Ida Jo - "Woman of Yoga"

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Ida Jo, musician and Gosh Yoga teacher, reached out to J to talk about the research project she is undertaking on Woman of Yoga. Ida worked alongside Jerome Armstrong while he was writing his book, Calcutta Yoga, and is picking up the thread to tell some of the untold stories of woman yogis. They also discuss Ida’s music and art, aspects of prescriptive or therapeutic yoga in the Gosh tradition, the grind of creative pursuits, and the importance of sharing stories. This episode is sponsored by Yogic Studies and Ropana CBD.

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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.

Neil Pearson - “Integrating Yoga and Science in Pain Care”

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Neil Pearson - “Integrating Yoga and Science in Pain Care”

Neil Pearson, coauthor of Yoga and Science in Pain Care, returns to the show to talk with j about integrating yoga and the cutting edge of pain science. They discuss the importance of creating therapeutic alliances, self-care instead of self-management, autonomic physiological synchrony and empathy, education as a form of treatment, biopsychosocial model as a non-dual perspective, and fostering human resilience.

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Live in AU - Nicole Walsh, Mark O’Brien, Michael de Manincor

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Live in AU - Nicole Walsh, Mark O’Brien, Michael de Manincor

In June 2019, J traveled to Sydney, AU and while he was there he recorded this live panel conversation with Nicole Walsh, Mark O’Brien, and Michael de Manicor. They discuss Nicole’s history with Bikram Yoga and her new direction with InYoga, Mark’s insights into Qi Yoga’s longevity and how to maintain a practice over time, and Michael chimes in on the move to advanced training at The Yoga Institute and serving our communities.

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Nischala Joy Devi - "The Namaste Effect"

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Nischala Joy Devi - "The Namaste Effect"

Nischala Joy Devi, author of The Namaste Effect, returns to the show to warm J’s heart and inspire us all to be in a place of love and oneness. They discuss what’s been going on in the two years since they last spoke, the fear and anxiety that currently pervades, definitive evidence of our own divinity, practical applications of chakra theory, what the “namaste effect” is, and how we can live in this world expressing love as a primary action.

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Lauren Walker - "Energy Medicine Yoga"

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Lauren Walker - "Energy Medicine Yoga"

Lauren Walker. creator of Energy Medicine Yoga, talks with J about energy healing and her circuitous path in yoga. They discuss their shared history in NYC in the 90’s, Lauren’s departure from yoga and pursuit of other modalities, how politics affected her choices, developing primitive skills, Donna Eden, misunderstandings about chakras, and seeing past arbitrary limitations to reveal our inherent power and ability to heal.

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Chase Bossart - "Patañjali’s Yogasūtras, Samkhya, and Gita"

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Chase Bossart - "Patañjali’s Yogasūtras, Samkhya, and Gita"

Chase Bossart, founder of Yoga Well Institute, is a longtime student of TKV Desikachar and friend of J’s who returns to the show to shed some light on the essence of yoga with an unconventional view of Patañjali’s Yogasūtras, Samkhya, and Bhagavad Gita. They discuss whether Patanjali wrote the commentary, misconceptions about the definition of nirodhah , and a universal picture of yoga based on perception and knowing.

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Bernie McDonald - "Walking and Learning About America"

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Bernie McDonald - "Walking and Learning About America"

Bernie McDonald is walking 100 miles in every US state and decided to stop by J’s studio in Allentown, PA. They discuss why he started walking, the sort of interactions he has had in the yoga world during his travels, aspects of the country that most of us don’t ever see, how he stays focused on his purpose when things get difficult, preconceived ideas about who and what we are, and the simple beauty and profound majesty of life as it is.

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Lara Land - "Being an Ally for Diversity in Yoga"

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Lara Land - "Being an Ally for Diversity in Yoga"

Lara Land, founder of Land Yoga and SOULFest NYC, talks with J about opening a yoga center in Harlem and becoming an ally for diversity in yoga. They discuss family life and some early days in the NY scene, her level 2 Ashtanga authorization and where she stands on the turmoil in that tradition, what it was like to open a center in Harlem, and why she formed a non-profit and started programs to reach underserved populations,

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Michelle Johnson - "Dismantling Racism and Oppression"

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Michelle Johnson - "Dismantling Racism and Oppression"

Michelle Johnson, author of Skill in Action, talks with J about the intersection between racism, social justice, and yoga. They discuss the life experiences that led to her work, dismantling racism training, the heartbreak related to institutional oppression, actions being held accountable to principles, intentions around creating inclusion, leveraging privilege to create space for people of color, and the universal truth that everyone is connected.

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Jana Long - "History of Blacks and Yoga in the U.S."

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Jana Long - "History of Blacks and Yoga in the U.S."

Jana Long, director of Power of One Yoga Center and co-founder of the Black Yoga Teachers Alliance, talks with J about the history of yoga in the black community. They discuss the earliest influencers of yoga in Black America, the expressions found in black art and spiritual life, Jana’s many years of self-directed practice,, her experiences in Africa and ashram life in India, why she started BYTA, and the universal threads that unite.

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James Mallinson - "Uncovering Yoga’s Ancestral Past"

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James Mallinson - "Uncovering Yoga’s Ancestral Past"

James Mallinson, senior lecturer in Sanskrit and Classical Indian Studies at SOAS, Principle Investigator at The Hatha Yoga Project, co-author of Roots of Yoga, reached out to J after hearing his name mentioned on the show and it lead to this conversation about the research he is pioneering. They discuss Jim’s academic pursuits, his guru, the philology of physical yoga practices, and the symbiosis between scholarship and living traditions.

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Live in Brooklyn - Amy Matthews, Sam Chase and Christie Roe

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Live in Brooklyn - Amy Matthews, Sam Chase and Christie Roe

J returns to his former studio in Brooklyn, now Goodyoga, and is joined by Amy Matthews, Sam Chase, and Christie Roe for intimate conversation about the nature of our anatomies and the values we are aligning with. Amy expands upon J’s ongoing inquiry into the biopsychosocial, Sam discusses resilience training and connecting what we feel and value, and Christie provides a millennial perspective on what is happening on the ground.

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Peter Blackaby and Bernie Clark - "Body Tissues and Patterns"

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Peter Blackaby and Bernie Clark - "Body Tissues and Patterns"

Peter Blackaby and Bernie Clark come together with J to consider the nature of human anatomy and the process of affecting change. Initiated by Peter after he listened to Bernie’s last appearance, this probing conversation was an opportunity to clarify points of agreement and hash out some areas of departure. They discuss whether the spine as primarily a source of stability or mobility, what poses do, and intents that foster deeper understanding.

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Greg Lehman - "Recovery Strategies for Pain"

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Greg Lehman - "Recovery Strategies for Pain"

Greg Lehman, author of Recovery Strategies - your pain guidebook, talks with J about addressing pain and what it means to be a “movement optimist.” They discuss the benefits of bio-mechanics and some of the misconceptions that are still being taught about the body, what is meant by the idea of a neutral spine, if tissue damage correlates with pain, what nociception is, and the importance of getting active so we can address our beliefs.

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Dr. Aimée Shunney - "CBD and Cannabis Medicine"

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Dr. Aimée Shunney - "CBD and Cannabis Medicine"

Dr. Aimée Shunney, naturopathic physician trained in both modern medical science and integrative medicine, talks with J about CBD and the growing research around Cannabis medicine. They discuss some of the history behind cannabis research, the endocannabinoid system, different strains and applications of CBD, J’s and Aimée’s experience with regular use, challenging outdated ideas and remaining open to anything that works.

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Mike Huggins - “Yoga Service: No Money No Mission”

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Mike Huggins - “Yoga Service: No Money No Mission”

Mike Huggins, founder of Transformation Yoga Project and co-author of Yoga for Recovery - A Practical Guide for Healing, returns to check in with J on the challenges and rewards of doing yoga service. A lot has happened in the two years since they last spoke, they discuss the expansion of Mike’s organization, what it takes to maintain quality programs, operating with purpose, and the practicalities of truly meeting people where they are.

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Mary Jennings - “Sub-Lease Yoga Studio Collective”

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Mary Jennings - “Sub-Lease Yoga Studio Collective”

Mary Jennings is opening Fresh Coast Yoga in Houghton, Michigan with an alternative studio model she heard discussed on the show so J brought her on to talk about what she is doing. They discuss what it’s like to be a millennial MBA mother with a one-year old who wants to bring yoga to her community in rural America, the crowdfunding campaign, sub-leasing instead of profit-sharing, and the heart of a truly yoga-based venture.

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Gina Price - "Exploring Sociocracy"

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Gina Price - "Exploring Sociocracy"

Gina Price, partner in the Sociocracy Consulting Group, talks with J about creating order out of chaos through the principles of Sociocracy. They discuss governance based on a decentralization of authority, finding common purpose through collaborative decision making, creating domains of autonomous responsibility and a hierarchy of function instead of power, and if yoga professionals are up to the task.

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David Dodd - "Organization, Anarchy and Yoga"

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David Dodd - "Organization, Anarchy and Yoga"

David Dodd and J have corresponded for years but a recent email exchange about the Yoga Alliance prompted this discussion on the inherent problem of creating organizations around yoga. They discuss David’s background in coaching and working with large bureaucracies, the tension between an unbounded context for yoga and attempts at regulating it, and the practical wisdom of knowing when to do something and when to leave it alone.

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Rama Jyoti Vernon - "Great-Grandmother of American Yoga"

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Rama Jyoti Vernon - "Great-Grandmother of American Yoga"

Rama Jyoti Vernon, one of the first yoga teachers in the United States, talks with J about her pivotal role in bringing yoga to the west. They discuss the LA yoga scene in the 1940’s and 1950’s, meeting BKS Iyengar and hosting him in America, founding both Unity in Yoga and the California Yoga Teachers Association which led to the creation of the Yoga Alliance and Yoga Journal Magazine, and her laments and hopes for the direction of yoga.

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