J hangs out with Susanna Harwood Rubin, author of Yoga 365, in her Manhattan apartment for an intimate conversation about the early years of the NY scene and how things have gone since then. Susanna shares some early shaping experiences transitioning from art world to yoga world, her perspective on the rise and fall of Anusara, and her love of studying yoga philosophy. They also talk about Hindu deities and her new book.

Brian Leaf, author of Misadventures of a Garden State Yogi and Misadventures of a Parenting Yogi, is a mutual friend of J’s producer. They knew of each other for years but this is the first time they actually met. They discuss Brian’s work helping students manage ADD and overcome standardized-tests, how he overcame ulcerative colitis through yoga and Ayurveda, his devotion to Swami Kripalu, and coming from a place of knowing.

Life comes full circle for J in this conversation with Katchie Ananda, his first ever and beloved teacher. They talk about early times when the NY yoga scene was just burgeoning, Katchie’s move away from NY to Colorado to study with Richard Freeman, her time in Anusara and relationship to John Friend, and the dharma path that she is following today. They touch base on how things have changed, and the need for "all hands on deck."

On the occasion of her seventh birthday, J shares some conversations with his eldest daughter, Roslyn Brown. He promised her that they were recording a “real” podcast and, after a recent incident where he maybe wasn’t there for her as a father, he felt compelled to make good on his promise. They talk about animals, her baby sister, her mom, and whether they should stay in Brooklyn or move somewhere else.

J sits down with Ryan Cunningham and Kate Robinson, hosts of Unrolled, for a lively conversation in Ryan’s kitchen just after a workshop at his center, Bow St. Yoga in Sommerville MA. They talk about how Ryan went from being a former-manager to a yoga center owner, showers, the awesomeness that is Unrolled Podcast, why J does Sanskrit chanting and if the name of his podcast is lame, and forging new models for yoga going forward.

J talks with Shelly Prosko, founder of Physio Yoga, about her mission to integrate yoga into the healthcare system. Shelly shares some of her personal story of how a random injury catapulted her work incorporating medical therapeutic yoga and traditional physical therapy. They discuss the difference between bringing medicine into yoga and yoga into medicine, the limitations of allopathic models, and the need for clarity of scope.

J talks to one of the greats, Erich Schiffmann. This is the first time they have ever spoken to each other and Erich takes J through some history and a bevy of tales that speak to the coming of yoga into the west and mainstream. They discuss what it’s like to have lunch with J Krishnamurti and get slapped by BKS Iyengar, the origins of the traveling yoga career, free-form yoga, and learning how to learn from your own practice.

Cristina Kuhn returns to talk with J about the one big thing they didn’t discuss last time they got together, her MS. She shares what it was like to be diagnosed, conventional and alternative treatments, the emotional impact, and the resolve to carry on with life. They also touch base on how business is going at her center, the Yogi Underground in Falls Church, VA.

Cyndi Lee, founder of the influential OM Yoga center, was someone who set the stage for people like J. After running in the same circles for years, they finally get a chance to meet. They talk about Cyndi’s personal journey into yoga and Tibetan Buddhism, yoga coming into the mainstream, the story of how OM Yoga came into existence and why it had to close, and the way things are playing out now.

J talks with Joey Slater-Milligan, background vocalist from the band Wheatus. Joey graduated from J’s teacher training program a while back and they take some time to learn about each other outside of the practice space. Joey shares her journey from a small village in England to playing arena-sized shows with a band she started out selling t-shirts for. They also discuss why she decided to do teacher training and her young adult sci-fi novel ‘PSY’.

Jason Crandell has always been on J’s radar as someone of his generation who managed to break through into the mainstream. They talk about early days of yoga journal cruises, what it takes to launch a yoga career, the invent of yoga teacher training, social media literacy, realities and issues facing current yoga business models, raising the educational bar and holding teacher trainers accountable.

J returns the favor and brings on Wendy Reese, host of The Whole Being Zone Podcast. They talk about the horrors of having crappy internet service, what the yoga scene is like in a town of five hundred people, the journey from fitness to wholeness, dealing with mental illness, learning to love yourself, the practicality of psychic power, and how to build community. They also discuss her new book Alchemy of Yoga: Living Yoga Off the Mat.

Julie Buckner and J had been emailing back and forth for months, but only when the final word came down that she was definitely closing her yoga center did they sit down and talk about the state of affairs. They discuss hard realities facing independent yoga centers vs standardized scaled models, successful but not profitable, and even a bit of national politics. More than anything, they look to each other for support and inspiration.

Eddie Stern, esteemed Ashtanga Yoga teacher, invites J to The Brooklyn Yoga Club to talk about the old days and current incarnations of his yoga and teaching. They discuss his early practice, formative times in the NY yoga scene, the entrance of Patabhi Jois into the US, the birth of “vinyasa” as a hybrid style, bringing yoga into schools, and whether or not Ashtanga Yoga is injurious.

Serendipity brings Sam Chase, author of Yoga and the Pursuit of Happiness, and J together in this intimate back and forth about the parallels in both their early beginnings and current life situations. They discuss the lonely aspects of being a yoga teacher, Sam’s dual yoga personality, vinyasa yoga’s identity crisis, the evolution of Kripalu Yoga, and the origins and purpose behind Yoga to the People.

Michael Lee, founder of Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy, talks with J about the origins of Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy and its defining characteristics. They discuss creating safe containers for practice, identifying what’s going on in your body and in your life based on both experience and psychological principles, the thin line between yoga and yoga therapy, changes in the professional yoga landscape, and being true to who you are.

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.

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.

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.

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.