J. Brown Yoga Talks

By J. Brown Yoga

Alternative Health

What's J. Brown Yoga Talks about?

Candid conversations about yoga and beyond with outspoken teacher and writer, J. Brown, founder and director of Abhyasa Yoga Center in Brooklyn, NY. A leading voice in the Slow Yoga Revolution, J advocates for a more intimate, breath-centered, therapeutic yoga practice geared towards well-being and lessening of pain. On topics ranging from yoga philosophy, to the business of yoga, to subjects unrelated to yoga, J and his esteemed guests always have something interesting and intimate to share.

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Alex Auder - "Instagram Dic...

12.09.2019

Alex Auder, director of Magu Yoga, is a long-time friend of J’s from the early NY days and they get together to talk about her newly-gained Instagram stardom and the recent conversation around consent and touch. They discuss what is ...

J. Brown Yoga Talks episodes:

12.09.2019 Alex Auder - "Instagram Dick Pics and Somatic Dominance" Alex Auder, director of Magu Yoga, is a long-time friend of J’s from the early NY days and they get together to talk about her newly-gained Instagram stardom and the recent conversation around consent and touch. They discuss what is ...
12.02.2019 Catherine Salin Derrow - "NY Times Covers Consent and Touch" Catherine Salin Derrow, featured in a recent high-profile NY Times article, talks with J about her experience of becoming a flashpoint around consent and touch in yoga. They discuss what happened behind the scenes at the workshop covered by the ...
11.25.2019 Ethan Nichtern - "Shambhala Buddhism and Death of the Guru" Ethan Nichtern, author of The Road Home: A Contemporary Exploration of the Buddhist Path, has a candid conversation with J about the scandal in the Shambhala Buddhist community, the underlying dynamics at play, and the broader implications for modern spiritual ...
11.18.2019 Ean Price Murphy - "Money Shame Sucks" Ean Price Murphy, founder of Moxie Bookkeeping, is an old friend who reconnects with J to discuss how to overcome money shame with cash-management systems that even yoga teachers can understand. They talk about Ean’s viewpoint on numbers and business ...
11.11.2019 Donna Farhi - "Iyengar Abuse and Changing Yoga Pedagogy" Donna Farhi returns to the show to talk with J about addressing the fundamental problem of power abuse in Iyengar Yoga and beyond. They discuss the difference between pedagogy and ‘heutagogy’ or self-determined learning, when quiet authority is given by ...
11.04.2019 Amy Quinn Suplina - "Best Practices for Studio Owners" Amy Quinn Suplina, founder of Bend and Bloom Yoga in Brooklyn, NY, talks with J about how her center has managed to survive when so many others have closed. They discuss what things were like when they opened their studios, ...
10.28.2019 Julie Dohrman - "Unionization and Evolving Yoga Industry" Julie Dohrman, founder of Shaktiyoga New York, connects with J on the unionization effort at Yogaworks NYC and their shared experience of the evolving yoga industry. They discuss the early days of the NY scene and Julie’s initial foray into ...
10.21.2019 Luvena Rangel - "Cultural Appropriation or Appreciation" Luvena Rangel, founder of The Curvy Yogi, talks with J about the trauma caused by colonization and the difference between cultural appropriation and appreciation. After reading Luvena’s blog, Too Much Ado Around Isms, Or is it?, J reached out to ...
10.14.2019 Godfrey Devereux - "Unintimidated by Ideologies" Godfrey Devereux, author of many books including The Elements of Yoga, holds a special place in J’s mind and joins him to discuss the early seeds he planted and the hard-nosed realism he is known for. They discuss his formative ...
10.07.2019 Marlysa Sullivan - "Eudaemonia, Polyvagal Theory, Yoga Therapy" Marlysa Sullivan, coauthor of Yoga and Science in Pain Care and assistant professor at Maryland University of Integrative Health, talks with J about Eudaemonic Well-Being, Polyvagal Theory, and the difference between Yoga and Yoga Therapy. They discuss the intersection between ...
09.30.2019 Ian Baker - "Tibetan Yoga and Tantric Buddhism" Ian Baker, author of Tibetan Yoga: Principles and Practices, talks with J about Tibetan Yoga and its radical underpinnings of Tantric Buddhism. They discuss Ian’s relationship to the Dalai Lama and the permission he was granted to reveal long-held secrets, ...
09.23.2019 Nathan Oxenfeld - "Yoga for the Eyes" Nathan Oxenfeld, founder of Integral Eyesight Improvement, talks about the Bates Method and helps J unravel some os his own vision patterns. They discuss Nathan’s journey of improving his eyesight and no longer needing glasses, Dr Bates and his method, ...
09.16.2019 Timothy Lynch - "Mysore Ashtanga Deauthorized" Timothy Lynch, formerly authorized Mysore Ashtanga Method teacher, invites J to his Mysore room for a practice and discussion on the state of Ashtanga Yoga. A few weeks before they got together, Timothy decided to have his name removed from ...
09.09.2019 Dan Coniglio - "Wim Hof Method" Dan Coniglio, an official Wim Hof Method Instructor, visits J in PA for an exchange of yoga, friendship, and Ice baths. After J gave Dan a yoga class in his studio, Dan took J through a Wim Hof session that ...
09.02.2019 Chara Caruthers - "Loving Yourself Through Ayurveda" Chara Caruthers, author of Eat Like You Love Yourself, offers J a fresh look at Ayurveda as a means to know and love ourselves. Chara has been participating in J’s weekly teacher’s class and when he saw that she hosts ...
08.26.2019 Mark Whitwell - "Krishnamacharya and The Great Tradition" Mark Whitwell sits down with J to discuss T. Krishnamacharya and the power of the cosmos. They have a long history together and in this rare meeting they discuss the paradox between abuse and blessings in guru lineages, what Mark ...
08.19.2019 Nicole Cardoza - “Shame and Reclamation in Wellness Spaces” Nicole Cardoza, founder of Yoga Foster and Reclamation Ventures, joins J to discuss her recent run-in with Yoga Journal and the work she is doing to reduce the wellness gap. They discuss her background as a strategist for large companies ...
08.12.2019 Frederick Newbill III - "Intersecting Race, Religion and Yoga" Frederick Newbill III reached out to J after listening to the show and his unique life experience inspired this discussion on the intersection of race, religion, and yoga. They discuss what it’s like to have a grandfather who is a ...
08.05.2019 Live from Lehigh Valley Yoga Festival - "Mindfulness Matters" J hosts a live panel discussion at the Lehigh Valley Yoga Festival with Dr. Donna Mueller, Dr. Shekhar Annambhotla, Charles Curtis, Harrison Bailey III, and Anne Alexander. They discuss yoga in clinical settings, the roots of mindfulness in Ayurveda, mindfulness ...
07.29.2019 Guy Donahaye - "History of Guru Worship in Ashtanga Yoga" Guy Donahaye, coauthor of the book: Guruji: A Portrait of Sri K Pattabhi Jois through the Eyes of His Students, sits down with J to discuss the history of guru worship in Ashtanga Yoga, the abuse that was committed, and ...
07.22.2019 Molly Lannon Kenny - "Pioneering Radical Yoga Service" Molly Lannon Kenny, founder of The Samarya Center, is an old friend of J’s and in this talk they discuss her formative work in yoga service and the trajectory of the industry over the last twenty years. Molly shares her ...
07.15.2019 Ida Jo - "Woman of Yoga" Ida Jo, musician and Ghosh Yoga teacher, reached out to J to talk about the research project she is undertaking on Woman in Yoga. Ida worked alongside Jerome Armstrong while he was writing his book, Calcutta Yoga, and is picking ...
07.08.2019 Neil Pearson - "Integrating Yoga and Science in Pain Care" Neil Pearson, coauthor of Yoga and Science in Pain Care, returns to the show to talk with j about integrating yoga and the cutting edge of pain science. They discuss the importance of creating therapeutic alliances, self-care instead of self-management, ...
07.01.2019 Live in AU - Nicole Walsh, Mark O’Brien, Michael de Manincor In June 2019, J traveled to Sydney, AU and while he was there he recorded this live panel conversation with Nicole Walsh, Mark O’Brien, and Michael de Manicor. They discuss Nicole’s history with Bikram Yoga and the AU scene and ...
06.24.2019 Nischala Joy Devi - "The Namaste Effect" Nischala Joy Devi, author of The Namaste Effect, returns to the show to warm J’s heart and inspire us all to be in a place of love and oneness. They discuss what’s been going on in the two tears since ...
06.17.2019 Lauren Walker - "Energy Medicine Yoga" Lauren Walker. creator of Energy Medicine Yoga, talks with J about energy healing and her circuitous path in yoga. They discuss their shared history in NYC in the 90’s, Lauren’s departure from yoga and pursuit of other modalities, how politics ...
06.10.2019 Chase Bossart - "Patañjali’s Yogasūtras, Samkhya, and Gita" Chase Bossart, founder of Yoga Well Institute, is a longtime student of TKV Desikachar and friend of J’s who returns to the show to shed some light on the essence of yoga with an unconventional view of Patañjali’s Yogasūtras, Samkhya, ...
06.03.2019 Bernie McDonald - "Walking and Learning About America" Bernie McDonald is walking 100 miles in every US state and decided to stop by J’s studio in Allentown, PA. They discuss why he started walking, the sort of interactions he has had in the yoga world during his travels, ...
05.27.2019 Lara Land - "Being an Ally for Diversity in Yoga" Lara Land, founder of Land Yoga and SOULFest NYC, talks with J about opening a yoga center in Harlem and becoming an ally for diversity in yoga. They discuss family life and some early days in the NY scene, her ...
05.20.2019 Michelle Johnson - "Dismantling Racism and Oppression" Michelle Johnson, author of Skill in Action, talks with J about the intersection between racism, social justice, and yoga. They discuss the life experiences that led to her work, dismantling racism training, the heartbreak related to institutional oppression, actions being ...
05.13.2019 Jana Long - "History of Blacks and Yoga in the U.S." Jana Long, director of Power of One Yoga Center and co-founder of the Black Yoga Teachers Alliance, talks with J about the history of yoga in the black community. They discuss the earliest influencers of yoga in Black America, the ...
05.06.2019 James Mallinson - "Uncovering Yoga’s Ancestral Past" James Mallinson, senior lecturer in Sanskrit and Classical Indian Studies at SOAS, Principle Investigator at The Hatha Yoga Project, co-author of Roots of Yoga, reached out to J after hearing his name mentioned on the show and it lead to ...
04.29.2019 Live in Brooklyn - Amy Matthews, Sam Chase and Christie Roe J returns to his former studio in Brooklyn, now Goodyoga, and is joined by Amy Matthews, Sam Chase, and Christie Roe for intimate conversation about the nature of our anatomies and the values we are aligning with. Amy expands upon ...
04.22.2019 Peter Blackaby and Bernie Clark - "Body Tissues and Patterns" Peter Blackaby and Bernie Clark come together with J to consider the nature of human anatomy and the process of affecting change. Initiated by Peter after he listened to Bernie’s last appearance, this probing conversation was an opportunity to clarify ...
04.15.2019 Greg Lehman - "Recovery Strategies for Pain" Greg Lehman, author of Recovery Strategies - your pain guidebook, talks with J about addressing pain and what it means to be a “movement optimist.” They discuss the benefits of bio-mechanics and some of the misconceptions that are still being ...
04.08.2019 Dr. Aimée Shunney - "CBD and Cannabis Medicine" Dr. Aimée Shunney, naturopathic physician trained in both modern medical science and integrative medicine, talks with J about CBD and the growing research around Cannabis medicine. They discuss some of the history behind cannabis research, the endocannabinoid system in our ...
04.01.2019 Mike Huggins - "Yoga Service: No Money No Mission" Mike Huggins, founder of Transformation Yoga Project and co-author of Yoga for Recovery - A Practical Guide for Healing, returns to check in with J on the challenges and rewards of doing yoga service. A lot has happened in the ...
03.25.2019 Mary Jennings - "Sub-Lease Yoga Studio Collective" Mary Jennings is opening Fresh Coast Yoga in Houghton, Michigan with an alternative studio model she heard discussed on the show so J brought her on to talk about what she is doing. They discuss what it’s like to be ...
03.18.2019 Gina Price - "Exploring Sociocracy" Gina Price, partner in the Sociocracy Consulting Group, talks with J about creating order out of chaos through the principles of Sociocracy. They discuss governance based on a decentralization of authority where all elements in the system are made equal, ...
03.11.2019 David Dodd - "Organization, Anarchy and Yoga" David Dodd and J have corresponded for years but a recent email exchange about the Yoga Alliance prompted this discussion on the inherent problem of creating organizations around yoga. They discuss David’s background in coaching and working with large bureaucratic ...
03.04.2019 Rama Jyoti Vernon - "Great-Grandmother of American Yoga" Rama Jyoti Vernon, one of the first yoga teachers in the United States, talks with J about her pivotal role in bringing yoga to the west. They discuss the LA yoga scene in the 1940’s and 1950’s, meeting BKS Iyengar ...
02.25.2019 Norman Blair - "Yoga Teachers and Pay" Norman Blair wrote an article about yoga teacher pay that caught J’s attention and led to this wide-ranging conversation about the monetary policies of yoga centers and the underlying economics that are fueling them. They discuss the emergence of a ...
02.18.2019 Amayu Ashtanga - "Reimagining a Yoga Tradition" 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 ...
02.11.2019 Frank Jude Boccio - "Mindfulness, Zen Naturalism, and Yoga" Frank Jude Bocci, 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 ...
02.04.2019 Bernie Clark - "Your Spine, Your Yoga" 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 ...
01.28.2019 Seth Powell - "History and Philosophy of Yoga" 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 ...
01.21.2019 Rachel Brathen - "Instagram Yoga Girl on What is Real" 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 ...
01.14.2019 Annie Carpenter - "The Evolution of Yoga Teacher Training" 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 ...
01.07.2019 Kerry Maiorca - "Inside the Yoga Alliance" 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 ...
12.31.2018 Tao Porchon-Lynch - "Opening the Gateway of Life" 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 ...

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