J. Brown Yoga Talks

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 for...

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, ...

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...

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, l...

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 ...

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 hea...

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 o...

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...

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 workshop...

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...

Mike Huggins, author of Going OM: A CEO's Journey from a Prison Facility to Spiritual Tranquility, founder of Transformation Yoga Project, and long time friend of the show, talks with J about the state of yoga in the criminal justice system and beyond. They discuss training incarcerated people to be teachers, power dynamics in prison, providing essential life skills, life cycle of the yoga industry, i...

Danielle Kunz Dwyer, founder of Yoga For You, talks with J about organizing a business and being together in a more expansive state. They discuss connecting via email and open sourcing info on how to go online, studying Ayurveda and yoga in NYC in the early aughts, periods of unknowing, unwinding of identity, students and subscriptions, honoring yourself and valuing teachers, opening a center and pand...

Mariela Cruz talks with J about her recent post entitled, "The Death of My School in Mysore." They discuss discovering her guru Sharath Jois while being a mother of seven children and a lawyer, becoming the first authorized teacher in Central America, Patabhi Jois and harms done, Sharath assuming the leadership role and grieving his death, new certifications being announced, injury and providing physi...

Giana Gambino & Bradshaw Wish, founders of C.A.Y.A Yoga School and hosts of The Funny Thing About Yoga Podcast, talk with J about the ins and outs of having a yoga career in 2025. They discuss having a collaboration, teachers as brands, resolving conflict and developing trust, admin and websites, their relationship, developing a training, starting a podcast, being authentic letting go of micromanaging...

Neal Shaffer, founder of First Mile Strategies, talks with J about what it's like for new teachers in today's climate. They discuss finding Rodney Yee through Comcast On-Demand, doing hybrid teacher training coming out of the pandemic, online vs in person learning, pathways for professional development, asana and meditation, Rodney and Colleen's teaching, parting from fitness orientation, connection b...

Jonathan Sattin, founder of triyoga and the forthcoming HOME, returns to talk with J about how we got to the current crossroads we face and the reasons for opening a new center. They discuss the elements that enabled his initial success, lockdowns and the challenges of reopening, sustainability and scale, effectiveness vs efficiency, deciding to sell and ultimately leave, the spiritual practice of Sev...

Nick Danu, host of the Yin Yoga Podcast, returns to talk with J about navigating the yoga profession in a post-pandemic time. They discuss the importance of email lists and independent Online platforms, courses vs drop-in classes, resumes and teaching jobs, alternative spaces, communities, transitioning students to registered series, enforcing cancellation policies, administration of weekly schedule, ...

Julie Smerdon returns to talk with J about meeting the challenge of life's crossroads and the difference between trust and faith. They discuss recent health scares and forced moves, dealing with death and grieving, working through challenges in front of students, reassessing professional direction, prayer as listening, relationship to divinity, forms of personal practice, gym culture and work-out ment...

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 ...