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.