Claim OwnershipJ. Brown Yoga Talks
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Yoga teacher and writer J. Brown is leading the way in the Slow Yoga Revolution, advocating for more intimate, breath-centered, therapeutic yoga practices. J interviews guests from old-school yoga teachers to other yoga revolutionists about philosophy, spirituality, and the business of yoga.
511 Episodes
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Danny Mintz is a listener of the show who reached out to J about the origins of yoga postures and it lead to this conversation about depictions of practice and the inner workings of being a teacher. They discuss whether modern yoga is 5000 years old or 500 years old, finding good teachers, Alison West, different stages of life, studio closures, finding your edge, Anusara, Jivamukti, personal practice, using music, yoga competitions, inversions, injuries, speaking out against abuse, and the testament for practice being the person it produces. 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.
Donna Farhi returns to talk with J about conscious pedagogic models that foster independence and moving towards grounded sensitivity. They discuss homesteading and the contrast between natural and digital worlds, recovering from a fractured pelvis, meaning of pedagogy, baking bread, horizontal communication, checks and balances, contraction in the industry, being relevant to the times, ground rules and agreements, sticking with the word yoga, fitness and perfected bodies, post-pandemic landscapes, and evolving into the future. 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.
Kim Hopkins, executive director of the Shanthi Project, talks with J about the not-for-profit work of providing yoga and mindfulness education to children and adults. They discuss different phases of the organization and where things were when Kim took over in 2023, working at Sony Music, revenue structures and fund development plans, substituting the term yoga for mindfulness, importance of data collection and research, having an in person space, bases of support, and the long game of creating meaningful change. 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.
Neil Taylor joins the show to follow up with J on the ongoing conversation about mindfulness education. They discuss Neil's entrance into practice, the importance of solitude, quality of presence, Thich Nhat Hang, the Satipattana Sutta, the end of suffering, inner bliss and demons, ignorance and true nature, cessation, self and no-self, levels of awareness, distinguishing between mindfulness and meditation, mysticism and the secular, neurological patterning, energy bodies, letting the mystery be, and embodying compassion. 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.
Karin Lynn Carlson, founder of Return Yoga and author of the substack Gristle and Bone, returns to touch base with J on the reckoning going on in the yoga profession. They discuss starting online platforms before it was a thing, 200hr teacher training model and the false promise of a career, marketing conundrums, living paycheck to paycheck, effects of the pandemic on in person spaces, AI, relying upon wealthy students, looking for jobs to pay bills, reconciling the downfall of the American dream, and finding direction from within. 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.
Cassie McKamey is a listener of the show whose email to J led to this conversation about coming to yoga on the internet through a lens of christian faith. They discuss growing up in a church community in Kansas, youth pastors and questioning authority, following rules vs inquiring within, learning yoga on YouTube, personal relationship to God, being responsible for what you teach, following Jesus, guided meditation and divine will, forms of worship, and being humble enough to believe in something greater than yourself. 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.
Sarah Powers, co-founder of the Insight Yoga Institute, talks with J about integrating Yoga, Tao, and Mindfulness. They discuss the progression of yoga into a physical orientation to wellness instead of deeper inquiries, cliche of yoga profession, earlier days at Yogaworks, Paul Griley, different camps within Yin Yoga, differentiating Iyengar method, energy bodies, negotiating terms to honor all parts of ourselves, discipline and empathic support, and learning how to ungrasp and explore changing views to access joyful wisdom. 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.
Edward Clark and Laurie A, Greene, co-authors of Yoga and the Body: The Future of Modern Yoga in the Studio and Beyond, talk with J about interrogating assumptions from within and without yoga traditions. They discuss the ancient origins of yoga, perspectives in theater arts, distinguishing asana and vinyasa, meaning making, reasons for having a body, trauma, emotions, postural attitudes, evolving language in teaching, risk aversion and intensity of inquiry, empathy, being honest communicators, and experiencing every day awe-inspiring beauty. 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.
Adam Keen, host of the Keen on Yoga Podcast, returns to the show to revisit a conversation they started years ago about the role of teachers and teachings. They discuss recent scandals in the Ashtanga community, teaching styles and somatic dominance, origins of Ashtanga, tradition and market competition, implications of the "active series," homogenization of Mysore rooms, adjustments, hip replacement surgery, showing fallibility, and holding ourselves to account so we can provide something of meaning and purpose. 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.
Anna Taylor, author of Weaving Mindfulness & Compassion into Yoga Teaching, talks with J about the intersection of mindfulness education and yoga. They discuss being curious about why yoga works, noticing the impact of practice, mindfulness not thoughts, doing and being, attention training, involvement of the heart, equipping people to listen, effort vs observation, failure and feeling taken care of, secular spirituality, pacing, strong flows and music, bringing ourselves into a Satvic state, and promoting values that we believe in. Get 15% off the book by using the promo code JBPAT15 - Valid until Dec 31, 2025 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.
Chris Cochrane is a listener of the show who joins to talk with J about her unique background and perspective on science and yoga. They discuss working for NASA analyzing semiconductor crystals grown on the space station, scientists and engineers who are into yoga, micro-gravity and crystal structures, distortions in the atomic order, connection between science and spirit, water witches, probability and preciousness of life, benefits of practice, horse wisdom, equestrians, Patanjali, Shakespeare, and living your dream. New Teacher Training Group starting October 20, 2025 - REGISTER NOW! Live Workshops in New Jersey and Boston - REGISTER HERE To subscribe and support the show… GET PREMIUM.
On the occasion of the 10-year anniversary and 500th episode of the show, J reflects on the state of the yoga profession and industry. He discusses the progression from blog writing to podcasting and his latest post entitled "What I've Learned About Where We Are," the effects of the pandemic on attendance patterns and the role of teachers, myths about marketing and expertise, cravings for connection and immediate gratification, current status of the center J opened a year ago, direction, purpose, and facing grim outlooks with courage and conviction. New Teacher Training Group starting October 20, 2025 - REGISTER NOW! 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.
Lora Markova and Katharine Scalora, founders of Earth & Aerial Yoga in Hudson MA, talk with J about the advantages of owning an aerial yoga studio. They discuss Lora's previous career in media and Katharine's background, providing immediate gratification, logistical realities, how Covid killed their traditional classes, prop-specific discipline, remaining grounded in yogic principles, injuries, camaraderie vs competition, enrollment policies, premium offerings, and charting a new path to evolve aerial yoga into more than just a gimmick. New Teacher Training Group starting October 20, 2025 - REGISTER NOW! To subscribe and support the show… GET PREMIUM.
Pamela Weber, co-founder of NATA Yoga in Paris, talks with J about the uncertain future that independent centers face and the determination that keeps them going. They discuss her life as an academic and moving to Paris, teacher training before 200hr certification, minimalist teaching styles, giving up tenure for yoga, the subversive nature of opening a center, glory times before COVID, managing lock-downs, erratic attendance and rising expenses, researching Swami Kripalu, and holding true to a current of surrender and love. New Teacher Training Group starting October 20, 2025 - REGISTER NOW! To subscribe and support the show… GET PREMIUM.
Kelli Hansel and Shawn Lindsay, owners of Indigo Yoga in Caldwell NJ, talk to J about taking over a studio and reaching for more than just being OK. They discuss the yoga scene in the rural Appalachian Mountains of Kentucky, learning from DVD's and correspondence courses, finding teachers on Instagram, not starting from scratch, adapting to changing habits, filling existing classes vs adding more, business models and teacher-centered policies, small town feels, and prioritizing a shared human experience of connection. New Teacher Training Group starting October 20, 2025 - REGISTER NOW! To subscribe and support the show… GET PREMIUM.
Josh Thomas and Geoffrey Dugue, hosts of the Love for the Unseen God Podcast, talk with J about opening to transformational grace and a personal relationship with Jesus. They discuss observed experience as a basis for truth, nonduality and a creator, discerning man-made religion, comparing unitarian and trinitarian views, emptiness and being born again, worldviews of connection, Genesis I and III, surrender and salvation, God's will, Yamas and Niyamas, Shanti and Shalom, and knowing the unmatchable peace of choosing to follow Jesus. 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.
Kevin Flynn, one of the founders of Christians Practicing Yoga, talks with J about the intersection between Yoga and Christ. They discuss the history of the show and how it has led to this topic, benedictine monks, living faith in an embodied fashion, christian ashrams, Patanjali, communion vs union, liberating Christ from Christianity, ways to follow Jesus, demons and the battle for souls, being saved, divine collaboration, finding a magnetic true north, the need for fellowship, and the profound benefit of a personal relationship with God. Teacher Training Early Registration Discount 40% off until Sept 7 - REGISTER NOW! To subscribe and support the show… GET PREMIUM.
Britta Van Dun, founder of Intuitive Health & Healing, is an old friend of J's and they talk about attuning to the subtle and healing with soul through acupuncture. They discuss exploring healing modalities in the early aughts, intersection of chinese medicine and yoga, consciousness, links between physical and energy bodies, actuality of needles, vehicles of intention, movement of meridians, resting in stillness, learning what your gifts are, authentic caring, and being servant to something much greater than ourselves. Teacher Training Early Registration Discount 40% off until Sept 7 - REGISTER NOW! To subscribe and support the show… GET PREMIUM.
Chara Caruthers returns to talks with J about the therapeutic value of psychedelics and the questions their use raises. They discuss ineffable experiences, connections between meditation and psychedelics, transpersonal psychology, abuses in plant medicine, preparation, bad trips, ontological shock, effects of intention, intervention vs practice, machine elves, research and legalization, personal/professional ethics, relating to mystery from a grounded field, discerning truth, integration, and the capacity to make meaning of our lives. Teacher Training Early Registration Discount 40% off until Sept 7 - REGISTER NOW! To subscribe and support the show… GET PREMIUM.
Lauri Nemetz, author of The Myofascial System in Form and Movement, talks with J about interpretations of anatomy and thinking in different ways about the human body. They discuss visual rhetoric and memorization, dance movement therapy, fascial lines and/or systems, dissecting embalmed vs unembalmed tissue, benefits of gentle shearing, Body Worlds art exhibit, ethics and morality, interfacing with doctors, active learning and applying knowledge, and inquiring into the beauty and wholeness of our material frames. Teacher Training Early Registration Discount 40% off until Sept 7 - REGISTER NOW! To subscribe and support the show… GET PREMIUM.
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why it doesnt have sound ? is that perimium too?
I really enjoyed this episode until she ended the topic about bringing in the votes for impeachment
here
01.23 God and Sex
thanks for your podcasts.. you are an amazing person.
I was fortunate enough to do my teacher training with Gregor and his wife Monica. It was such an awesome treat to hear him on your podcast today. Gregor certainly walks his talk - teaching as a facilitator, as a friend, as a sharer of knowledge. Empowering his students to be their own teacher. 🙏
thank you so much for these conversations - keeping the heart of Yoga with a capital Y in the forefront of our minds. I am loving your podcast. with gratitude 🙏