Or Shahar, from freedomyoga.info, is a podcast listener with a booker who got a bit lucky and caught J in a moment that led to this candid and unexpected conversation about family, cultural divides, and the universality of yoga. Or shares her process of healing depression and trauma, making a life for herself in Berlin, and the challenge of meeting people where they are while still holding true to principles that explore the depth of practice.

Barbara Benagh, legendary indy yoga teacher, joins J to trace the history and evolution of yoga from the 70’s until the present day. They discuss her early adoption of Iyengar yoga, her progression into a more somatic approach, the teachers and influences that have inspired her along the way, her relationship to and feeling about the ascendance of yoga as business and the celebrity of teachers, and how she ended up charting her own course.

Justine Mastin, creator of YogaQuest, talks with J about bringing yoga to the geek community. They discuss what it means to be a geek, the process of embracing her inner nerd through yoga, and how she came to create a narrative-based practice that gives permission for people to be who they are even when it doesn't fit what other people think is normal. Justine provides an example of bringing yoga with whimsy to unconventional spaces.

Anneke Lucas, founder of Liberation Prison Yoga, returns to talk with J about her thoughts on the resurgence of the #metoo movement, the politics of power addiction, and the larger implications for the yoga world. They discuss the public reckoning that men are being confronted with, the prevalence of pedophilia and conspiracies that cover it up, enabling in the ashtanga tradition, the criminal justice system, and what it means to be liberated.

Jill Miller, creator of Yoga Tune Up® and The Roll Model Method®, talks with J eight days after receiving hip replacement surgery. They discuss their parallel journeys, Jill’s decision to go under the knife, what its been like since, the blowback she got online, and why J is both grateful and freaked out by her example. The conversation also touches on issues surrounding injuries in yoga, and the challenge of being able to evolve and grow.

Alexis Marback and Caitlin Lanier, members of The Breathe Network, talk with J about the evolving world of trauma-informed yoga. They discuss the expansion of trauma sensitivity in the wake of yoga scandals, whether increased training is warranted, pitfalls in labeling and standardizing individual experience, Flip Chips, and how the current landscape is changing the dynamics and context. They also tackle addressing power dynamics.

Sadie Nardini, founder of Core Strength Vinyasa and The Yoga Shred, host of Rock Your Yoga and cast member of Yoga Girls, talks with J about her early beginnings and emergence as a social media yoga icon. Sadie discusses her childhood struggle with a neurological disorder, the fierce determination that helped her be strong, and the unintended consequences that forced her to change. They also discuss her persona as the “black sheep” of yoga.

Lucas Rockwood, founder of Yoga Teachers College and YOGABODY Naturals, host of Yoga Talk Show, is a fellow podcaster and expat who wrote a scathing piece about doTerra that got J’s attention. They have a lively discussion about leaving the NY scene to stake a claim in the international markets, his evolution from accidental teacher to retreat center owner, starting a supplements company, and creating an online presence.

Matthew Taylor, past president of the board of directors of International Association of Yoga Therapists, chair of their business development community, and leader in business and clinical skills development for Yoga therapists, talks with J about the origins and future of yoga as a respected therapy. They discuss Matthew’s background in integrative rehabilitation, his evolution, the creation of standards, and new developments in the field.

Kimberly Wilson, founder of Tranquil Space and host of the Tranquility du Jour Podcast, sold two of the most popular yoga center locations in the DC area to Yogaworks right about the same time that J sold his center in Brooklyn. They talk about the arc of yoga in the mainstream, the process of growing a yoga center and related businesses, and what it means to let go and move on to new horizons when the time comes.

J sits down with Roody Senecal, creator of Karmasoft Online, to talk about how he went from manufacturing metal doors to becoming a yoga teacher, owning a yoga center, and developing the software that J ran his center with for seven out of ten years he had it. They discuss Roody’s childhood in Haiti, his relationship to his wife, training with Bikram Choudhury, and how he fosters a successful yoga center and business.

Jillian Pransky, author of Deep Listening, talks with J about her journey in overcoming anxiety and finding a slow, gentle approach to body and life. They discuss her childhood and early exposure to meditation, giving up a “real” job in publishing to pursue a yoga career, the influences that have shaped her work and led to a focus on restorative yoga, and her new book. The conversation also touches on finding a healthy work/life balance.

Vanessa Kudrat Weinberg, founder of Body Mind Gifts, is an old friend of J’s from their early college years who showed up to one of his final classes in Brooklyn after not seeing each other in over fifteen years. They reconnect and reminisce on the old days at NYU, talk about Vanessa’s studies with Yogi Bhajan, the early days of the internet, and the ways in which wellness and yoga have gone mainstream and become professions.

Trina Altman, creator of Yoga Deconstructed® and Pilates Deconstructed®, talks with J about her viewpoint on the limitations of the physical side of yoga for fitness and health. They discuss life events and influences that have led to the combination of modalities and techniques informing her teaching and approach to yoga and embodied movement. J learns about the differences between Yoga and Pilates, and having a wider movement diet.

Melissa Hagedorn, founder of the Northwest Yoga Conference, joins the podcast for a lively and redemptive conversation after J accidentally used a photo of hers on one of his blog posts and got a polite but firm request to cease and desist. All is made well as they discuss Michelle’s mobile lifestyle and her call to create a yoga conference against all odds. They also discuss the ways in which balance can be struck between yoga and commerce.

Noah Mazé, founder of YOGAMAZÉ, talks with J about his early exposure to yoga, how he came to meet John Friend during the formative time of Anusara, the effects that the Anusara downfall had on him, and the ways in which the thread of his yoga has carried through and expanded. They also discuss online videos of Noah doing crazy stuff without context, a recent scandal, and the discussions that exemplify and shape our times.

Cora Wen is a name that J knew from his early remembrances of the yoga world, yet it wasn’t until this talk that he knew anything about her. They discuss Cora’s origins in yoga, the many amazing teachers that she has worked closely with over the years, and some reasons why she has maintained a slightly underground status. The conversation also tracks some yoga-going-into-the-mainstream history and pitfalls,

Leslie Kaminoff invites J to join him for the last of his live oral history events at The Breathing Project. They are accompanied by a small group of staff and friends for an intimate conversation about what has gone past and what lies ahead. The discussion tracks some history behind the Breathing Project, the publication of Yoga Anatomy and rumors of a potential third edition, and all the emotions around saying goodbye.

Nischala Devi, author of The Secret Power of Yoga: A Woman's Guide to the Heart and Spirit of the Yoga Sutras, joins the podcast and brings J some inspiration and joy. They talk about her many years in ascetic life, the process of leaving it, new paths forged since, and what its like to translate Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras from a woman’s perspective. They also discuss the heart and soul of the practice.

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, what is going to change going forward, and how we might start an honest dialogue to raise the yoga profession.