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.   Scott Johnson, Greg Nardi, Emma Rowse and Jock Orton talk with J about the creation of Amayu Yoga and a reimagining of the ashtanga tradition. They take time out of a retreat together to discuss the state of the global Ashtanga community, reasons for creating an organization, their orientation and purpose in doing so, the principles of ashtanga yoga, and their efforts to bring more accountability and safety to yoga by establishing clearer standards and a more horizontal collective. This episode is sponsored by YogaAnatomy.net 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.   Frank Jude Boccio, author of Mindfulness Yoga, talks with J about his integrated approach to yoga and buddhist mindfulness. An early adopter, Frank was ahead of his time and had an impact on J without ever having met him. In this conversation, they discuss the yoga scene before it was a scene, studying with Thich Nhat Hanh, pitfalls in spiritual communities and the freedom to challenge dogma, dilemmas in the marketing of yoga, and cultivating a truly self-empowered practice. This episode is sponsored by Yogic Studies 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.   Bernie Clark, author of Your Spine, Your Yoga, returns to the show to talk with J about his new book and the important perspective it provides. They discuss the notion of “neutral spine,” the myth of flexibility in yoga, understanding stability and strength, the concepts of stress and load, variation and adaptation in our systems and structures, the “anti-fragility curve,” functional movement, what “optimal” means, and how important it is for each person to develop their own sense of awareness. This episode is sponsored 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.   Seth Powell, founder of Yogic Studies, extended J an invitation to take his course and it led to this wide-ranging conversation about cutting edge research and his scholarship in yoga history and philosophy. They discuss Seth’s background and motivations for pursuing more rigorous academic study, issues and discoveries regarding the translation of ancient texts, commonly held misconceptions about the origins of yogic practices, and the benefits of expanding our perspectives and understandings. 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.   Rachel Brathen, creator of @yoga_girl, talks with J about how a bohemian lifestyle on the beaches of Costa Rica converged with the invent of Instagram and led to two million followers and a yoga career. They discuss the process of going from obscurity to recognized social media influencer, the evolution of her choices and professional pursuits, pitfalls and misinformation in the social media sphere, DIY business models, and operating by principles that will better serve the people behind the hashtags. This episode is sponsored 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.   Annie Carpenter, veteran yoga teacher trainer from Yogaworks and creator of SmartFLOW Yoga, talks with J about the history of YTT’s, current industry trends, and transitioning from growth models to in-depth inquiry. They discuss Annie’s background in yoga, the professional situations she has had to navigate, her opinions on conducting trainings and mentoring teachers, how things have changed over the years for good and bad, and the indications of a grassroots upswell calling for a return to core principles. 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.   Kerry Maiorca, founder of Bloom Yoga Studio and Chair of the Board of Directors for Yoga Alliance, talks with J about the inner workings of the Yoga Alliance and the Standards Review Project. Kerry and J are old friends and participated in the same yoga teacher training over twenty years ago, after some reminiscing over their shared history they talk about why and how she became involved at the Yoga Alliance, the evolution of the organization, and the status of the review process that is underway. This episode is sponsored 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.   Tao Porchon-Lynch, named Oldest Yoga Teacher by Guinness World Record and author of Dancing Light, sits down with J a few months after her 100th birthday to talk about her life and the spirit of yoga. They discuss the morning class that J took with her, universal qualities of facilitating yoga, some of her childhood experiences, how she greets each day with the expectation that it will be the best yet and believes anything is possible, transformation and connection, and the inspiration that Tao and her life instills. 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.   Neil Boyd, Board Vice-President of the Feathered Pipe Foundation, talks with J about his life as a farmer, his yoga, and how the two have informed each other. They discuss the connection between his work and the turn of the seasons, how he ended up getting into yoga, the teachers that helped him, farm practices and what they can tell us about yoga practices, Krishnamurti, the magic of the Feathered Pipe Ranch, and the simple wisdom of embodying kindness in your attitude and actions. This episode is sponsored 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.   J moderates a panel discussion at the Hauora Yoga Conference with Katie Lane, Donna Farhi, Jac Wilson, Leanne Davis, and Felicity Molloy on the accreditation of yoga and yoga therapy in New Zealand. They discuss the current standards for Yoga Australia and Yoga New Zealand, the difference between yoga and yoga therapy, standardization and pedagogy, reasons for a yoga therapy classification, obstacles in getting funding, and the possibility of creating something uniquely Aotearoa. 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.   Michael de Manincor, founder and Director of The Yoga Institute, is a student of TKV Desikachar that J met earlier this year and reconnected with for this conversation about the study and transmission of yoga, and the kind of science that supports it. They discuss Michaels trajectory and perspective on the evolution of yoga industry and profession, the PhD research he is doing, Patanjali, competencies for yoga teaching and yoga therapy, and the possibility of moving our understanding of yoga forward. 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.   Anne Jablonski, president of the Feathered Pipe Foundation, shares with J her love of Freedom Style Yoga and the magic that is the Feathered Pipe Ranch. They discuss Anne’s relationship to the teachings of Erich Schiffmann, what makes the ranch so special, teaching people to develop their own intuitive knowing vs telling them what to do, mindfully unplugging as an essential form of self-care, and the importance of connection and friendship in fostering the spirit of healing and good will. 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.   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.