Hareesh (Christopher) Wallis - “Tantra Illuminated”

Hareesh (Christopher) Wallis - “Tantra Illuminated”

Hareesh (Christopher) Wallis has a B.A. in Religion and Classics from the University of Rochester, an M.A. in Sanskrit from U.C. Berkeley, an M.Phil. in Classical Indian Religions from Oxford, and a Ph.D. on the traditions of Śaiva Tantra from Berkeley. He talks with J about the art and science of translating Sanskrit, the influence of Tantra on modern yoga, and the removal of conceptual overlays to reveal inherent wonder and awe in life.

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Jennilyn Carson - “Yogadork”

Jennilyn Carson - “Yogadork”

J sits down with Jennilyn Carson, long time friend, editor in chief of Yogadork, They rode the wave of yoga into the mainstream together and reminisce over some of the sign posts and stories that marked the way. The conversation also covers Jennilyn’s interests in woman’s cycles, cats, social justice, and yoga culture. The two commune on the silver linings, and J explains why he decided to have this be the year anniversary episode.

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Pamela Tanner Boll - “A Small Good Thing”

Pamela Tanner Boll - “A Small Good Thing”

J talks with Pamela Tanner Boll, award winning producer and director of the documentary films A Small Good Thing and Who Does She Think She Is? They discuss her earlier work and formative times in life that shaped the themes running through her movies, including the pressing issues addressed in her recent work that spoke to J deeply and inspired their conversation. They touch on the challenges so many are facing and being curious, not furious.

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Judith Hanson Lasater - “Restorative Yoga Queen”

Judith Hanson Lasater - “Restorative Yoga Queen”

Judith Hanson Lasater is a seminal figure in the yoga world. She talks with J about the earliest times for independent yoga teachers, her experience with BKS Iyengar, reasons for withdrawal from the Iyengar organization, and the inspiration behind what she teaches now. They discuss the privilege of teaching and, understanding psychological projection, and mirroring back the inherent goodness and inner wisdom of the student.

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Kerry Porter - “Hindu Facebook Justice”

Kerry Porter - “Hindu Facebook Justice”

Kerry Porter joins J to discuss some of the comment threads they have participated in together as mutual members of a Facebook group, and the implications they share with broader issues in our politics. They talk about the decolonizing of language and culture, listening to the voices of injustice, the marketplace of exploitation, appropriated yoga, and how to stop perpetuating oppressive power imbalances through reparatory justice.

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Diane Bruni - “Ashtanga Unveiled”

Diane Bruni - “Ashtanga Unveiled”

Diane Bruni was the first ashtanga yoga teacher in Canada. She stopped by J’s yoga class in Brooklyn and they sat down afterwards to talk about her story of yoga’s entrance into the mainstream, yoga injuries, and the new directions that are being forged. Diane shares about her unconventional instruction in Iyengar method, controversial exit from the Ashtanga community, cancer diagnosis, and her current movement research.

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Bernie Clark - “Yin Yoga”

Bernie Clark - “Yin Yoga”

Bernie Clark has intimate knowledge of one of the most popular forms of yoga practice today, Yin Yoga. He talks to J about where it comes from, how he got to it, and what distinguishes it from other styles. Bernie answers some of the most common questions about Yin Yoga, including whether or not you can stretch a ligament, what happens to a fibroblast when you hold a pose for longer periods, and other aspects of the approach.

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Anneke Lucas - “Abuse of Power”

Anneke Lucas - “Abuse of Power”

Anneke Lucas was sold into a child sex-trafficking network at the age of six. Now she teaches yoga in prisons through her organization, Liberation Prison Yoga. J sits down with Anneke to talk about her journey of healing trauma and expanding consciousness, being groped by Pattabhi Jois, the Jivamukti scandal, a panel discussion on power in the yoga world, trauma sensitivity training, and how to create safer spaces and better support.

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Neil Pearson - “Changing Pain Science”

Neil Pearson - “Changing Pain Science”

Neil Pearson has spent over 30 years in the field of physiotherapy and pain management science.  J talks with him about the difference between awareness and self-regulation, prescription vs process, the intertwined nature of pain and suffering, how the medical system teaches us to give power over to someone else, and recognizing things as safe or dangerous. The conversation explores where science and yoga are coming together.

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Dianne Bondy - “Yoga For All”

Dianne Bondy - “Yoga For All”

Dianne Bondy has become a leader in encouraging greater diversity in yoga. J talks with her about his own blinders, her move from fitness to yoga, drinking the Anusara cool-aid, being DIY on and off the mat, the power of language to either empower or disempower people, and ways in which yoga can move us into fuller acceptance of ourselves and others. They also discuss being a spokesperson and go back and forth about practice.

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Hari-kirtana das - "Krishna Consciousness"

Hari-kirtana das - "Krishna Consciousness"

Hari-kirtana has gone by many names depending on the different lifestyles he's led. J talks with him about being a member of "the mother of all cults", the Hare Krishna movement, participating in Jivamukti Yoga Teacher Training, separating the teachings from the teacher, comparative yoga philosophy regarding non-duality, and the inherent duality of bringing theology and realization to the modern marketplace of ideas.

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Matthew Remski - “Downregulated Yoga“

Matthew Remski - “Downregulated Yoga“

Matthew Remski has become known for his provocative, sometimes controversial, and inspiring writings on pressing issues in the yoga world. J talks with him about his early experiences and how they have shaped the course of his work, the current status of his ongoing WAWADIA (What Are We Actually Doing in Asana?) project, the recent flap regarding Jivamukti Yoga, and the grey zone between the mystical and the wounded.

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Pleasance Silicki - “Lil Omm, Magic-maker”

Pleasance Silicki - “Lil Omm, Magic-maker”

Pleasance Silicki started out in the DC Public School system working with inner city youth before she forged a path as a yoga teacher and founder of Lil Omm. J talks with her about how she ended up in the yoga world, her experience of opening and closing a yoga center, the changes that have happened in the last ten years and her new book, Delight, that was born out of her need to embrace change and move forward.

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Mark Whitwell - "Heart of Yoga"

Mark Whitwell - "Heart of Yoga"

J finally has the guts to bring Mark Whitwell, his most influential teacher, on the podcast. They trace Mark’s life in yoga from his early years before teaching to his experience meeting Krishnamacharya, Desikachar, and the Krishnamurti’s, and his travels around the world. The discussion is wide ranging as they reminisce about their shared past, changes in the yoga industry, and the directions they see things going in the future.

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Jared Hirsch - “Yoga Dad aka Jahvocado”

Jared Hirsch - “Yoga Dad aka Jahvocado”

Jared Hirsch is an old friend who shares a mutual teacher with J. In this talk, they reconnect after more than 10 years and commune on how things have happened as time has gone by. They discuss early days as young upstarts, differences between teachers aligned with the TKV Desikachar tradition, graffiti art, the ins and outs of dealing with ulcerative colitis, and the blessings of partnership, family, and friendship.

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Carol Horton - “Yoga Ph.D.”

Carol Horton - “Yoga Ph.D.”

It’s not always easy to make sense of what is happening in the broader yoga world and society at large, but Carol Horton can sometimes help illuminate and clarify the issues so we might stand a chance. J talks with Carol about her transition from political science professor to yoga writer and thinker, her work in the Cook County Jails, the heyday of the yoga blogosphere, the books she’s published, the pioneering work of the Yoga Service Council.

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J’s Online Workshop - "Bernie Sanders of Yoga"

J’s Online Workshop - "Bernie Sanders of Yoga"

Josh Sitron, J's producer, becomes the first repeat guest as they sit down to check in on how things have been going since the first episode of the podcast and discuss the release of J's new online workshop: Gentle is the New Advanced. They share intimate details about the process that led to its creation, the purpose for its existence, and an impromptu strategy session where much the signature back and forth between the two friends ensues.

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Ann Votaw - “Uncertain Reality of a Freelancer”

Ann Votaw - “Uncertain Reality of a Freelancer”

J has been interviewed by Ann Votaw a few times over the years for articles she’s written and he was always impressed by her wit and spontaneity. In this intimate and bawdy discussion, they talk about taking responsibility for your own mortality, the profound work of being a caregiver, the misconceptions people have about yoga teachers, and the crazy pace of everything from politics to online dating.

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Andrew Tanner - “YA Policy on Yoga Therapy Terms”

Andrew Tanner - “YA Policy on Yoga Therapy Terms”

Andrew Tanner is the official spokesperson for the Yoga Alliance. He reached out to J to record this conversation about a new policy that was announced regarding the use of yoga therapy terminology. Andrew explains what the new policy is and why it was implemented. J pushes back for a compelling talk on some aspects of the new policy, as well as other issues surrounding the YA, yoga teacher training, and the industry at large.

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Leslie Kaminoff - “Being a Yoga Educator”

Leslie Kaminoff - “Being a Yoga Educator”

When it comes to the inside track on being a yoga teacher and the industry, Leslie Kaminoff has been part of the conversation since it started. In this conversation, they talk about the early times before J got on the scene, the origins of the Yoga Alliance, the International Association of Yoga Therapists, regulation of yoga, the business of independent studios and the heart of why they do what we do.

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