J. Brown Yoga Talks

Mira Scalco Kraftsow, cofounder of the American Viniyoga Institute, brings her special brand of shakti to the podcast and talks with J about the spirit that guided her to her teachers Gary Kraftsow and TKV Desikachar, and her ongoing journey to bring the teachings of yoga to light. They discuss her roots in Italy, her time with Rajneesh/Osho, her relationship with Desikachar, the progression of Viniyoga, and the simple sadana of ordinary life. This episode is sponsored by Yogalifestyle.com and Karmasoft.

Gary Kraftsow, founder of the American Viniyoga Institute, author of Yoga for Wellness and Yoga for Transformation, talks with J about his precedent-setting career in yoga and yoga therapy. They discuss his relationship to TKV Desikachar and the impact it had on his teaching, why the efforts to create a national organization were thwarted, the story behind using the name Viniyoga, the definition of yoga therapy, and the true spirit of the teachings. This episode is brought to you by YogaAnatomy.net.

Richard Miller, founder of iRest Yoga Nidra, co-founder of The International Association of Yoga Therapy and founding editor of the professional Journal of IAYT, talks with J about his many years of study and the work he has done integrating teachings. They discuss nondual philosophy, TKV Desikachar, his use of Yoga Nidra in the military, making sense of the scandals, and the core principles at work in the process of healing through yoga. This episode is sponsored by Yogalifestyle.com and Karmasoft.

R. Sriram comes to the Unites States of America for the first time to attend a celebration of his longtime teacher T. K. V. Desikachar and sits down with J for this conversation about the man and the legacy he left the world. They discuss Sriram’s early studies in Madras, T Krishnamacharya, moving from India to Germany, his views on cultural appropriation, the scandal around T.K.V.’s son Kausthub, and the authenticity at the heart of the tradition. This episode is brought to you by YogaAnatomy.net.

Faith Hunter, creator of Spiritually Fly, talks with J about the life events that fueled her commitment to yoga, some shared roots in NYC, and the course of her high-profile career. They discuss her early work with a national HIV/AIDS organization, the transition into teaching and owning a center, the breaks that enabled her to expand her work, how she came up with her signature Spiritually Fly Sutras, and the current state of the yoga industry. This episode is sponsored by Yogalifestyle.com and Karmasoft.

Jerome Armstrong, author of Calcutta Yoga, talks with J about his new book on the history of hot yoga. They discuss the largely untold story of Buddha Bose & the Yoga Family of Bishnu Ghosh and Yogananda, and how that led to Bikram Yoga. Jerome also speaks to his own experience of practicing standard hot yoga and the more traditional teachings of Ghosh Yoga, and the turn of events that led to a rare discovery and a relationship to the family. This episode is brought to you by YogaAnatomy.net.

Benjamin Lorr, author of Hell-Bent: Obsession, Pain, and the Search for Something Like Transcendence in Competitive Yoga, talks with J about Bikram Yoga, how it lead to writing his tell-all book, and the aftershocks that are still being felt today. They discuss Benjamin’s prize in a yoga competition, paradoxes at work in Bikram Choudhury, power dynamics and cult behavior, larger cultural issues, and his new book project focusing on Trader Joes. This episode is sponsored by YogaLifestyle.com and Karmasoft.

Arundhati Baitmangalkar, founder and lead teacher of Aham Yoga and Bollyworks Dance, sent J a supportive email after hearing him speak about being accused of cultural appropriation, and J remembered some blogs that Arundhati had written on yoga in the west vs east, and it led to this wide-ranging conversation. They discuss Arundhati's first Power Yoga classes in India, her study of classical yoga, moving to the USA, and making her own thing happen. This episode is brought to you by YogaAnatomy.net.

Beryl Bender Birch, author of Power Yoga and founder of The Hard and the Soft Yoga Institute, joins J for a look back at the earliest remnants of yoga in the west, its progression into the mainstream, and the role she played in shepherding it forth. They discuss what yoga was like in the early days, how she found her way into teaching yoga and coming up with the name ‘Power Yoga’, Patabhi Jois, and her work with the Give Back Yoga Foundation.

Kristen Fewel, author of The Gift of Awakening and founder of Full Circle Yoga & Healing Arts, reached out to say that she was inspired by some of the talks on the podcast to transition her yoga center away from the conventional way of doing business to a less extractive rental model so J invited her on to have a conversation about what she is doing. They also discuss her newly published book that bravely delves into realm of the mystical and awakening. This episode is brought to you by YogaAnatomy.net.

Erin Heisel is a podcast listener who reached out to J after hearing him talk about ‘flow states” which led to this conversation about her research into play and its relevance to yoga and beyond. First, Erin lays out a theoretical framework for play and then they discuss whether flow requires physical challenge, the elements that bring about flow or play spheres and the relevance to how we practice yoga and engage ourselves in life. This episode is brought to you by Yogalifestyle.com and Karmasoft.

Joe Simek, co-owner of Dragonfly Yoga and co-founder of The Fiaria Project, reached out to J after hearing he was moving to PA and invited him to his studio where they started a conversation that continues in this talk. They discuss their common history in music, how Joe let go of his corporate life and focused on yoga, his experience of becoming a foster parent and starting a non-profit, and the realities of keeping things small and still making it work. This episode is brought to you by YogaAnatomy.net.

Cheryl Urbanczyk, yoga-teacher-in-training and regular podcast listener, sent J an email that caught his attention and prompted this talk about her faith and yoga. They discuss Cheryl’s conversion from Catholicism to Islam, misconceptions about Muslims, how she came to yoga, and some of the unique obstacles that the Muslim community face getting exposed to yoga. They also discuss her plan to create women's only yoga classes. This episode is brought to you by Yogalifestyle.com and Karmasoft.

Andrea Ferretti, creative director for Jason Crandall Yoga Method and host of Yogaland Podcast, joins J to talk about their common experience of being both parents and podcast hosts in the yoga world. They discuss Andrea’s early avenues into yoga and publishing, her many years as an editor at Yoga Journal Magazine, her relationship to Jason Crandall, what it means to be a yoga family, and the mind-expanding challenge, and joy, of producing podcasts. This episode is brought to you by YogaAnatomy.net.

Prabha Sinha, founder of the Pratyush Sinha Foundation and Lehigh Valley Yoga Festival, sits down with J to talk about her journey from India to America and the story behind the foundation and festival she has dedicated her life to. They discuss misconceptions about yoga in the west, cultural differences and universal truths, the death of her son and how it led to her yoga, and the heart and soul that goes into making it all happen. This episode is brought to you by Yogalifestyle.com and Karmasoft.