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.   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.  

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.