J. Brown Yoga Talks

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.

Jeff Bailey, author of Mobility for Life: Healthy Joints, Strong Bones, and a Peaceful Mind with AVITA YOGA®, talks with J about interrupting patterns of pain and letting love be a guide. They discuss growing up with a veterinarian father, connections between Rolfing and A Course in Miracles, labral tears and joint compression, undue fear of hyperextension, yogic alignment and body organization, practicing with your eyes closed, arthritis and hip replacement, peace as the primary goal, and allowing spirit to carry us through. 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.

Kari Harendorf, co-founder of Better Yoga, talks with J about reviving old models with new eyes. They discuss the East Village NYC scene in the early aughts, her dog Charlie, longevity of boutique studios, teaching anatomy for Rodney Yee and Colleen Saidman Yee, Kripalu going from ashram to for-profit, the moment when the world fell apart, getting the hang of zoom yoga, Ayurveda schooling, downsides to digital technology, productive rest, becoming a better listener, elusive truth, and holding it all with the preciousness life deserves. 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.

Ruth White, author of Presence: The Truth of Yoga, talks with J about egos, teaching methods, and meeting the needs of students. They discuss BKS Iyengar's penchant for "waking you up," friendships between teachers and students, masters becoming famous and making money, Vanda Sacaraveli, Dona Holloman, merits of teaching Savasana, succession of lineage, attitudes towards pain, constitutional strength, restorative classes, standardization and individual expression, tendencies towards leaping ahead, and slowing down to come together. 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.

Tim Kelleher, founder of Back Bay Yoga Union (formerly Boston Yoga Union,) talks with J about the trials and tribulations of being a yoga center owner then and now. They discuss being naive when the pandemic hit, legal action and predatory capitalism, a life threatening struggle with substance abuse and feeling safe in your body, collaboration, attendance patterns and irregularity of schedules, lack of full-time yoga teachers, faith in something bigger, cultivating contentment, and the soul encouragement of connecting with others. 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.

David Swenson, author of Only Dead Fish Go With The Flow, talks with J about his new memoir and the evolution of styles and systems. They discuss doing yoga from a book, leaving home at a young age and moving to California, emergence of vinyasa, beliefs about gurus, Patabhi Jois, thirst for knowledge, the Hari Krishna Movement, spiritual communities and going under cover to make money, abbreviated forms, origins of flow, retirement, ego gratification and humble service, proof being in the person, and the value of lightheartedness in practice and life. 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.

Jahnavi (Claire) Missingham talks with J about living a life and having a profession in yoga. They discuss being raised by a devout Sufi and going by different names, NY from 1997-2005, music in classes, Sean Corn, Jivamukti training at Omega Institute, Peter Rizzo, teachers being placed on pedestals, HOME Wellness opening up in London, Kundalini yoga with Guru Jagat, Yogaglo, DVD's and Yoga Journal, intellectual property and protecting integrity, utilizing technology, devotion and Hinduism, and finding our way back to who we really are inside. 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.

Andrew Tanner, founder of the Berkshire Yoga Festival and the American Yoga Council, talks with J live from the Berkshire Yoga Festival 2025 about the launch of his new project to advance the profession of yoga teaching. They discuss the long history of standards and trade organizations, core values of AYC, retirement funds, standards and a new system, proficiency-based education, incentive structures and career paths, differentiation, public benefit corporations, technology and growth, and focusing on helping yoga teachers make a living. 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.

Reika Shucart, host of the Full-Time Yoga Teacher Podcast, talks with J about what has become of studio culture and the realities of the profession in 2025. They discuss the differences between Japanese and American cultures, international development and volunteer tourism, teaching 28-30 classes/week, benefiting from online training, earning more money and ethical conflicts, mirrors, vegetarianism, less yoga specific offerings, lifestyle and identity, ashtanga active series, and getting outside the box to witness and inspire students. 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.

Paul Bramadat, Director of the Centre for Studies in Religion and Society at University of Victoria and author of Yogalands: In Search of Practice on the Mat and in the World, talks with J about letting your body settle the score and the anthropology of yoga. They discuss transformation and academic dispassion, experience vs intellectual reasoning, religious studies and small p politics, the response from academic circles to being a yoga teacher, healing properties of practice, coping with the world better, and connection to what animates your curiosity. 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.

Reggie Hubbard, founder of Active Peace Yoga, talks with J about recovering from a stroke and praying instead of protesting. They discuss his background in politics, the impact of 9/11, realities of a broken system, working for Bernie Sanders, navigating dark nights of the soul, collective liberation, coming into community, political neutrality as a privilege, having a stroke, turning to sound for healing, listening to your intuition, addressing dis-regulation with deep spiritual resonance, and gratitude for every little miracle. 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.

Aimee Echo, founder of Community Yoga Club/Ashtanga Yoga Long Beach, talks with J about the carrying on of tradition and the evolution of practice. They discuss parallel scenes in 90's LA and NY, sub culture of Mysore rooms, Patabhi Jois touring the US, studying with Sharath and Shruthi, authorization agreements and certification, Jois Yoga, aftermath of Sharath's death, a new "active" series, hands on adjustments, comparing Ashtanga and Desikachar, listening, and casting a shorter net to invite more serious inquiry and practice. 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.

Abby Hoffmann, founder of Yantra Studio, talks with J about their formative years and opening another yoga center again after they both swore they never would. They discuss ashtanga rooms in the late 90's, classes getting sweaty, being asked to teach before TT’s existed, moving out of the city, bringing yoga to dance training, emergence of rock star teachers, freer approaches to asana, taking a gig at hot studio chain, advantages to the boutique fitness model, learning business skills, patterns of attendance, and being rooted in your community. 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.

Roberta McGinley, once owner of Tadasana Yoga Studio in Wappingers Falls NY, talks with J about owning centers and finding places to teach. They discuss when Roberta hosted J for a workshop in 2018, different styles and discerning hot, upscaling spaces with showers, moving from space to space, adult spiritual summer camps, unexpected life turns, people still using the Bikram brand, puppy yoga workshops and vin yin classes, ins and outs of hot 26, having your heart touched by yoga, and being with other people in shared intention. 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.

Judith Valerie, a Raleigh NC tradition for over 30 years, talks with J about sticking to principles and building creative spiritual community. They discuss students that inspire, early childhood experiences of being a pantheist, traveling around India and Nepal, receiving Shaktiput, migrating to Mississippi, hybridizing different styles, the role of alignment cues and adjustments, Interplay philosophy, evolving teacher/student relationships, quotes and poems that affirm hope, keeping things alive in spirit, and trust in letting students come to you. 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.