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.   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.