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.   Hong Gwi-Seok, author of The Gift of Somatic Particularity in Iyengar Yoga and teacher at the Iyengar Yoga Detroit Cooperative, talks with J about evolving practice and bottom-up social change. They discuss her history with Iyengar Yoga, misconceptions about BKS Iyengar’s teaching, the notion of somatic particularity, hierarchical power abuse and the inadequacy of institutions to address it, how yoga is inherent in social change and justice, and the spirit of inquiry at the heart of exploring interconnectedness with all things.  

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.   Judith Hanson Lasater, author of Yoga Myths: What You Need to Learn and Unlearn for a Safe and Healthy Yoga Practice, returns to the show and talks with J about letting go of the myths that once dominated yoga classes and embracing the spiritual underpinnings of practice. They discuss the genesis of her latest book not tucking the tailbone, the inner workings of triangle pose, Mula Bandha as an energetic technique of spontaneous creation, and the heart space that really makes it all work. 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.   Simon Borg-Olivier, co-founder and owner of Yoga Synergy, talks with J about both the science and metaphysics in his work uncovering the essence of yoga. They discuss his experience of studying with the gurus and pioneering yoga in the west, the influence of tradition in the process of innovation, science behind energy in the human system, modern body vs traditional body, natural breathing and active movements, and clearly understanding the purpose of yoga to be a recognition of our inherent interconnectedness and mutuality.  

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.   Seane Corn, co-founder of Off the Mat, Into the World, talks with J about a PSA she posted regarding QAnon and the 2020 election. They discuss the recruitment of wellness influencers and their followers into the QAnon web of conspiracy theories, the co-option of legitimate causes, well financed Instagram accounts utilizing social media prowess to manipulate and deceive, discerning truth, practicing radical accountability, and the hope that out of this mess will come a reckoning. 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 Weintraub, author of Temple Dancer and Yoga for Depression, talks with J about old times and her new fiction work on sacred sexuality. They discuss her pioneering direction in yoga for mood management and mental health, getting caught up in admin and moving away from developing teacher trainings, her return to fiction writing and the voice of her characters coming through, the story of the temple dancers, suppression of female polarity, and the ways in which we can heal and embrace the spiritual power that is inherent in all of 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.   Richard Freeman and Mary Taylor, coauthors of When Love Comes to Light: Bringing Wisdom from The Bhagavad Gita Into Modern Life, talk with J about their new translation and interpretation of the Bhagavad Gita. The conversation begins with a check-in on how things are going in the pandemic and then turns to the relevance of the Gita to our current situation. They discuss the text as a commentary on hierarchies and power structures, and a primer for intuitive knowing and overcoming difficulties. 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.   Dr. Monea Tamara Abdul-Majeed, Racial Justice Educator and Yoga Teacher, talks with J about anti-racism and the need for all voices to be heard. They discuss having courageous conversations with family and friends, change making from top down and bottom up, radical viewpoints and self care, understanding privilege without shaming, being resilient in the face of entrenched injustice, performative allyship vs real dialogue, the fraught polarization of our current politics and being forced to choose the lesser of evils in the coming election.  

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.   Carol Horton, author of 21st Century Yoga and Yoga PhD, returns to the show to provide a sober analysis of authoritarianism on both sides of the political aisle and perspective on the choices we all are facing. They discuss the erosion of dialogue and debate among online yoga communities and beyond, the politics and social mores that are fueling the polarization we are experiencing, illiberalism and decentralized authoritarianism on the left, and finding ground for wisdom and hope. 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.   Kishor Stein is a former student of Manouso Manos who talked with J at the end of last year about the abuse he witnessed, but it was never made public until now. Seven months later, they reconnect to introduce the episode by discussing why it was not originally released and why they are doing so now. The original conversation is about the overt and subtle abuse that is commonplace in yoga classes, power imbalances and sexual assault, charisma and cult of personality, and the pain of having a teacher you once admired but can no longer support.  

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.   Tias Little, author of The Practice is the Path and Yoga of the Subtle Body, talks with J about liminal spaces and subtle body healing. They discuss his background and evolution from rigorous physicality to somatic embodiment, mining dreams for messages from beyond, using slower movement and poetic language to encourage greater awareness, delving deeply into emotional shadows and unlocking a plenum of possibility, reconciling the imaginary realm with turmoil and injustice, and learning to embrace the wonder of existence.  

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.   Max Strom, author of There Is No App For Happiness and A Life Worth Breathing, talks with J about emotional healing and fulfilling core human needs. They discuss experiences and influences that shaped Max’s work, the fundamental relationship between bodies and feeling, using breath-work to heal emotional wounds, the ethical causes needed to support well-being, societal factors that present obstacles, and the ways in which we can overcome negative presets and have a more meaningful life. 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.   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 cultur

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.