You are listening to the free version of J. Brown Yoga Talks. To hear the rest of our conversation, please subscribe to podcast premium at: https://www.jbrownyoga.com/premium.

Doug Keller talks with J about the history and philosophies of yoga. They discuss why Doug left academia to spend 14 years in Siddha Yoga Ashrams, the process of adaptation that defines yoga's evolution, vedic tradition, capital T tantra, Hatha Pradipika and the democratization of practice, meditation and samadhi according to different viewpoints, attempting to escape vs embracing the cycle of rebirth, manifestations and expressions of expanded consciousness, and the importance of knowing truth from within.

You are listening to the free version of J. Brown Yoga Talks. To hear the rest of our conversation, please subscribe to podcast premium at: https://www.jbrownyoga.com/premium.

Melissa McKay, meditation teacher and old friend of J, talks about the practice and purpose of vipassana and metta meditation. They discuss the center Melissa had in Brooklyn and her son, her teachers from Burma and the ways she learned from them, entry points and deeper teachings, meditation as an intentional habituation of the mind, accessibility and the many different containers for meditation, easing stress and suffering, enlightened beings and heavenly realms, and the enduring power of loving kindness and compassion.

You are listening to the free version of J. Brown Yoga Talks. To hear the rest of our conversation, please subscribe to podcast premium at: https://www.jbrownyoga.com/premium.

Cara Suttie joins the show to talk with J about the impact of the pandemic on the work of making yoga more accessible. They discuss Cara's experience of coming to yoga before the power craze took over, healing trauma somatically, pros and cons of online classes for people who don't fit preconceived molds, studio culture before the lockdowns changed everything, possibilities for change as we start to come back together, not controlling and being present for the journey, and feeling comfortable in your worth as a person.

You are listening to the free version of J. Brown Yoga Talks. To hear the rest of our conversation, please subscribe to podcast premium at: https://www.jbrownyoga.com/premium.

Swami Saradananda, author of Sitting Comfortably: Preparing the Mind and Body for Peaceful Meditation, talks with J about the Haṭha Yoga Pradīpikā. They discuss Swami Saradananda's departure from the Sivananda organization after 26 years, getting a masters degree in Traditions of Yoga and Meditation, origins of the sun salutation and other misconceptions about Hatha Yoga, the difference between a full-body mudra and an asana, the purpose of kriyas and raja yoga, meditation vs relaxation, and the experience of samadhi.