock Your Yoga"
EYou 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. Sadie Nardini, founder of Core Strength Vinyasa and The Yoga Shred, host of Rock Your Yoga and cast member of Yoga Girls, talks with J about her early beginnings and emergence as a social media yoga icon. Sadie discusses her childhood struggle with a neurological disorder, the fierce determination that helped her be strong, the unintended consequences that forced her to change, and the development of her yoga practice and teaching. They also discuss her persona as the "black sheep" of yoga and her love of music.
Ep 87Lucas Rockwood - "doTerra is a scam"
EYou 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 Yoga Teachers Collegeand YOGABODY Naturals, host of Yoga Talk Show, is a fellow podcaster and expat who wrote a scathing piece about doTerra that got J's attention. They have a lively discussion about leaving the NY scene to stake a claim in the international markets, his evolution from accidental teacher to retreat center owner, starting a supplements company, and creating a well known online presence. Lucas also shares important warnings and insights into successful entrepreneurship in the yoga sphere.
Ep 86Matthew Taylor - "Organizational Yoga Therapy"
EYou 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. Matthew Taylor, past president of the board of directors of International Association of Yoga Therapists, chair of their business development community, and leader in business and clinical skills development for Yoga therapists, talks with J about the origins and future of yoga as a respected therapy. They discuss Matthew's background in integrative rehabilitation, formative times in his evolution, the creation of standards and their importance, exciting new developments in the field, and his work with the Veterans Yoga Project.
Ep 85Kimberly Wilson - "Tranquil Space DC"
EYou 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. Kimberly Wilson, founder of Tranquil Space and host of the Tranquility du Jour Podcast, sold two of the most popular yoga center locations in the DC area to Yogaworks right about the same time that J sold his center in Brooklyn. They talk about the arc of yoga in the mainstream, the process of growing a yoga center and related businesses, and what it means to let go and move on to new horizons when the time comes. Kimberly shares some of her insights into what it takes to be successful and ways to keep learning, exploring, and growing.
Ep 84Roody Senecal - "Tribe Brooklyn and Karmasoft Online"
EYou 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. J sits down with Roody Senecal, creator of Karmasoft Online, to talk about how he went from manufacturing metal doors to becoming a yoga teacher, owning a yoga center, and developing the software that J ran his center with for seven out of ten years he had it. They discuss Roody's childhood in Haiti and immigration to Brooklyn, the relationship to his wife that started his yoga journey, his training with Bikram Choudhry, and how he utilizes his relationships with people to foster a successful yoga center and business.
Ep 83Jillian Pransky - "Deep Listening and Restorative Yoga"
EYou 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. Jillian Pransky, author of Deep Listening, talks with J about her journey in overcoming anxiety and finding a slow, gentle approach to body and life. They discuss her childhood and early exposure to meditation, giving up a "real" job in publishing to pursue a yoga career, the influences that have shaped her work and led to a focus on restorative yoga, and her new book. The conversation also touches on navigating the changing professional yoga landscape, and the increasingly difficult challenge of finding a healthy work/life balance.
Ep 82Vanessa Kudrat Weinberg - "Kundalini and Internet Startups"
EYou 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. Vanessa Kudrat Weinberg, founder of Body Mind Gifts, is an old friend of J's from their early college years who showed up to one of his final classes in Brooklyn after not seeing each other in over fifteen years. They reconnect and reminisce on the old days at NYU, talk about Vanessa's studies with Yogi Bhajan, the early days of the internet, and the ways in which wellness and yoga have gone mainstream and become professions. The conversation also examines the effects of new media on yoga teachers and the policies of yoga centers.