J. Brown Yoga Talks

Aimee Echo, founder of Community Yoga Club/Ashtanga Yoga Long Beach, talks with J about the carrying on of tradition and the evolution of practice. They discuss parallel scenes in 90's LA and NY, sub culture of Mysore rooms, Patabhi Jois touring the US, studying with Sharath and Shruthi, authorization agreements and certification, Jois Yoga, aftermath of Sharath's death, a new "active" series, hands on adjustments, comparing Ashtanga and Desikachar, listening, and casting a shorter net to invite more serious inquiry and practice.   To subscribe and support the show… GET PREMIUM. Say thank you - buy J a coffee. Check out J's other podcast… J. BROWN YOGA THOUGHTS.    

Abby Hoffmann, founder of Yantra Studio, talks with J about their formative years and opening another yoga center again after they both swore they never would. They discuss ashtanga rooms in the late 90's, classes getting sweaty, being asked to teach before TT's existed, moving out of the city, bringing yoga to dance training, emergence of rock star teachers, freer approaches to asana, taking a gig at hot studio chain, advantages to the boutique fitness model, learning business skills, patterns of attendance, and being rooted in your community.   To subscribe and support the show… GET PREMIUM. Say thank you - buy J a coffee. Check out J's other podcast… J. BROWN YOGA THOUGHTS.    

Roberta McGinley, once owner of Tadasana Yoga Studio in Wappingers Falls NY, talks with J about owning centers and finding places to teach. They discuss when Roberta hosted J for a workshop in 2018, different styles and discerning hot, upscaling spaces with showers, moving from space to space, adult spiritual summer camps, unexpected life turns, people still using the Bikram brand, puppy yoga workshops and vin yin classes, ins and outs of hot 26, having your heart touched by yoga, and being with other people in shared intention.   To subscribe and support the show… GET PREMIUM. Say thank you - buy J a coffee. Check out J's other podcast… J. BROWN YOGA THOUGHTS.    

Judith Valerie, a Raleigh NC tradition for over 30 years, talks with J about sticking to principles and building creative spiritual community. They discuss students that inspire, early childhood experiences of being a pantheist, traveling around India and Nepal, receiving Shaktiput, migrating to Mississippi, hybridizing different styles, the role of alignment cues and adjustments, Interplay philosophy, evolving teacher/student relationships, quotes and poems that affirm hope, keeping things alive in spirit, and trust in letting students come to you.   To subscribe and support the show… GET PREMIUM. Say thank you - buy J a coffee. Check out J's other podcast… J. BROWN YOGA THOUGHTS.    

Mike Huggins, author of Going OM: A CEO's Journey from a Prison Facility to Spiritual Tranquility, founder of Transformation Yoga Project, and long time friend of the show, talks with J about the state of yoga in the criminal justice system and beyond. They discuss training incarcerated people to be teachers, power dynamics in prison, providing essential life skills, life cycle of the yoga industry, instructor vs teacher, no longer being alternative, differentiation and specialty, and the uniquely human aspects that gives meaning to our lives.   To subscribe and support the show… GET PREMIUM. Say thank you - buy J a coffee. Check out J's other podcast… J. BROWN YOGA THOUGHTS.    

Danielle Kunz Dwyer, founder of Yoga For You, talks with J about organizing a business and being together in a more expansive state. They discuss connecting via email and open sourcing info on how to go online, studying Ayurveda and yoga in NYC in the early aughts, periods of unknowing, unwinding of identity, students and subscriptions, honoring yourself and valuing teachers, opening a center and pandemic policies, profitability of the yoga profession, foundations of trust, and what really grows someone in their practice.   To subscribe and support the show… GET PREMIUM. Say thank you - buy J a coffee. Check out J's other podcast… J. BROWN YOGA THOUGHTS.    

Mariela Cruz talks with J about her recent post entitled, "The Death of My School in Mysore." They discuss discovering her guru Sharath Jois while being a mother of seven children and a lawyer, becoming the first authorized teacher in Central America, Patabhi Jois and harms done, Sharath assuming the leadership role and grieving his death, new certifications being announced, injury and providing physical adjustments, parampara and the importance of India, accountability and a petition for clarity, and silver linings amidst turmoil.   To subscribe and support the show… GET PREMIUM.   Say thank you - buy J a coffee.   Check out J's other podcast… J. BROWN YOGA THOUGHTS.  

Giana Gambino & Bradshaw Wish, founders of C.A.Y.A Yoga School and hosts of The Funny Thing About Yoga Podcast, talk with J about the ins and outs of having a yoga career in 2025. They discuss having a collaboration, teachers as brands, resolving conflict and developing trust, admin and websites, their relationship, developing a training, starting a podcast, being authentic letting go of micromanaging, desire for connection, fairness in sharing revenue, perseverance in the face of challenge, and being innovative about the future.   To subscribe and support the show… GET PREMIUM.   Check out J's other podcast… J. BROWN YOGA THOUGHTS.    

Neal Shaffer, founder of First Mile Strategies, talks with J about what it's like for new teachers in today's climate. They discuss finding Rodney Yee through Comcast On-Demand, doing hybrid teacher training coming out of the pandemic, online vs in person learning, pathways for professional development, asana and meditation, Rodney and Colleen's teaching, parting from fitness orientation, connection between subtle and physical bodies, business models based on human scale, and meaningful support of caring teachers.   To subscribe and support the show… GET PREMIUM.   Check out J's other podcast… J. BROWN YOGA THOUGHTS.    

Jonathan Sattin, founder of triyoga and the forthcoming HOME, returns to talk with J about how we got to the current crossroads we face and the reasons for opening a new center. They discuss the elements that enabled his initial success, lockdowns and the challenges of reopening, sustainability and scale, effectiveness vs efficiency, deciding to sell and ultimately leave, the spiritual practice of Seva, schedules and pricing, front desks, going back to our roots with new insight, delivering something special, and having an impact on peoples lives.   To subscribe and support the show… GET PREMIUM.   Check out J's other podcast… J. BROWN YOGA THOUGHTS.    

Nick Danu, host of the Yin Yoga Podcast, returns to talk with J about navigating the yoga profession in a post-pandemic time. They discuss the importance of email lists and independent Online platforms, courses vs drop-in classes, resumes and teaching jobs, alternative spaces, communities, transitioning students to registered series, enforcing cancellation policies, administration of weekly schedule, group check-ins, normalizing human experience, customization of lesson plans, podcasting, and what makes the challenge feel worth while.   To subscribe and support the show… GET PREMIUM.   Check out J's other podcast… J. BROWN YOGA THOUGHTS.    

Julie Smerdon returns to talk with J about meeting the challenge of life's crossroads and the difference between trust and faith. They discuss recent health scares and forced moves, dealing with death and grieving, working through challenges in front of students, reassessing professional direction, prayer as listening, relationship to divinity, forms of personal practice, gym culture and work-out mentality, woman over fifty feeling invisible, getting back to in person teaching at smaller scale, and the sensitivity to hold space for togetherness.   To subscribe and support the show… GET PREMIUM.   Check out J's other podcast… J. BROWN YOGA THOUGHTS.    

Sebastian Shaw, a Clinical Social Work/Therapist and old friend of J's, joins the show to talk about the blessings and burdens of a life dedicated to helping people. They discuss how Sebastian and J met, thankless jobs and connecting with at risk youth, training as a social worker, boundary setting, dealing with horrible situations and watching people get better, social justice work in the context of institutions, agency vs private practice gigs, data driven medicine, credentials and scope of practice, and the underlying significance of rapport.   To subscribe and support the show… GET PREMIUM.   Check out J's other podcast… J. BROWN YOGA THOUGHTS.    

Rebecca Sebastian, founder of Sunlight Yoga and host of the Working in Yoga Podcast, talks with J about recent shifts and long standing debates within the yoga profession. They discuss the history of trade organizations and teacher trainings, nonprofit spaces and fundraising, Yoga Therapy classification, the credentialing shift at the IAYT and The Future of Yoga Facebook Group, elitism and community, marketing and business, pricing and criteria for hiring, clap ins for new teachers, and letting the weight of ones work speak for itself.   To subscribe and support the show… GET PREMIUM.   Check out J's other podcast… J. BROWN YOGA THOUGHTS.    

Emily Smith, founder of Yogaversity, talks with J about the former and current state of online yoga. They discuss her eight-year tenure as a producer for Yoga International and the transition from print to digital, first figuring out what a yoga class looks like online, Yogaglo and copyrighting camera angles,  portals and pay structures, subscription overload, YI being sold to Gaia, horizontal vs vertical growth, changing attention spans, set curriculum's and self-directed learning, process of developing courses, and the beauty of remaining forever curious.   To subscribe and support the show… GET PREMIUM.   Check out J's other podcast… J. BROWN YOGA THOUGHTS.    

Steve Szakal, ultra runner and yoga teacher, talks with J about overcoming life's obstacles and being who we are meant to be. They discuss getting caught up in the war on drugs, the inhumanity of institutionalization and wealth disparity, starting to run marathons, going to yoga, experiencing beauty and exercising demons, differences between Bikram and Gosh Yoga, softening and stillness, being a yoga teacher, becoming inundated with an overwhelming sense of love, and being inspired to show up as the best version of yourself every day.   To subscribe and support the show… GET PREMIUM.   Check out J's other podcast… J. BROWN YOGA THOUGHTS.    

Rolf Gates, author of Daily Reflections on Addiction, Yoga, and Getting Well, talks with J live at the 20th Anniversary Celebration for Dragonfly Yoga about the role of yoga in recovery and what it means to be human. They discuss his military service, recognizing addiction, going into rehab, becoming trauma-informed, intensity and intimacy, organizing life around wisdom, letting go of your story, preying to God and receiving grace, before and after covid, intense administrative moments working at Kripalu, and cultivating a capacity for good will.   To subscribe and support the show… GET PREMIUM.   Check out J's other podcast… J. BROWN YOGA THOUGHTS.    

Vish Chatterji, author of Astrology Decoded: The Secret Science of India's Sages, talks with J about Vedic Astrology as a tool to align with divine nature and cultivate a Satvic existence. They discuss parallel paths and a love of Rishikesh, growing up in an Indian family and deciding to become a tech CEO, Western astrology not being accurate, importance of birth charts and rising signs, Solar and lunar calendars, Outer material work and inner spiritual development, and living in a western world while still be connected to ancient wisdom.   To subscribe and support the show… GET PREMIUM.   Check out J's other podcast… J. BROWN YOGA THOUGHTS.    

Laurie Lowe, founder of Sage Yoga Studio, talks with J about growing a community and finding a wy to sustain it. They discuss meeting each other in Manchester, coming into yoga organically, British Wheel of Yoga Teacher Training, baby and me classes, importance of having your own space, angels in the form of landlords, running programs without any email lists or social media, marketing and administration, commitment and instant gratification, the unseen work of teaching, and getting out of the way to let things happen.   To subscribe and support the show… GET PREMIUM.   Check out J's other podcast… J. BROWN YOGA THOUGHTS.    

Dan Alder, coauthor of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras For the New Millennium: A Translation for the Modern Mind, talks with J about his story of owning a yoga center and translating Patanjali. They discuss taking over a studio in 2010, keeping the business model simple and offline, negative impact of intro offers and memberships, becoming obsessed with yoga philosophy, meeting his co-author Shree and undertaking a translation, interpretation of the eight limbs, a case for renunciation, Ishvara, nonduality, and a passionate embrace of inquiry.   To subscribe and support the show… GET PREMIUM.   Check out J's other podcast… J. BROWN YOGA THOUGHTS.    

Sally Bassett, author of Spiritual Transformational Yoga via the Eight Limbs and founder of the Peace Through Yoga Foundation, talks with J about being called to volunteerism and how yoga leads to a relationship with God. They discuss Sally's path from CEO of an airlines to opening a center and leading volunteer adventure trips around the world, yoga retreats doubling as humanitarian missions, teaching at a theological seminary, the neutrality of practice, faith, and the importance of meaningful and valuable time with yourself and others.   To subscribe and support the show… GET PREMIUM.   Check out J's other podcast… J. BROWN YOGA THOUGHTS.    

Clive Sheridan talks with J about the early days in yoga's migration west, devotion to inner divine presence, and the intimate experience of being with yourself. They discuss adventure travel in the early sixties, American explorer Theos Bernard, Goa in the seventies, drop in classes with BKS Iyengar, receiving the grace of Goddess Durga, spiritual friendship and sangha, free will, releasing sadness, tools of transformation, being moved by messages of the heart, and living in the world passionately while always staying alert to what arises.   To subscribe and support the show… GET PREMIUM.   Check out J's other podcast… J. BROWN YOGA THOUGHTS.    

J returns to his annual ritual of doing a solo talk during the week of Christmas. He gives an update on the new center including the hard numbers, reflects on the decisions he has made in the administration and operation of the business, considers the role his efforts play and the tenuous nature of his lifestyle choices, shares his process of managing anxiety and relying upon a relationship with God, his daughters and hope for the youth, his wife, and the deeper reasons he continues to stay committed to being a yoga teacher.   To subscribe and support the show… GET PREMIUM.   Check out J's other podcast… J. BROWN YOGA THOUGHTS.    

Gregor Maehle, author of Bhakti The Yoga of Love, returns to talk with J about transforming human love into divine love. They discuss why Bhakti has become more important, the Hatha Tatva Kaumudi, agency and an attitude of giving, reclaiming God, intrinsic and transcendent divinity, sidetracking into Gnana Yoga, divine revelation, absolute vs relative evil, homeostasis and collective effort, practicalities of prayer and meditation, being of service to a higher agenda, reaching across chasms of division, and aligning with infinite love, wisdom and beauty.   To subscribe and support the show… GET PREMIUM.   Check out J's other podcast… J. BROWN YOGA THOUGHTS.    

Lucy Crisfield, founder of Original Wisdom, talks with J about bringing forth the essence of love through sound. They discuss being inspired by the Arabic call to prayer, Rishikesh, spending time at Auroville, Vedic chanting at the Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandirum, learning at SOAS, Kaustaub Desikachar and parting from KYM, evolution from hard physical practice to simple attunement to Satva, Peter Harrison and questions about Svara, another dimension of being, elemental articulation, and hearing the resonance of your heart.   To subscribe and support the show… GET PREMIUM.   Check out J's other podcast… J. BROWN YOGA THOUGHTS.    

Anoop Kumar, MD, founder of Numocore and creator of The Science of Consciousness, talks with J about the movement towards wellness as an emerging new health system. They discuss the limitations of western medicine, perceptions of what a human being is, solving the mind-body "problem," systemic transformation, Numocore (Nutrition-Movement-Connection-Rest,) accessing mind through movement, mechanisms behind religion and science, rest as a form of creativity, and the deepest of all expressions of health and soul.   To subscribe and support the show… GET PREMIUM.   Check out J's other podcast… J. BROWN YOGA THOUGHTS.    

Rick Olderman, author of Pain Patterns: Why You Are in Pain and How to Stop It, returns to talk with J about integrating movement, fascia, and neurological reflex patterns to address pain. They discuss three patterns that account for most spinal issues, functional links between past injuries and current pain, a macro view of fascial lines, cytokines and myofibroblasts, psychology becoming manifest in the body, nutrition and viscerogenic related pain, simple tests for assessment, and changing habits by feeling the truth more than thinking the truth.   To subscribe and support the show… GET PREMIUM.   Check out J's other podcast… J. BROWN YOGA THOUGHTS.    

Susi Hately, founder of Functional Synergy, talks with J about the unfolding process of helping people. They discuss how Susi got to yoga therapy, distinguishing yoga therapy from western medicine, yoga anatomy books in 2004, persistent pain and perceptive awareness, alignment vs movement function, novel experiences and reality thoughts, pain and tissue damage, compensatory patterns, gait analysis, biomechanics, exploring where states of knowing come from, and the heart and soul required to make a life of a yoga profession.   To subscribe and support the show… GET PREMIUM.   Check out J's other podcast… J. BROWN YOGA THOUGHTS.    

Melissa Scagliarini, founder of Satya Yoga Studio, talks with J about teaching, having a center, and a local call to the divine. They discuss experiencing in person classes in remote New Hampshire, reasons for teacher training, health food stores, teaching opportunities and boom times for yoga centers, learning from India, deeper aspects of practice, changing terms for commercial leases, navigating pandemic policies, balancing work and family, physical demands of teaching, worrying about money, and recognizing what is important.   To subscribe and support the show… GET PREMIUM.   Check out J's other podcast… J. BROWN YOGA THOUGHTS.    

Norman Blair, author of Brightening Our Inner Skies: Yin and Yoga, talks with J about the appropriateness of teachers advocating for causes and campaigns. They discuss the state of the yoga industry since they last spoke, recognizing privilege and counting blessings, whether politics should be in yoga classes, Egalitarian yoga, war and genocide, having an impact on society, antisemitism and Zionism, critical thinking, propaganda, capitalism and mindfulness, and avoiding the distractions that keep us from what is most needed to be well.   To subscribe and support the show… GET PREMIUM.   Check out J's other podcast… J. BROWN YOGA THOUGHTS.    

Jenny Gladding, author of Self-Leadership Vs Self-Mastery: The Key to Leading with Clarity, Courage, and Heart, talks with J about healthy internal families and unburdening ourselves. They discuss the pitfall of mastery, feeling vs thinking through, free-spirited yoga, the usefulness of mirrors, Zen and the art of archery, who is in control, maps and territory, anthropomorphizing divinity, the parts of us that feel stuck and wounded, finding language and containers to communicate what we do, and developing a process for multi-dimensional healing.   To subscribe and support the show… GET PREMIUM.   Check out J's other podcast… J. BROWN YOGA THOUGHTS.    

She Coombes, a long-time teacher and practitioner, talks with J about living your yoga and what happens when lives get changed. They discuss seeking an alternative lifestyle in 1970's London, when yoga clothes were underwear, meditation with Maharaja, The Friends of Yoga, being blown away by the simple approach of TKV Desikachar, adaptation and modifications, stages of life, yoga becoming business oriented, sources of wisdom and transformation, and remaining resilient by consistently showing up with intention and heart.   To subscribe and support the show… GET PREMIUM.   Check out J's other podcast… J. BROWN YOGA THOUGHTS.    

Nrithya Jagannathan, director of Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram (KYM) Institute of Yoga Studies, talks with J about the legacy of T Krishnamacharya and TKV Desikachar. They discuss Nrithya's early role as an editor and copywriter at the KYM, the historical context and significance of T Krishnamacharya,  asana and Swedish calisthenics, tradition and adaptation, the contribution of TKV Desikachar, distinguishing between yoga and yoga therapy, meditation, reclaiming humanity, and bringing about transformation for spiritual growth.     J. Brown Yoga Teacher Training… NEW GROUP STARTS ONLINE in OCT - REGISTER NOW!.   To subscribe and support the show… GET PREMIUM.   Check out J's other podcast… J. BROWN YOGA THOUGHTS.  

Brian Dana Akers, author of The Yoga Manifesto, talks with J about the intrinsically free and historically egalitarian nature of yoga. They discuss the appeal of little orange books, the yoga scene in Kalamazoo, his Great-Great-Great-Grandfather's infamous speech to Abraham Lincoln, his fathers ministry and activism, studying and translating Sanskrit, training with Swami Vishnudevananda, grassroots word of mouth phenomena, science and religion, money, possible scenarios for the future, and why yoga matters now more than ever.     J. Brown Yoga Teacher Training… NEW GROUP STARTS ONLINE in OCT - REGISTER NOW!.   To subscribe and support the show… GET PREMIUM.   Check out J's other podcast… J. BROWN YOGA THOUGHTS.  

Bobbi Misiti, founder of BeFit Body & Mind, talks with J about the course that yoga profession and industry has taken over the years. They discuss committing to ashtanga vinyasa practice with Beryl Bender Birch, 600 person classes, seeing the good and bad of the yoga scene, Nancy Gilgoff and Manju Jois, forward bending with a rounded spine, learning 2nd series, hard adjustments, Patabhi Jois and losing faith, Mysore-style, shelf life of centers, the internal aspects, and the beauty of unique people coming together to create a community.   J. Brown Yoga Teacher Training… NEW GROUP STARTS ONLINE in OCT - REGISTER NOW!.   To subscribe and support the show… GET PREMIUM.   Check out J's other podcast… J. BROWN YOGA THOUGHTS.  

Nischala Joy Devi and Kamala Rose, cohosts of the podcast and forthcoming book: A Woman's Gita: A Contemporary Version of the Bhagavad Gita by and for Western Women, talk with J about translating ancient wisdom texts from a woman's perspective. They discuss Kamala's punk rock background and choosing a monastic life, how they came together around the Gita, perspectives on historical depictions, ethics of war, divine revelation, prejudice against woman, and coming from your heart to bring forth the elegance and truth of Yoga.   J. Brown Yoga Teacher Training… NEW GROUP STARTS ONLINE in OCT - REGISTER NOW!.   To subscribe and support the show… GET PREMIUM.   Check out J's other podcast… J. BROWN YOGA THOUGHTS.  

Manu Molina, founder of Yoga Biz Mentor, talks with J about marketing yoga classes and retreats. They discuss creating platforms before the pandemic, impacts of everything going online, working for yoga centers, transitioning roles and mentoring others, monetization and content, the fine line between sleazy techniques and fair trade, overpromising and scarcity mindset, the ickiness of selling yourself, effectively communicating the value of what you offer, how to come up with pricing, organizing retreats, and having soul in the game.   J. Brown Yoga Teacher Training… NEW GROUP STARTS ONLINE in OCT - REGISTER NOW!.   To subscribe and support the show… GET PREMIUM.   Check out J's other podcast… J. BROWN YOGA THOUGHTS.

Sheela and Ravi Shankar, co-founders of Yoga Nidhi, talk with J about TKV Desikachar and the transformative power of yoga. They discuss the history of their relationship and how Ravi discovered TKV Desikachar, Sheela's religious upbringing, how she got to meet Desikachar and the different contexts she observed his teaching, chanting as meditation or prayer, whether God is fundamental to yoga, defining Ishvara Pranidana, OM, Satva dominance in the mind, characteristics of a yogi, and the greater purpose behind practice.   To subscribe and support the show… GET PREMIUM.   Check out J's other podcast… J. BROWN YOGA THOUGHTS.    

John Heers, founder of First Things Foundation and host of Heavy Things Lightly, talks with J about fundamental principles of Orthodox Christianity and operating from faith. They discuss the wing and prayer that brought them together, John's religious background, lessons learned from Islam, baptism, distinguishing denominations, eastern mystical Christianity, the presence of Jesus, communion, salvation, cosmic struggle, reincarnation, doing a thing in the world, Georgian dinner rituals, and participating in a why that leads to beauty.   J. Brown Yoga Teacher Training… EARLY BIRD PRICING 40% OFF - REGISTER NOW!.   To subscribe and support the show… GET PREMIUM.   Check out J's other podcast… J. BROWN YOGA THOUGHTS.    

Geoffrey Dugue, MD, talks with J about actual Christianity and being humble in seeking for truth. They discuss the mutual friendship that brought them together, disagreement and debate, being trained as a medical doctor at esteemed institutions and the lack of meta narrative, indoctrination into the great laws, miracles, having a personal relationship with God, choosing to believe, the hypocrisy of the church, giving Satan too much credit, being in the character of Jesus, the Holy Trinity, sin, and the love that gets you to heaven.   J. Brown Yoga Teacher Training… EARLY BIRD PRICING 40% OFF - REGISTER NOW!.   To subscribe and support the show… GET PREMIUM.   Check out J's other podcast… J. BROWN YOGA THOUGHTS.    

Todd Norian, author of Tantra Yoga: Journey to Unbreakable Wholeness, returns to talk with J about happiness, freedom, and opening to a bigger energy. They discuss what it means to be a yoga teacher in 2024, transmission online and in person, distinguishing between happiness and joy, Svatantrya, randomness and entanglement, auspiciousness of your heart and Gods will, creating healthy self boundaries, how to make a decision, being supported by spirit, going within, and setting the sails to catch the winds of grace.   J. Brown Yoga Teacher Training… EARLY BIRD PRICING 40% OFF - REGISTER NOW!.   To subscribe and support the show… GET PREMIUM.   Check out J's other podcast… J. BROWN YOGA THOUGHTS.    

Stephen Cope, author of Yoga and the Quest for the True Self and The Dharma in Difficult Times, talks with J about the crossovers and divergences in eastern and western spirituality. They discuss psychotherapy and contemplative pursuits, crazy wisdom teachers, theology and practice, divinity school, discovering Kripalu, shaktiput from Amrit Desai, revelations of abuse and reinvention from ashram to retreat center, prayer and meditation, dharma, being called to act, and slowly refining your capacity to know that still small voice within.   J. Brown Yoga Teacher Training… NEW GROUP STARTS ONLINE in OCT - REGISTER NOW!.   To subscribe and support the show… GET PREMIUM.   Check out J's other podcast… J. BROWN YOGA THOUGHTS.    

Nadine Watton, part of the Hillside Yoga Collective, talks with J about riding the wave and surviving the crash of yoga into the mainstream in both practice and profession. They discuss mutual friends and synchronicity, practicing in the late 90's, teacher training certification becoming a thing, Dave Charlton and the British Wheel of Yoga, choosing yoga as a full time profession and having a family, integrated breath in asana, yoga teacher collectives, and letting go of trying to fit into tired molds so we can stay true to what feels most important.   To subscribe and support the show… GET PREMIUM.   Check out J's other podcast… J. BROWN YOGA THOUGHTS.    

Katie Armstrong, founder of Inspired Living, talks with J about moving through different life stages and the healing power of building muscle. They discuss starting a yoga-related business in the early aughts, e-commerce, the festival circuit and the unseen backstage realities of presenters, hormone replacement therapy, muscle as medicine, feeling empowered to engage a diversity of embodiment practices, crisis of sedentary lifestyles, capacity for stress, progress over perfection, and finding resiliency in the face of entropy.   To subscribe and support the show… GET PREMIUM.   Check out J's other podcast… J. BROWN YOGA THOUGHTS.    

Susi Amendola, author of The Centered Heart, talks with J about the intersection of medicine and holistic health. They discuss suffering from debilitating anxiety, being saved by yoga and joining an ashram, reconciling fallen gurus, becoming part of the Dean Ornish Lifestyle Medicine Program, internal vs external locus of control, four lifestyle medicine protocols, impacts of chronic stress, coexistence with allopathy, effectiveness of imagery, nervous system resilience, and addressing the core process underlying our choice making.   To subscribe and support the show… GET PREMIUM.   Contribute to J's fundraiser to open a center.   Check out J's other podcast… J. BROWN YOGA THOUGHTS.  

Brad Wetzler, author of Into the Soul of the World, talks with J about overcoming addiction, spiritual interventions, and laying ourselves bare in order to heal. They discuss the pandemic period they met in, getting misdiagnosed as bipolar and becoming addicted to medication, mental health care diagnosis and treatment, community yoga, saints and gurus, walking in the footsteps of Jesus, undoing learned narcissism, receiving shaktipat, swimming in the waters of materialism, devotion, being softened by love, and finding real humanity.   To subscribe and support the show… GET PREMIUM.   Check out J's other podcast… J. BROWN YOGA THOUGHTS.    

Live from the Berkshire Yoga Festival 2024, J talks with Johanna Epps, Louise LeGouis, and Leslie Kaminoff about motivation, purpose, and the zeitgeist of the times. They discuss making sense of the scandals, new challenges, marketing and patience, hurting our bodies and student safety, what sells and presenting to the public, bubbles bursting and the traveling teacher circuit, reasons to attend and benefits of presenting at a festival, eternal topics and breaking new ground, and not taking for granted the joy of being in person.   To subscribe and support the show… GET PREMIUM.   Contribute to J's fundraiser to open a center.   Check out J's other podcast… J. BROWN YOGA THOUGHTS.  

J departs from his usual format to reflect on how he lost hope in the viability of small intimate yoga centers and why he has decided to open one now. He discusses the dark night of the soul that many yoga teachers are facing, the events that have led to the crossroads he faces, a random opportunity or perhaps divine intervention that has changed everything, and the hard reality that has caused him to admit that he can't do it alone. If you want to help, you can contribute here.

Godfrey Devereux, author of The Little Book of the Bandhas, returns to talk with J about releasing somatic intelligence from learned habits and the story that bandhas tell us. They discuss varied ideas about bandhas, connection between Mulabandha and exhalation, pulsating opposition of spinal curves, spontaneous muscle events leading to potent and energetic spiritual experience, Iyengar and bandha in the extremities, oojai breathing, and the irresistible invitation to surrender into the totality of life and deepest heart of being human.   To subscribe and support the show… GET PREMIUM.   Check out J's other podcast… J. BROWN YOGA THOUGHTS.    

David and Iana Lifar, founders of the Indra Devi Foundation in Argentina and creators of Indra Devi International Virtual Yoga School, talk with J about the legacy of Indra Devi with translation by Mariana Campos. They discuss being inspired to meet Indra after seeing her on a tv show and the immediate connection they made, an experience in a prison that convinced David she was something special, the influence of Krishnamurti, Krishnamacharya and Sai Baba, and the gestures of love that distinguish and characterize Indra's presence.   To subscribe and support the show… GET PREMIUM.   Check out J's other podcast… J. BROWN YOGA THOUGHTS.    

Michelle Thielen, founder of Yoga Faith, talks with J about utilizing yoga practice to strengthen a belief in Jesus Christ. They discuss yogis being OK with God but not Jesus, Christians thinking yoga is demonic and everything being part of creation, personal faith separate from institutionalized churches, historical roots of christian yoga, being humbled before a Heavenly Father, whether or not Jesus is cool with chanting, Satan and the battle for souls, knowing your knower, and receiving guidance and blessings in the secret place of the most high.   To subscribe, get access to th4e full-length archives, and support the show… GET PREMIUM.   Check out J's other podcast… J. BROWN YOGA THOUGHTS.