Guys Talking Yoga

Casey McBride is a longtime yoga practitioner and teacher who specializes in working with men and young male athletes.

She joins us to talk about how she found her way to that niche; common themes she sees among yoga-curious men; using props; and how yoga helps her athletes gain strength and avoid (and recover from) injuries.

Casey also talks about:

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Today we have a 3-man episode, with two friends of the show joining me to go beyond downward dog and dive into the more philosophical and contemplative side of yoga. 

The subject is dharma: what it means to us, why it’s so important, and how to pursue it alongside other guys who share similar values. 

Put simply, dharma is about maintaining a practice or a program that grounds you in the present and keeps you focused on what’s actually important to you. And in my experience, yoga is an extremely powerful tool do just that.

Richard and Johnny also talk about:

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Ever wondered why I’m so motivated to spread the good word about the benefits of yoga to guys everywhere? This episode lays it all out.

That’s because today the mic is turned on me, as I’m interviewed by my good friend Larry Milburn, on his excellent podcast Roadie Free Radio. 

I share how it all started with an injury to a muscle I barely knew existed, which led to a lot of physical and mental pain. That’s when things got interesting…

I also talk about:

• The injury that led me down a path of loss and growth
• Making the decision to take responsibility for my own recovery
• My early experiences with Bikram yoga
• How injuries from decades ago come back to haunt us guys
• Getting started with Iyengar yoga
• Training with Alison West at Yoga Union
• My advice for getting started with yoga
• The mat and props I recommend

Links:

• ⁠Jade Yoga mat⁠
• ⁠Yoga Union⁠
• Man Flow Yoga⁠
• Yoga with Adriene⁠
• Dark Star - Live at the Fillmore by Grateful Dead⁠⁠
• One Simple Thing: A New Look at the Science of Yoga and How It Can Transform Your Life⁠ by Eddie Stern
• Roadie Free Radio⁠, which is currently on pause – but I encourage you to check out Larry’s previous episodes, which feature stories from the people working behind the scenes in the film and music industries.

Ed Harrold is a health and performance coach, yoga teacher, and the author of Life with Breath. 

In this episode, he shares how he came to yoga and breathwork as a stressed-out, “broken” middle-aged guy battling physical and psychological demons; how those practices have completely transformed his health and fitness; and how you can start down the same path today.

Ed also talks about:

Connect with Ed: 

We’ve heard from a lot of guys about how yoga has helped ease their back pain, work through stress, or improve their relationships.

Today’s episode has those elements, but it’s also something else entirely: the story of Darnell “Moe” Washington, a former gang member who found yoga while serving a sentence of 35 years to life in prison.

It’s the third and final episode in our Prison Yoga Project series, and it’s one of the most powerful conversations we’ve had on the show.

You’ll learn how Moe connected with former GTY guest James Fox while at San Quentin; the mental and physical capabilities he developed through his practice; and how yoga and mindfulness helped him gain his freedom and prepare for the rest of his life.

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Bill Brown was 41 years old when he took his first yoga class, and the experience moved him to tears.

You’ll hear why in this conversation, as well as how Bill wound up directing an organization that brings yoga to thousands of incarcerated men and women around the world.

This is the second of three conversations in our Prison Yoga Project series; Bill expands on the group’s work (discussed last episode with founder James Fox) as well as his own compelling personal story.

Bill also talks about:

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James Fox is the Founding Director of Prison Yoga Project, which he started in San Quentin and grew to 17 states and beyond.

In part one of a three-part series on prison yoga, James tells Derek about the program's origins (he started in a single juvenile detention center); the unique challenges and opportunities involved; and the story of a participant whose rehabilitation and parole was inextricably linked with the yoga practice he learned while behind bars.

James also talks about:

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Prison Yoga Project is doing their annual fundraising drive. You can donate to the program directly here: https://prisonyoga.kindful.com

We'll be back with two more episodes focusing on yoga in prisons in the coming weeks.

Friend of the show Johnny Gillespie joins Derek to talk about the men's yoga retreat he's hosting in February, called "The Way of the Empowered Man."

Johnny is a certified meditation and yoga teacher and the founder of Empowered Wellness Studio. He's also run about 30 retreats in his career.

Johnny and Derek talk about:

Sign up for The Way of the Empowered Man Yoga Retreat here: https://kripalu.org/presenters-programs/way-empowered-man

Learn more about Johnny's studio, Empowered Wellness, here: https://www.empoweredwellnessstudio.com or on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/empoweredwellnessstudio

Johny's previous appearances on Guys Talking Yoga:

In 2017 Derek sought out Alison West, one of the most recognized and respected yoga instructors in the industry, for his 200-hour teaching certification and his first step out of the pain, tension, and overall chronic imbalances that dogged him for over five years.

It was Alison who helped introduce Derek to the infinite potential that yoga offers for developing agency and awareness in navigating the deep challenges with our twisted, asymmetrical, and complex bodies and tapping into the mind-body connection. 

Alison West, Ph.D, E-RYT, C-IAYT is director of Yoga Union and the Yoga Union Backcare & Scoliosis Center, and has been teaching yoga for over thirty years. Prior to opening Yoga Union in 1996 she studied at the Sivananda center and at Jivamukti in New York, as well with Eddie Stern and Sri K. Pattabhi Jois in Mysore, India.

During her education and path she continued studying Iyengar Yoga for alignment, working in particular with Kevin Gardiner, the late Mary Dunn, and, later, Genny Kapuler. Alison has also traveled to Pune to study with the Iyengars. She furthered her meditation studies with TKV Desikachar at a retreat at Colgate University in 1993 and went on to the Shambhala trainings in NYC. Her spiritual teachers include Ramana Maharshi and Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj.

She is currently writing her first Yoga book, Yoga for Backcare, which will be followed by Yoga for Scoliosis.

Connect with Alison: https://www.yogaunion.com