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.

Carol Horton, author of 21st Century Yoga and Yoga PhD, returns to the show to provide a sober analysis of authoritarianism on both sides of the political aisle and perspective on the choices we all are facing. They discuss the erosion of dialogue and debate among online yoga communities and beyond, the politics and social mores that are fueling the polarization we are experiencing, illiberalism and decentralized authoritarianism on the left, and finding ground for wisdom and hope. 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.

Kishor Stein is a former student of Manouso Manos who talked with J at the end of last year about the abuse he witnessed, but it was never made public until now. Seven months later, they reconnect to introduce the episode by discussing why it was not originally released and why they are doing so now. The original conversation is about the overt and subtle abuse that is commonplace in yoga classes, power imbalances and sexual assault, charisma and cult of personality, and the pain of having a teacher you once admired but can no longer support.

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.

Tias Little, author of The Practice is the Path and Yoga of the Subtle Body, talks with J about liminal spaces and subtle body healing. They discuss his background and evolution from rigorous physicality to somatic embodiment, mining dreams for messages from beyond, using slower movement and poetic language to encourage greater awareness, delving deeply into emotional shadows and unlocking a plenum of possibility, reconciling the imaginary realm with turmoil and injustice, and learning to embrace the wonder of existence.

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.

Max Strom, author of There Is No App For Happiness and A Life Worth Breathing, talks with J about emotional healing and fulfilling core human needs. They discuss experiences and influences that shaped Max's work, the fundamental relationship between bodies and feeling, using breath-work to heal emotional wounds, the ethical causes needed to support well-being, societal factors that present obstacles, and the ways in which we can overcome negative presets and have a more meaningful life. 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.

Nicola Belen is a long-time listener of the show who has reached out to J a few times and is currently living in Hong Kong, they discuss her story and what things look like there with the pandemic. Nicola shares her experience of being a "third culture kid," the years she spent in New York and San Francisco, the evolution of her yoga through pregnancy and beyond, the yoga scene in Hong Kong, what is going on with yoga centers now with the restrictions in place, and the universal issues that people are facing everywhere in this unprecedented moment.

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.

Barbara Verrochi, co-owner and director of The Shala yoga studios in Manhattan and Brooklyn, talks with J about surviving all these years and so far in the pandemic. They discuss their parallel paths through the early NY scene of the nineties, the evolution of practice over the years and the sustainability of small independent centers, what has contributed to her longevity and fortitude, managing the uncertainty of the shutdown orders, and the hope and faith that fuels a life-long passion for yoga. 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.

Amy Wheeler, Ph.D., former President of the Board of Directors at the International Association of Yoga Therapists, founder of Optimal State, talks with J about the current landscape of the "Industrial Yoga Complex" and embodying the principles of yoga. They discuss Amy's work as a sports psychologist, her training with TKV Desikachar and differences between the way he taught compared to what yoga looks like today, outcomes vs protocols, yoga therapy definitions, grim professional prospects for yoga teachers, and the satvic purpose of yoga.

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.

Leana Marie Marshall, founder of Elle Em Consulting and blackyogateachers365, talks with J about her time at Corepower Yoga and the need for better training around diversity and inclusion in the yoga industry. They discuss the reasons why POC don't feel welcomed in yoga spaces, working her way through the Corepower system, her attempts to reform inequities and unfair policies, the harsh actions taken during the pandemic, and working to help everyone feel valued and respected. 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.

Dylan Galos, epidemiologist and evaluator, friend of the show, talks with J about the current health crisis and the Black Lives Matter movement. They discuss the role of epidemiology, his background and areas of study, the science behind pandemics, data sets and policy recommendations, effectiveness of masks, impacts of social distance on mental health, the intersection of the shutdown and the BLM protests, a queer black man's perspective on the movement for justice, and aspects of yoga that help people get through the uncertainty of this life.

Resources:

Dr. Michael Osterholm's podcast on masks

Video about herd immunity

Video about why COVID-19 is so contagious

Visualization about why COVID-19 is so contagious

Article on models of COVID-19 contagion

The End of Policing by Alex Vitale

Article on white supremacist organizational culture

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.

Todd Norian, author of Tantra Yoga: Journey to Unbreakable Wholeness, talks with J about his time in community and his path to Tantra. They discuss, his thirteen years at Kripalu, his relationship to Amrit Desai, what to make of fallen gurus, endurance training, desire for partnership and eating meat, coming to know that we are enough, and the Tantric teachings that support us in a process by which we shine the light of consciousness into the shadows of the unknown to gain self-knowledge. This episode is sponsored by Karmasoft.