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.   Karen Rain talks with J about the lack of consent culture in yoga, and ways that people can change what they are doing in their own spheres to create a safer and more just society. They discuss the abuse and deception that Pattabhi Jois committed on her and others, deflection and denial from those in the community, calling out rape culture, and educating ourselves about power imbalances. Karen also turns the tables on J and holds him to account for his own culpability in the past. This episode is brought to you by YogaAnatomy.net.  

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.   Genny Wilkinson Priest joins J for this probing conversation about the impact of Pattabhi Jois’ sexual assaults on the ashtanga community and yoga world at large. They discuss Genny’s previous life as a journalist, her discovery and love of the ashtanga system, her process of learning and evolving in light of the revelations about Pattabhi Jois, what efforts are being made to shift the culture going forward, hard adjustments and injuries, and the possibility of reformation and a new paradigm. This episode is brought to you 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.   Gregor Maehle, founder of 8 Limbs Ashtanga Yoga, discusses the history of Patabhi Jois’ sexual assaults and the need for the Ashtanga tradition to evolve. He talks about the studies and motivations that led to his adoption of Ashtanga Yoga, direct experience of observing the abuse and attempting to raise concerns, the injuries that led to his separation, admitting complicity, deeper philosophical and evolutionary factors in the creation of stratified power structures, and how to sublimate and grow. This episode is brought to you by YogaAnatomy.net.  

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.   Pedro Luna, creator of the Instagram account @Yogimemes, started taking J’s live stream classes and it led to this conversation about Pedro’s infamy on Instagram and their shared experiences trying to make a life as yoga teachers. They discuss the challenges of balancing a yoga career and being a dad, generational divides when it comes to social media, how Pedro got to 100,000 followers, doing YogaFestFl, and discerning the fine line between promoting your work and still maintaining integrity. This episode is brought to you 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.   Karin Carlson, founder of Return Yoga, has been bringing yoga out of the studio model into underserved communities for years and, after reading a recent post she wrote about the Yoga Alliance, J reached out to work through some ideas together. They discuss the early blogosphere days, shifts in industry that made it harder to make a living, questions of regulation and scope of practice, Yoga Alliance’s role, and filling the gaps between ancient wisdom and modern day relevance. This episode is brought to you by YogaAnatomy.net.    

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.   Nadiya Nottingham and J know each other from the early days of the NY yoga scene and have been friends for years but this is the first time they really have a full length conversation about ideas that are important to both of them. They discuss Nadiya’s evolution from yoga to QiGong and Celtic Tree Medicine, the relationship between QiGong and Tai Chi, similarities and differences between QiGong and Yoga, power animals, and the mystery and magic of each persons own individual medicine. This episode is brought to you 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.   Shelly Prosko returns to talk with J about some difficult questions he has been grappling with. They discuss the concept of right or proper alignment, the difference between yoga therapy and yoga, changing understandings around pain, compassion science, and moving from a postural-structural bio-mechanical model to a biopsychosocial-spiritual model. They also consider the fine line between science and mysticism, and how we might keep yoga from falling into foreseeable pitfalls. This episode is brought to you by YogaAnatomy.net.    

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.   Carrie Owerko and J talk about her unconventional approach to teaching Iyengar Yoga and some of the pressing issues facing the community. They discuss her formative theater influences, questions about one right alignment and the importance of interoception, her relationship to the Iyengar method and how her choices have shaped her teaching, the accounts of sexual assault by a senior teacher, and the fundamental problems inherent in hierarchical traditions. This episode is brought to you by YogaLifestyle.com and 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 Loren Fishman, pioneer of integrative medicine and founder of yip.guru, talks with J about his relationship to BKS Iyengar and his published research on the treatment of many disorders, including piriformis syndrome, scoliosis, osteoporosis and rotator cuff tear. They also discuss ideas about postural alignment and how it relates to injury prevention, creating protocols without sacrificing the mystery, PGC1alfa, and bringing evidence-based yoga into medicine. This episode is brought to you by YogaAnatomy.net.    

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.   Jessie Barr and Tom O’Brien, creators of OM City, are launching a campaign to fund a second season of their show which is J’s favorite ever depiction of the yoga teacher lifestyle. J gushes over how much he loved the first series, finds out why it has taken so long to make more episodes, communes with them on the challenges of independently producing your own stuff, and discuss portrayals of yoga as cliches or nuanced reality. This episode is brought to you by YogaLifestyle.com and 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.   Patti Safian and J used to run in the same circles back in the early days of the NY Yoga scene and a recent reunion at the TKV Desikachar celebration led to this conversation about her mom, her yoga, and her takeaways from years of study. They discuss her article in Glamour about her mom leaving to become a disciple of Rajneesh, yoga in the nineties, different traditions and common threads that run through, cults and cult-like behavior, and how to never giving over your power. This episode is brought to you by YogaAnatomy.net.    

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.   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.    

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.   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.  

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.   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.  

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.   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.  

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 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.  

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.   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.  

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.   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.  

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.   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.  

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.   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.