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.   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.  

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.   Mark Whitwell sits down with J to discuss T. Krishnamacharya and the power of the cosmos. They have a long history together and in this rare meeting they discuss the paradox between abuse and blessings in guru lineages, what Mark means when he says “The Great Tradition,” the Krishnamurti’s and why striving for a future possibility is a dysfunction, and bringing forth a new renaissance of ancient wisdom in mainstream yoga and beyond. 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.   Nicole Cardoza, founder of Yoga Foster and Reclamation Ventures, joins J to discuss her recent run-in with Yoga Journal and the work she is doing to reduce the wellness gap. They discuss her background as a strategist for large companies like Nike, becoming a yoga teacher and volunteering in public schools, the recent controversy involving her being featured on the cover of Yoga Journal, and her dedication to empowering school teachers and underestimated entrepreneurs in the wellness space. 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.   Frederick Newbill III reached out to J after listening to the show and his unique life experience inspired this discussion on the intersection of race, religion, and yoga. They discuss what it’s like to have a grandfather who is a prominent southern Baptist minister while having a father who is a career criminal, being mixed race and the differences between white and black churches, finding yoga and a passion for academic study in Sanskrit and Indic Religious History, and the power of yogic inquiry. 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.   J hosts a live panel discussion at the Lehigh Valley Yoga Festival with Dr. Donna Mueller, Dr. Shekhar Annambhotla, Charles Curtis, Harrison Bailey III, and Anne Alexander. They discuss yoga in clinical settings, the roots of mindfulness in Ayurveda, mindfulness based cognitive therapy and neurolinguistic programming, the impact of mindfulness programs in high schools to address greater levels of trauma our kids experience and in the larger media environment to shape culture and society. 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.   Guy Donahaye, coauthor of the book: Guruji: A Portrait of Sri K Pattabhi Jois through the Eyes of His Students, sits down with J to discuss the history of guru worship in Ashtanga Yoga, the abuse that was committed, and his feelings about it now. Guy talks about discovering the practice, making it his life pursuit, his experience of Pattabhi Jois, what he knew and has learned about the abuse, the story behind the Guruji book and his decision to remove it from publication, and evolving his understanding. 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.   Molly Lannon Kenny, founder of The Samarya Center, is an old friend of J’s and in this talk they discuss her formative work in yoga service and the trajectory of the industry over the last twenty years. Molly shares her insights into the early ashtanga scene, working in clinical environments, yoga therapy and standardization, mystical and contemplative aspects of practice that make yoga as a spiritual path dangerous, and a return to the essence of connecting with people right where they are. 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.   Ida Jo, musician and Ghosh Yoga teacher, reached out to J to talk about the research project she is undertaking on Woman of Yoga. Ida worked alongside Jerome Armstrong while he was writing his book, Calcutta Yoga, and is picking up the thread to tell some of the untold stories of woman yogis. They also discuss Ida’s music and art, aspects of prescriptive or therapeutic yoga in the Gosh tradition, the grind of creative pursuits, and the importance of sharing stories. This episode is sponsored by Yogic Studies 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.   Neil Pearson, coauthor of Yoga and Science in Pain Care, returns to the show to talk with j about integrating yoga and the cutting edge of pain science. They discuss the importance of creating therapeutic alliances, self-care instead of self-management, autonomic physiological synchrony and empathy, education as a form of pain treatment, biopsychosocial model as a non-dual perspective, yoga teaching vs yoga therapy, and fostering human resilience by evolving the stories we tell. 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.   In June 2019, J traveled to Sydney, AU and while he was there he recorded this live panel conversation with Nicole Walsh, Mark O’Brien, and Michael de Manicor. They discuss Nicole’s history with Bikram Yoga and the AU scene and her new direction with InYoga, Mark’s insights into Qi Yoga’s longevity and how to maintain a practice over time without getting caught up in the trends, and Michael chimes in on the move to advanced training at The Yoga Institute and serving our communities. This episode is sponsored by Yogic Studies 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.   Nischala Joy Devi, author of The Namaste Effect, returns to the show to warm J’s heart and inspire us all to be in a place of love and oneness. They discuss what’s been going on in the two tears since they last spoke, the fear and anxiety that currently pervades, how we might counter injustice with yoga, definitive evidence of our own divinity, practical applications of chakra theory, what the “namaste effect” is, and how we can live in this world expressing love and compassion as a primary action. 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.   Lauren Walker. creator of Energy Medicine Yoga, talks with J about energy healing and her circuitous path in yoga. They discuss their shared history in NYC in the 90’s, Lauren’s departure from yoga and pursuit of other modalities, how politics and unforeseen events shaped her choices, connection with nature and developing primitive skills, Donna Eden, misunderstandings about chakras, and seeing past arbitrary limitations to reveal our inherent power and ability to heal. This episode is sponsored by Yogic Studies 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.   Chase Bossart, founder of Yoga Well Institute, is a longtime student of TKV Desikachar and friend of J’s who returns to the show to shed some light on the essence of yoga with an unconventional view of Patañjali’s Yogasūtras, Samkhya, and Bhagavad Gita. They discuss whether Patanjali wrote the commentary of his sutras, Chase’s reasoning for looking at the sutras alone, misconceptions about the definition of nirodhah and other terms, and a universal picture of yoga based on perception and knowing. 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.   Bernie McDonald is walking 100 miles in every US state and decided to stop by J’s studio in Allentown, PA. They discuss why he started walking, the sort of interactions he has had in the yoga world during his travels, aspects of the country that most of us don’t ever see or think about, how he stays focused on his purpose when things get difficult, preconceived ideas about who and what we are supposed to be, the power of kindness and friendship, and the simple beauty and profound majesty of life as it is. This episode is sponsored by Yogic Studies.    

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.   Lara Land, founder of Land Yoga and SOULFest NYC, talks with J about opening a yoga center in Harlem and becoming an ally for diversity in yoga. They discuss family life and some early days in the NY scene, her level 2 Ashtanga authorization and where she stands on the turmoil in that tradition, what it was like to open a center in Harlem, why she formed a non-profit and started programs to reach underserved populations, and the challenges we face when attempting to address institutional injustice. 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.   Michelle Johnson, author of Skill in Action, talks with J about the intersection between racism, social justice, and yoga. They discuss the life experiences that led to her work, dismantling racism training, the heartbreak related to institutional oppression, actions being held accountable to principles and people, intentions around creating inclusion, leveraging privilege to create space for people of color, the challenge of reconciling paradoxes, and the universal truth that everyone is connected. This is episode is sponsored by Yogic Studies.    

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.   Jana Long, director of Power of One Yoga Center and co-founder of the Black Yoga Teachers Alliance, talks with J about the history of yoga in the black community. They discuss the earliest influencers of yoga in Black America, the expressions found in black art and spiritual life, Jana’s many years of self-directed practice before discovering other black teachers and receiving training, her experiences in Africa and ashram life in India, why she started BYTA, and the universal threads that unite and transform. 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.   James Mallinson, senior lecturer in Sanskrit and Classical Indian Studies at SOAS, Principle Investigator at The Hatha Yoga Project, co-author of Roots of Yoga, reached out to J after hearing his name mentioned on the show and it lead to this conversation about the research he is pioneering and its implications on yoga in the modern world. They discuss Jim’s academic pursuits, his guru, the philology of physical yoga practices, and the symbiosis between scholarship and living traditions. This episode is sponsored by Yogic Studies.    

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.   J returns to his former studio in Brooklyn, now Goodyoga, and is joined by Amy Matthews, Sam Chase, and Christie Roe for intimate conversation about the nature of our anatomies and the values we are aligning with. Amy expands upon J’s ongoing inquiry into the biopsychosocial viewpoint, Sam discusses the resilience training he has been developing which challenges people to connect what they feel and value, and Christie provides a millennial perspective on what is happening on the ground. 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.   Peter Blackaby and Bernie Clark come together with J to consider the nature of human anatomy and the process of affecting change. Initiated by Peter after he listened to Bernie’s last appearance, this probing conversation was an opportunity to clarify points of agreement and hash out some areas of departure. They discuss whether the spine is primarily a source or stability or mobility, what poses do to our tissues or patterns, and the intents and purposes that forge a deeper understanding. This episode is sponsored by Yogic Studies.