Patti Safian - “Never Give Over Your Power” - Fertility Coach, Acupuncturist, old friend from back in the day

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Patti Safian and J used to run in the same circles back in the early days of the NY Yoga scene and a recent reunion at the TKV Desikachar celebration led to this conversation about her mom, her yoga, and her takeaways from years of study. They discuss her article in Glamour about her mom leaving to become a disciple of Rajneesh, yoga in the nineties, different traditions and common threads that run through, cults and cult-like behavior, and how to never giving over your power. This episode is brought to you by YogaAnatomy.net.

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J. Brown

J. Brown is a yoga teacher, writer, and founder of Abhyasa Yoga Center in Brooklyn, New York. A teacher for 15 years, he is known for his pragmatic approach to teaching personal, breath-centered therapeutic yoga that adapt to individual needs. His writing has been featured in Yoga Therapy Today, the International Journal of Yoga Therapy, Elephant Journal and Yogadork.

Philip Goldberg - "Maha Lineage" - Author, American Veda, The Life of Yogananda, cohost Spirit Matters Podcast

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Philip Goldberg - "Maha Lineage" - Author, American Veda, The Life of Yogananda, cohost Spirit Matters Podcast

Philip Goldberg, author of American Veda and The Life of Yogananda, talks with J about the long arc of yogic spiritual teachings migrating into western culture, and some of the important figures and moments that have shaped its progression. They discuss the roots of yoga’s export to America and writing American Veda, his new book on Yoganandya, the importance of tradition and the democratization of yoga.

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Larry Payne - "Prime of Life" - Ph.D, International Yoga Teacher, founding president IAYT, Yoga Therapy Rx

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Larry Payne - "Prime of Life" - Ph.D, International Yoga Teacher, founding president IAYT, Yoga Therapy Rx

Larry Payne, founder of Prime of Life Yoga and Yoga Therapy Rx, gives J a dose of expertise and humor in this conversation about his life and career. They discuss his journey to India, the influence of TKV Desikachar on his life and teaching, bridging yoga and western medicine, differences between yoga and yoga therapy, and the grand picture of yoga spreading around the world with the power of its transformative qualities.

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Mirka Scalco Kraftsow - "With Courage" - Director of Teacher Development, cofounder American Viniyoga Institute

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Mirka Scalco Kraftsow - "With Courage" - Director of Teacher Development, cofounder American Viniyoga Institute

Mirka Scalco Kraftsow, cofounder of the American Viniyoga Institute, brings her special brand of shakti to the podcast and talks with J about the spirit that guided her to her teachers Gary Kraftsow and TKV Desikachar, and her ongoing journey to bring the teachings of yoga to light. They discuss her childhood in Italy, her time with Rajneesh/Osho, how she met Gary and her relationship with Desikachar, and the simple sadana of ordinary life.

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Gary Kraftsow - "Viniyoga" - founder, director, senior teacher at American Viniyoga Institute, author of Yoga for Wellness

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Gary Kraftsow - "Viniyoga" - founder, director, senior teacher at American Viniyoga Institute, author of Yoga for Wellness

Gary Kraftsow, founder of the American Viniyoga Institute, author of Yoga for Wellness and Yoga for Transformation, talks with J about his precedent-setting career in yoga and yoga therapy. They discuss his relationship to TKV Desikachar, why the efforts to create a national organization were thwarted, the story behind him using the name Viniyoga, TKV's son, healthcare and yoga, definitions of yoga therapy, and the true spirit of the teachings.

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Richard Miller - "Nondual Wisdom, Modern Adaptation" - PhD, Yogic Scholar, Clinical Psychologist, founder iRest Yoga Nidra

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Richard Miller - "Nondual Wisdom, Modern Adaptation" - PhD, Yogic Scholar, Clinical Psychologist, founder iRest Yoga Nidra

Richard Miller, founder of iRest Yoga Nidra, co-founder of The International Association of Yoga Therapy and founding editor of the professional Journal of IAYT, talks with J about his many years of study and his work integrating teachings for others. They discuss nondual philosophy, his relationship to TKV Desikachar, his use of Yoga Nidra in the military, making sense of the scandals, and the core principles at work in healing through yoga.

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R. Sriram - "Legacy of TKV Desikachar" - Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram, Teacher, longtime student of Sri T.K.V. Desikachar

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R. Sriram - "Legacy of TKV Desikachar" - Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram, Teacher, longtime student of Sri T.K.V. Desikachar

R. Sriram comes to the Unites States of America for the first time to attend a celebration of his longtime teacher T.K.V. Desikachar and sits down with J for this conversation about the man and the legacy he left the world. They discuss Sriram’s early studies, T Krishnamacharya, his views on cultural appropriation and  the popularity of yoga, the scandal around T.K.V.’s son Kausthub, and the simple authenticity at the heart of the tradition.

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Faith Hunter - "Spiritually Fly" - International Yoga and Meditation Instructor, Wellness Philanthropist

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Faith Hunter - "Spiritually Fly" - International Yoga and Meditation Instructor, Wellness Philanthropist

Faith Hunter, creator of Spiritually Fly, talks with J about the life events that fueled her commitment to yoga, some shared roots in NYC, and the course of her high-profile career. They discuss her early work with a national HIV/AIDS organization, the transition into teaching and owning a center, the breaks that enabled her to expand, how she came up with her Spiritually Fly Sutras, and the current state of the yoga industry.

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Jerome Armstrong - "History of Hot Yoga" - Researcher, Historian, Ghosh Yoga, Author of Calcutta Yoga

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Jerome Armstrong - "History of Hot Yoga" - Researcher, Historian, Ghosh Yoga, Author of Calcutta Yoga

Jerome Armstrong, author of Calcutta Yoga, talks with J about his new book on the history of hot yoga. They discuss the largely untold story of Buddha Bose & the Yoga Family of Bishnu Ghosh and Yogananda, and how that led to Bikram Yoga. Jerome also speaks to both standard hot yoga and the more traditional teachings of Ghosh Yoga, and the crazy turn of events that led to the discovery of a rare document and a relationship to the family.

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Benjamin Lorr - "Exposing Bikram Yoga" - former High School Science and Sex Education Teacher, author of Hell-Bent

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Benjamin Lorr - "Exposing Bikram Yoga" - former High School Science and Sex Education Teacher, author of Hell-Bent

Benjamin Lorr, author of Hell-Bent: Obsession, Pain, and the Search for Something Like Transcendence in Competitive Yoga, talks with J about Bikram Yoga, how it lead to writing his tell-all book on the subject, and the aftershocks that are still being felt today. They discuss Benjamin’s first place prize in a yoga competition, paradoxes at work in Bikram Chaudry, power dynamics, larger cultural implications, and his new book project.

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Arundhati Baitmangalkar - "East Meets West" - Founder and Lead Teacher of Aham Yoga and BolllyWorks Dance

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Arundhati Baitmangalkar - "East Meets West" - Founder and Lead Teacher of Aham Yoga and BolllyWorks Dance

Arundhati Baitmangalkar, founder and lead teacher of Aham Yoga and Bollyworks Dance, sent J a supportive email after hearing him speak about being accused of cultural appropriation, and J remembered some blogs that Arundhati had written on yoga in the west vs east, and it led to this wide-ranging conversation. They discuss Arundhati's first Power Yoga classes in India, moving to the USA, and how she made her own thing happen.

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Beryl Bender Birch - "Power Yoga" - Renowned Yoga Teacher, Author, founder of The Hard & The Soft Yoga Institute

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Beryl Bender Birch - "Power Yoga" - Renowned Yoga Teacher, Author, founder of The Hard & The Soft Yoga Institute

Beryl Bender Birch, author of Power Yoga and founder of The Hard and the Soft Yoga Institute, joins J for a look back at the earliest remnants of yoga in the west, its progression into the mainstream, and the role she played in shepherding it forth. They discuss what yoga was like in the 60’s and 70’s, teaching yoga for athletes and coming up with the name ‘Power Yoga’, Patabhi Jois, and her work with the Give Back Yoga Foundation.

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Kristen Fewel - "A New Model and an Invitation to Awaken" - Teacher, Author, founder of Full Circle Yoga & Healing Arts

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Kristen Fewel - "A New Model and an Invitation to Awaken" - Teacher, Author, founder of Full Circle Yoga & Healing Arts

Kristen Fewel, author of The Gift of Awakening and founder of Full Circle Yoga & Healing Arts, reached out to say that she was inspired by some of the talks on the podcast to transition her yoga center away from the conventional way of doing business to a less extractive rental model so J invited her on to have a conversation about what she is doing and how it is working out. They also discuss her newly published book about the possibility of awakening.

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Erin Heisel - "Flow States and Play Spheres" - Soprano, Researcher, Teacher of Movement, Music and Voice

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Erin Heisel - "Flow States and Play Spheres" - Soprano, Researcher, Teacher of Movement, Music and Voice

Erin Heisel is a podcast listener who reached out to J after hearing him talk about ‘flow states” which led to this conversation about her research into play and its relevance to yoga and beyond. First, Erin lays out a theoretical framework for play and then they discuss whether flow requires physical challenge, the elements that bring about flow or play spheres, and the relevance to how we practice yoga and engage ourselves in life.

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Joe Simek - "Small Yoga, Big Impact" - Yoga Therapist/Teacher, co-owner Dragonfly Yoga, co-founder The Fiaria Project

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Joe Simek - "Small Yoga, Big Impact" - Yoga Therapist/Teacher, co-owner Dragonfly Yoga, co-founder The Fiaria Project

Joe Simek, co-owner of Dragonfly Yoga and co-founder of The Fiaria Project, reached out to J after hearing he was moving to PA and invited him to his studio where they started a conversation that continues in this talk. They discuss their common history in music, how Joe let go of his corporate life, his experience of becoming a foster parent and starting a non-profit to help others, and the realities of keeping things small and still making it work.

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Cheryl Urbanczyk - "Female Muslim Hijab-Wearing Yogi" - Yoga Teacher Trainee, founder of Silver Flow Yoga

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Cheryl Urbanczyk - "Female Muslim Hijab-Wearing Yogi" - Yoga Teacher Trainee, founder of Silver Flow Yoga

Cheryl Urbanczyk, yoga-teacher-in-training and regular podcast listener, sent J an email that caught his attention and prompted this talk about her faith and yoga. They discuss Cheryl’s conversion from Catholicism to Islam, misconceptions about Muslims, how she came to yoga, and some of the unique obstacles that the Muslim community face getting exposed to yoga. They also discuss her plan to create women's only yoga classes.

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Andrea Ferretti - "Editorial Transparency" - Creative Director for Jason Crandell Yoga Method, host of Yogaland Podcast

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Andrea Ferretti - "Editorial Transparency" - Creative Director for Jason Crandell Yoga Method, host of Yogaland Podcast

Andrea Ferretti, creative director for Jason Crandall Yoga Method and host of Yogaland Podcast, joins J to talk about their common experience of being both parents and podcast hosts in the yoga world. They discuss Andrea’s early avenues into yoga and publishing, her many years as an editor at Yoga Journal Magazine, her relationship to Jason Crandall, what it means to be a yoga family, and the mind-expanding challenge of producing podcasts.

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Prabha Sinha - "Turning Grief Into Giving" - Founder of Pratyush Sinha Foundation and Lehigh Valley Yoga Festival

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Prabha Sinha - "Turning Grief Into Giving" - Founder of Pratyush Sinha Foundation and Lehigh Valley Yoga Festival

Prabha Sinha, founder of the Pratyush Sinha Foundation and Lehigh Valley Yoga Festival, sits down with J to talk about her journey from India to America and the story behind the foundation and festival she has dedicated her life to. They discuss misconceptions about yoga in the west, cultural differences and universal truths, the death of her son and how it led to her yoga, and the heart and soul that goes into making it all happen.

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Matthew Remski - "From Somatic Dominance to Trauma Awareness" - Writer, Cult Survivor, Yoga Activist

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Matthew Remski - "From Somatic Dominance to Trauma Awareness" - Writer, Cult Survivor, Yoga Activist

Matthew Remski and J have a long-standing friendship and dialogue which carries into this talk about the rapid paradigm shift taking place in the yoga world around consent and authority. They discuss Matthew’s recent article profiling victims of sexual assault by Pattabhi Jois, the process that transformed WAWADIA into a consideration of somatic dominance, the line between cult-like and cult, and how we navigate unchartered paths.

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Sarai Harvey-Smith - "Mysore and Beyond" - Senior Yoga Teacher and Mentor, KPJAYI Authorized Level 2

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Sarai Harvey-Smith - "Mysore and Beyond" - Senior Yoga Teacher and Mentor, KPJAYI Authorized Level 2

Sarai Harvey-Smith talks with J about becoming part of the Ashtanga Yoga community and how she is navigating her way in light of the revelations surrounding abuse by Pattabhi Jois. They discuss Sarai’s process of getting into yoga and becoming authorized at KPJAYI, her love of the practice and teaching, the reasons for her gradual transition away from the system, and her position statement for the AY community to heal and move forward.

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