(2/5 in the Yoga Podcast Series)
Welcome to week two of "My Favorite Podcasts for the Yoga Teacher and Practitioner." Keep in mind that these podcasts are not listed in order of quality, but in order of the quantity of episodes that I have listened to. All five podcasts are of high caliber.
Today I present to you "J. Brown Yoga Talks" J. Brown has been on the yoga scene since the late 90s, moving from LA to NY where he opened and ran a yoga studio for 10 years. While you can still hear the Cali vibe in his voice, he now calls Easton, PA his home. Coining the phrase "Gentle is the New Advanced," J. advocates for a mindful and healing approach to yoga practice.
One aspect that makes J's podcasts so authentic is that he begins recording the second the guest answers the call. Therefore, the listener is privy to all the nonchalant chat from start to finish. I always feel like I am able to get a true sense of the guest by how they act when they realize the record button is on. Another enjoyable aspect is that J. speaks frankly and isn't afraid to break in and question when his experience or opinion is in contrast to that of the guest. A fair warning that this podcast is not always "Safe for Work."He doesn't drop cuss words left and right but occasionally they come out. Listeners can tune in to his intro to hear what's going on in his life and find out where to join him for practice, or skip ahead and go straight to the talk.
J.'s list of guests include the biggest names in the Yoga world including: Judith Hanson Lasater, Kino MacGregor, Richard Freeman, Beryl Bender Birch, Ana Forrest,and Leslie Kaminoff, to name a few.
Many of J's talks tend to fall in one of three categories:
Yogic Philosophy
My favorites that fall into this category are : Richard Miller's talk on "Non-dualism and Modern Adaptation" and Theo Wild on "Post-Lineage Yoga"
Yoga History and its Evolution
Having taken and loved Viniyoga classes in India, I found Gary Kraftsow's talk on How American "Vinyiyoga" come into being very intriguing. I also came to a consistent practice thanks to Yoga With Adriene's Youtube channel. So I was thrilled when J. invited Adriene Mishler to talk about the growth of the Online Yoga Community.
The Current State of Yoga
Nothing can sustain the vortex of time without adapting and yoga is no exception. In Peter Blackaby's chat about his newly revised book "Intelligent Yoga" he discusses his revisions to his book's second edition as well as how he has revised his yoga practice. In Gernot Huber's talk "Disrupting the Stress Response" they discuss a common topic in yoga of "finding your edge" and how to not become attached to the goal of "getting a pose."
The archives of J's podcast are deep, so scroll through, find a teacher or topic or interest and enjoy! What sort of vibe do you get from J and which episode did you jive with?
Until next week, relish in the abundance of podcast options and listen away!