J. Brown Yoga Talks

Latest Episodes:

Mel Russo - "Local Yoga, Corporate Gigs, and Personal Touch" May 25, 2020

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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.

Mel Russo, native New Yorker and old friend, reminisces with J about the early days and shares an inside take on the closing of Yoga Works and the future of the studio model. They discuss moving west, living in the east-village back when the rents were low, managing and owning a center, having to close shop and take a gig at Yoga Works, why it all fell apart there and what was happening when the pandemic hit, the current set of choices teachers face, and reaffirming the tiny beautiful moments that make yoga feel meaningful and worthwhile.

Nyk Danu - "DIY Spirit with a Punk Rock Heart" May 18, 2020

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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.

Nyk Danu, Therapeutic Yoga Teacher and Yin Yoga Teacher Trainer, has been corresponding with J for years and they finally connect to touch base on what's happening at the grassroots. They discuss Nyk's history and appetite for learning, hosting your own classes vs teaching at centers, offering classes in a series vs drop ins, the hardcore nature of simple practice, how different centers are handling the stay-at-home orders, digital teacher training, and keeping it together when the world is falling apart, This episode is sponsored by Karmasoft.

Derek Sivers - "Solving Problems and Self Expansion" May 11, 2020

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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.

Derek Sivers, musician, producer, circus performer, entrepreneur, TED speaker, and best known as the founder of CD Baby, talks with J about shifting viewpoints, solving problems, and self expansion. They discuss means for utilizing inspiration, thinking smart instead of strategically, improving our business "top line," taking control and choosing how we engage digital technology, creative process as problem solving, expanding ourselves because it's fun, and reaffirming the intrinsic fascination and wonder that makes for a life worth living.

Joe and Alexis Simek - "Coming Together to Get Through" May 04, 2020

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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.

Joe Simek and Alexis Ridge-Simek, co-owners of Dragonfly Yoga and co-founders of The Fiaria Project, talk with J about their community coming together to get through the shut down. Originally intended to be recorded at a live event to celebrate the 15-year anniversary of their yoga center which had to be postponed indefinitely, they discuss how things were going before the pandemic hit, what steps they took to get ahead of the stay-at-home orders, and the heart and soul that is holding it all together. This episode is sponsored by Karmasoft.

Justine Cohen and Michael Ponte - "Weathering the Storm" Apr 27, 2020

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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.

Justine Wiltshire Cohen and Michael Ponte, owner and manager at Down Under Yoga School of Yoga in Boston, talk with J about what how things have been going since Justine was last on the show three years ago and what they are doing to meat the challenge of the pandemic crisis. They discuss Down Under's transition to making their teachers employees, responding to the needs of teachers and staff, important keys to their success, efforts they are making to survive the shut down, and the core principles that are guiding their choices.

Ryan Cunningham - "Gender Identity Consciousness" Apr 20, 2020

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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.

Ryan Cunningham, co-host of Unrolled Podcast, returns to touch base on what has happened since their last visit and schools J on gender and identity. They discuss what happened after Ryan went from being a yoga center manager to owner, why they let go of running a studio and got licensed as a massage therapist, the decision to be more public about expressing their non-binary viewpoint, and why choosing pronouns has deeper implications for justice and the expansion of human consciousness. This episode is sponsored by Karmasoft.

Cecily Milne - "New Paradigms and a Yoga Detour" Apr 13, 2020

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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.

Cecily Milne, founder of Yoga Detour, talks with J about the changing paradigm of yoga practice in the west and the ways in which she has grown and evolved alongside the changing conversation. They discuss her departure from Ashtanga Yoga and exploration of other movement modalities, the influences that have shaped her perspective, yoga classifications and meeting expectations, and challenging ourselves to move through the discomfort of breaking patterns that no longer serve and trust in our own powers of perception.

Diane Paylor - "Real Deal Holyfield" Apr 06, 2020

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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.

Diane Paylor, author of Yin Yoga: Essential Poses and Sequences for Balanced Energy, participated in J's Weekly Teachers Class last year and they re-connect in this intimate conversation about struggles and strengths. They discuss Diane's mom's struggle with cancer, her former life as a writer for Sassy magazine and the trauma of having a dream come true turn into a nightmare, finding yourself through yoga, focusing on strengths instead of struggles, and delving into truth with courage. This episode os sponsored by Karmasoft.

Rob Walker - "The New Yoga" Mar 30, 2020

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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.

Rob Walker, author of the The New Yoga: From Cults and Dogma to Science and Sanity, talks with J about taking a hard look at critical questions and proposing common-sense yoga for the future. They discuss how yoga classes have recently changed, the movement to make yoga classes safer and more inclusive by debunking myths and telling a more accurate history, drawing upon movement science, and six principles that add clarity and encourage further inquiry into the benefits of yoga. This episode is sponsored by Ropana CBD.

Michael Hayes - "Larger Bodies, Inclusivity, and Perseverance" Mar 23, 2020

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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.

Michael Hayes, founder of Buddha Body Yoga and an early pioneer in bringing yoga to larger bodies, talks with J about his early NY roots and the evolving conversation around how to make yoga more inclusive. They discuss Michael's early studies in Gurdjieff and massage therapy, the process of discovering yoga that worked for him, choosing to go against the grain, some of the tools he prefers, and the perseverance and passion that fuels and sustains a lifelong inquiry into the nature of yoga. This episode is sponsored by Karmasoft.

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