Carl Horowitz talks with J about their formative years in the NY Yoga scene and holding a line of integrity. They discuss Carl's former life as a professional skater, his relationship to the yoga industry, why he preferred teaching at Crunch Gym, observing patterns of tension, personal practice, reconciling the abuse histories of our teachers, family life and the death of Carl's wife, and the spirit of inquiry behind authentic yoga.

Michelle Ryan returns to the show to talk with J about the problems with teacher training and the deeper issues corrupting yoga. They discuss what happened to her yoga center since they last spoke, the collective model she attempted to forge, her opposition to the Yoga Alliance 200-hour standards, cultural appropriation of indigenous knowledge, neoliberal politics and late stage capitalism, and holding ourselves and others to account..

Eve Grzybowski, author of Teach Yourself Yoga talks with J about being an early yoga adopter and a radical vision for communal retirement. They discuss yoga in the 70's and 80's, the yoga schools she founded, starting a blog back when that was a thing, creating a small community of friends to live out their latter years together, trials and joys of adult shared housing, the teachings that come when facing end stages of life.

Sally Kempton, author of Meditation for the Love of It and Awakening Shakti, talks with J about different paths in yoga and opening the subtle body. They discuss the 70's yoga scene, Swami Muktananda and her "30 years in obedience," why she left the ashram life, asceticism and tantra, personal enlightenment vs collective good, spontaneous kundalini experiences, and the mystical elements of yoga that people are reticent to talk about.

Brian Cooper, PhD, co-founder and director of Yoga Professionals (aka Yoga Alliance Professionals,) talks with J about raising the standards and quality of yoga teaching. They discuss Brian's background in practice, the impetus behind starting an association, flaws with hours-based curricula, necessary elements in fostering yoga education, the mainstream fantasy narrative of yoga, if mystical realms exist, and fostering yoga that maintains integrity.

Frank Jude Boccio returns to the show for an in-depth discussion about his writings Religious But Not Spiritual, The Secret, Neo-Liberal Buddhism, and McMindfulness: The New Capitalist Spirituality. They discuss the etymology of the word religion, what it means to be spiritual, supernatural pseudo-spirituality, science, materialism, belief in a soul, mcmindfulness, and the honest exchange of ideas and opinions that lead to a discerned truth.

Brendan McCall. movement artist and educator, talks with J about parallels between contemporary dance and yoga. Brendan and J went to college and made collaborative performance art together. They discuss the experimental performance training they received, experiential anatomy and Allan Wayne work, Jean Hamilton Floor Barre and Mary Overlie’s Six Viewpoints, and the spirit of somatic inquiry that inspired them both.

Julie Smerdon, founder of Shri Yoga, talks with J about the golden times for the yoga profession and the challenges it now faces. They discuss Julie's early formative health challenges, her transition from fitness to yoga, moving from the US to Australia, opening a center and building a community, having to close during the pandemic, pros and cons of doing teacher trainings, and finding out if it’s possible to make a living teaching without a center?

Kristine Kaoverii Weber, founder of Subtle® Yoga, talks with J about the subtle nuances of embracing a practice and life of yoga. They discuss Kristine's early years on "walkabout," going against the grain, neuroscience as a lens, implicate order and the crisis of misperception, moving to New Zealand, mystical realms, listening for divine messages, and bridging the seeming chasms that keep us bound and resistant to love.

Dave and Stacy Dockins, creators of the Yoga Project™ studios, talk with J about closing their yoga centers and living in a van. They discuss what happened when the pandemic hit and letting go of owning and operating three yoga studios, deciding to live in a van, the benefits of online teaching, day-to-day of being on the road including showers and places to sleep, and the profound philosophical impact of breaking from conventional life.

Divya Kohli, author of Finding Peace in Difficult Times: grounding techniques for inner calm, talks with J about taking a stance and simple ways to pull us through. They discuss Divya's time as a journalist, counter-narratives and navigating difficult conversations, surrender as a practice, insecurity vs uncertainty, chasing cures and experiential awareness, and how we can stay sane and steady in an increasingly fast, complex and stimulated world.

Kate Herrera Jenkins, owner or Kiva Hot Yoga in Birmingham, AL, founder of Native Strength Revolution and Stripper Soul, talks with J about building bridges and connecting to spirit. They discuss her time as a dancer in NY and discovering her purpose, her faith in Jesus, Cochiti Pueblo heritage, her Grandma Julie, hot yoga and kivas, christianity and native american connection to the spirit world, and healing indigenous communities..

Jennifer Kurdyla, coauthor of Root and Nourish, talks with J about developing a reverent and nurturing relationship with food. They discuss the many hats that Jennifer has worn including her work as an editor, her experience of coming to yoga and awareness around food, seasonal eating, kitchari, gut-brain connection, the rule of threes and lying with your left side down, Ojas, and learning to engage food respectfully as a sacred act of existence.

Jay B. Marcus and Christopher S. Clark, coauthors with Robert Keith Wallace of The Coherence Effect, talk with J about the healing effect of making the mind and body function in a more coherent way. They discuss entropy and the second law of thermodynamics, homeostasis, Transcendental Meditation and brain wave function, Ayurveda, western medicine, science behind sacred sounds, and changing society by spreading inner coherence.

Alison West, founder of Yoga Union and one of J's primary teachers, joins the show for the first time to talk about their shared past and the what they see going forward. They discuss Alison's former career as an art historian, her transition to yoga, when they met in the early nineties, when grassroots organizing saved NY state from regulation, back care and scoliosis, and the tenderness and inspiration shared through yoga inquiry.

Kari Hohne, author of Decoding the Night Sky: Ancient Babylonian Astrology and The Mythology of Sleep: The Waking Power of Dreams, talks with J about oracles and the field of interconnectivity underlying reality. They discuss Kari's early interest in dreams, studying physics and ancient systems, interpreting symbols of the mind, creating a dream dictionary, Tao te Ching and I Ching, synchronicity, and the expansiveness of trusting life is benign.

Norman Blair returns to the show to assess the current state of the yoga teaching profession and encourage creative ways of moving forward. They discuss the impact of the pandemic on teachers and centers, online teaching and getting back together in person, pay equity for yoga teachers and the formation of a yoga teacher union, the benefits of keeping things small and cooperative, and daring to think creatively about our future.

Kelly Kamm was recommended to J by a listener and it lead to this talk about the NY yoga scene, mythology, and the current state of play. They discuss earlier times, opening and closing a yoga center, misgivings of vinyasa yoga, seeking deeper connection to the invisible forces of magic and spirit, hindu mythology and fringe dwelling goddesses, leaning into the uncomfortable, incorrect assumptions, and fusing the sacred and the everyday.

Jessie Nieusma (he/him/his) answered J's call to join him for a discussion to dispel misinformation and humanize trans people. They discuss the realities of trans kids, the importance of ensuring that trans people receive the care they need, myths about sports and bathrooms, scare tactics and statistics, spectrum’s along both gender and sex, different ways to move the needle towards equality, and getting to know each other across our differences.

Kathryn Anne Flynn, author of Teach Kind, Clear Yoga, talks with J about yoga methodology and pedagogy. They discuss the influence of yoga in Kathryn's childhood, teaching yoga for the general population, magic, Madame Blavatsky and the Theosophical Society, the "ceptions" and exploratory practice, pigeon pose, mobility and stability vs strength and flexibility, strategies for making practice fit needs, and daring to be simple.