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.

David Lipsius, president and CEO of Yoga Alliance, sits down with J to talk about the issues facing the organization and his new leadership role. They discuss David’s history and credentials, his study and training in yoga, and what he hopes to do at the YA. The conversation tackles many of the misconceptions regarding YA, problems with the standards, a lack of transparency in the past, what is going to change going forward, and how we might start an honest dialogue to raise the value and social impact of the yoga profession.

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Michelle Ryan, founder of Ashtanga Yoga Northampton, has been listening to the podcast and, after hearing J and his guests talking about new models for yoga centers, felt compelled to reach out via email. She is running her center in a different way that brings some new ideas to the table, so J brought her on to discuss what she is doing. They track Michele’s background in yoga and owning centers, the pitfalls and tribulations of the life, and the methods that she has arrived at to forge more sustainable means of operation. 

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Amy Ippoliti talks with J about being in the right place at the right time, at the cusp of yoga’s entrance into the mainstream, through the rise and fall of the Anusara popularity, and the path to healing and learning in the aftermath of the scandal. They swap some tales of the early NY scene, get into the real story behind why Anusara fell apart, compare the time that they came into to teaching with some of the realities that new teachers are facing today, and find shared purpose in their love of yoga and passion for helping people.

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Temple Fiergola is a yoga teacher and podcast listener who sent J a blog post she wrote about negotiating her pay rates with yoga center owners that warranted a longer conversation, so J brings her on to talk it out. In the course of the discussion, Temple shares some intimate details of her life that strike a cord in J and set a tone for further inquiries into balancing family life and maintaining a teaching practice, overcoming grief, the diminishing pay scales available to yoga professionals, and the need for more open dialogue.

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After a snarky post from J referencing an article in Yoga Journal about Down Under School of Yoga in Boston making yoga teachers employees vs independent contractors, the owner, Justine Wiltshire Cohen, joins in this conversation to clarify and make her positions clear on the issues. They discuss the origins of the center, its growth, the reasons for non-compete clauses, intellectual property rights, pay scales, and the problem with attempting to present black and white solutions to nuanced and varied challenges.

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Adriene Mishler, from the Yoga with Adriene Youtube Channel, talks with J about what its like to have over two million people subscribing to your Youtube videos, how such a thing comes about, and the work that goes into making something like that fly. In this unexpected and engaged conversation, J discovers that Adriene is way more than just a “Youtube star” as they discuss the yoga hustle and what it means to make real connections with people both in person and through the asynchronous universe of the internet.

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Amy Matthews, co-founder of Babies Project, sits down with J to talk about the ideas we hold around the human body and our ability to change. After studying with Amy for almost a year, J takes this opportunity to delve deeper into questions of injuries, bio-mechanics, somatic experience, embryology, the proportionality of growth, and the disconnect between what our physiology is actually saying and what we think is the case. More than anything, they invite a full range of possibility by embracing the mystery of existence.

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Alexandria Crow, founder of Yoga Physics, joins J for a conversation about her evolution as a yoga teacher, from early high profile appearances to whistle-blower and rabble-rouser. They have been in contact for some time but only hook up after Alex posted one of J’s podcast about Yoga Alliance on her FB timeline and a comment thread blew up. In this candid conversation, they discuss some of Alex’s history, reconciling the documentation of your past online, and problems with the industry “standards” for yoga teachers.

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J moderates this panel discussion at the Accessible Yoga Conference NYC with Steffany Moonez, founder of Yoga for Arthritis, Prakash Capen, Integral Yoga Teacher and Minister, Mirabai Hubbell, chair of the Older Adults Department at City College, and Char Grossman, founder of YogaReach. The topic was “Ageism and Ableism: Creating Welcoming Yoga Spaces” and after some time getting to know the panelists, they share their views and take questions from the audience on issues of inclusion in yoga classes.

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Amber Karnes, creator of Body Positive Yoga, joins J for a talk about making the ends meet as teachers in the new landscape. They are both in the midst of moving and navigating the ways they can make a living and, after canceling a number of times, they jump into a conversation despite not feeling all that up to it. Fortunately, coming together on the challenges they are facing is a welcome release and serves to reaffirm their resolve. They also discuss the origins of Body Positive Yoga and the Yoga for All Training she does with Dianne Bondy.

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Sadia Bruce, a friend and fellow teacher, posted something about one of J’s podcasts that ruffled his feathers some so he decided to bring her on the show to talk about it. But, while they do discuss the post and why it bothered J, the conversation ended up going in unexpected directions as J learns that Sadia has come to a crossroads in her career and is considering leaving the profession. They talk about racism, prejudice, the co-option of the diversity and inclusion conversation, and the difficult grind of making a livelihood as a yoga teacher.

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Joe Sandor, a budding yoga instructor who recently discovered the podcast, sent J an intriguing email and he thought it would be fun to bring him on to talk about it. They discuss Joe’s 9-5 job at the State Department, the role that showers played in his entrance into yoga, the inner workings of Core Power, and his experience of teacher training. They go on to consider some of the current economic models for where teachers fit into the business of yoga, the pitfalls therein, and some potential ideas on what else might be possible.

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India Supera, founder of the Feathered Pipe Foundation and Ranch, graces J with a conversation on a most auspicious day. They discuss the turns of history and politics that shaped her journey to the east, the happenstance that brought her back and birthed the Feathered Pipe, and the many incredible people who make pilgrimage there. They also discuss changes in the yoga world and remaining true to purpose, celebrate the magic that brings them together, and share in the joy and excitement of J’s inaugural visit to the ranch.

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Andrew Tanner, official spokesperson for the Yoga Alliance, invites J to the Yoga Journal Conference NYC 2017 to discuss recent developments at YA and the future of the yoga industry. Recorded in front of a live audience, Andrew fills J in on the hiring of YA's new CEO, the election of a new head to the board, and the idea for change that the organization is embarking upon. They also field questions from the audience and discuss trends, predictions, and how individual professionals are adapting to the changing times and landscape.

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After Jivana Heyman, founder of Accessible Yoga, invited J to moderate a panel discussion at the Accessible Yoga Conference NYC, they have a chance to speak about the origins of Jivana’s work and the mission of the conference. Jivana shares how he transformed the horror of the AIDS crisis in 1990’s San Francisco into the gift of making Yoga accessible to everyone. The discussion also touches on aspects of yoga philosophy and purpose, the difference between doing service and business, and the power of love and community to heal.

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Sam Rudra Swartz stops by the center in Brooklyn to talk with J about the Accessible Yoga Conference and his long-time relationship with Integral Yoga. They discuss his formative years becoming a resident of both the Yogaville Ashram in Virginia and the Integral Center in NYC, the onset of his physical ailments and the process of overcoming them, and his work in making yoga more accessible to everyone. The conversation also touches on a range of current topics in the yoga word and the application of yoga philosophy to everyday life.

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Anna Guest-Jelley, founder of Curvy Yoga, knows J from way back when in the early yoga blogosphere days. After getting a PR workup on her new book and feeling a bit jealous, J gets over himself and talks with Anna about her road to greater body acceptance, the influences that have presented challenges, the practice she discovered, the teaching she developed, and the culmination of her new book. They also talk some shop about the pros and cons of the new digital landscape, and making your way as an independent teacher.

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J sits down with his old friend, Zack Kurland. They started out in the yoga word on parallel tracks but Zack ended up taking a different turn ten years ago. They finally get a chance to talk about the way things went and how they are now. Zack discusses his studies in Yoga and Ayurveda, the early NYC days, his experience in yoga-related businesses, starting the Breathing Project with Leslie Kaminoff, the time that they knew each other as fellow teachers, and his decision to depart the yoga profession and find another direction.

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J talks to Dylan Gallos, a podcast listener who sent an email that hit home and ended up challenging preconceived notions. They discuss Dylan’s bi-racial roots, his relationship to fitness, the PHD he is almost done with on intergenerational child abuse, and the realities of navigating yoga studio culture as an independent teacher who doesn’t fit the conventional molds. The conversation also touches on the fears that keep us from having open dialogue, and ways in which we can overcome our divides and come to better understanding.

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Beth Donnelly Cabán, long time friend of J and co-producer of The Essential Prenatal Yoga Video with Beth Donnelly Cabán, talks with J about their connection through his center in Brooklyn, the early NY yoga world that brought them together, Beth’s relationship with Integral Yoga, and the release of their new video. They also discuss her extensive work in educating and helping people during prenatal and postpartum stages of life. J and Beth’s producer, Josh Sitron, also jumps on to share the process and purpose behind facilitating their work.

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Donna Farhi talks with J about her experience going from dance to Iyengar Yoga to “the refinement of natural and universal movement principles that underlie safe and sustainable Yoga practice.” They commune on a range of pressing topics that are affecting the yoga world today, including the prevalence of injurious instruction, the lack of foundational understanding about Yoga, ethical behavior, how different pedogogy either empowers or disempowers people, and the kinds of questions that best encourage a healthy way forward.

Click here to get Free Resources and more from Donna.

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Mike Huggins, founder of Transformation Yoga Project and author of Going OM: A CEO's Journey from a Prison Facility to Spiritual Tranquility, talks with J about the turn of events that took him from the top of a corporate ladder to federal prison, and how that experience was transformed into a new life purpose. They discuss his work in applying yoga practices for addiction recovery and trauma-related issues, the personal realities of incarceration, white privilege and diverse populations, and serving on a board together at Liberation Prison Yoga.

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Peter Blackaby, author of Intelligent Yoga, talks with J about how he went from Iyengar yoga and an anatomical approach to a view that encompasses the complex relationship between things. They discuss some of his influences, including Vanda Scaravelli, Serge Krakovetsky, and Stanley Kellerman, the idea of functionality, and letting go of yoga practice as a form of physical exercise. This conversation is precursor to the upcoming Beyond Anatomy Symposium with Peter, Leslie Kaminoff and Amy Matthews at the Breathing Project NYC.

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Helene Courvrette, co-founder of MISTY-Montreal International Symposium on Therapeutic Yoga, talks with J about her passion for bringing people together to share and learn. They discuss some of the deep tragedies and losses that Helene has endured, how they led to the work she does as a Yoga Therapist and organizer of MISTY, and the miracle of life that fueled it all. They also touch on the difficulties and financial realities of organizing events and running yoga centers, and where the truest rewards are to be found.

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Alex Auder, director of Magu Yoga and old friend of J, talks about her mothers' relationship to Andy Warhol, growing up in the Chelsea Hotel, NYC in the 80’s, the early formative times of Jivamukti Yoga, and the fierce determination of independent yoga center owners to make shit happen. They also compare and contrast the current landscape of social media and teacher trainings with how things were in the older days of yoga industry, and briefly discuss some presidential politics as it happened this was recorded on inauguration day.