J. Brown, a dedicated yoga practitioner and teacher with over 25 years of experience, shares profound insights into the evolving landscape of yoga. He discusses the significance of balancing devotion and discernment in the teacher-student relationship. The conversation tackles the challenges posed by modern spirituality and the complexities of spiritual authority. Brown emphasizes the importance of personal intuition and alignment in one's practice, debunking myths about enlightenment and advocating for a more accessible approach to awakening.
01:10:43
forum Ask episode
web_stories AI Snips
view_agenda Chapters
menu_book Books
auto_awesome Transcript
info_circle Episode notes
insights INSIGHT
Devotion vs. Cult Dynamics
Devotion and cult-like behavior are distinct.
One can be devoted to a teacher without giving up their autonomy.
insights INSIGHT
Openness and Discernment
Open-heartedness can be mistaken for lack of discernment.
Protect yourself through discernment, not by closing your heart.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Focus on the Fruits, Not the Roots
Evaluate teachings based on their benefits (fruits), not their origin (roots).
A flawed teacher can still transmit valuable teachings.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
This book is a collection of lectures delivered by William James at the University of Edinburgh between 1901 and 1902. It focuses on the personal and subjective aspects of religious experiences, rather than on theology or organized religion. James examines various types of religious experiences, including healthy-mindedness, the sick soul, conversion, mysticism, and saintliness. He emphasizes the importance of feeling and personal experience in religion, arguing that these experiences are the primary source of religious beliefs and practices. The book also discusses the psychological and philosophical implications of these experiences, highlighting their complexity and life-altering nature[2][3][4].
This week’s episode features an archival conversation from about four years ago during the pandemic with J. Brown, host of the Yoga Talks podcast. J. Brown has been practicing yoga for over 25 years and is widely known as a writer and industry-leading podcaster. His signature offering is a deeply breath-centered, therapeutic yoga practice inspired by the TKV Desikachar tradition, aimed at fostering well-being and reducing pain. J. Brown's journey into yoga began as a way to process his mother’s death, seeking freedom from the grief and disillusionment that accompanied it. Starting with Ashtanga and Iyengar styles, J. eventually found his way to a therapeutic approach through the teachings of Swami P. Saraswati and the Krishnamacharya tradition. He teaches that yoga is not a linear progression but a practice of learning how to care for oneself. In this conversation, we explore the evolving dynamics of yoga practice and the teacher-student relationship. The discussion covers themes such as balancing devotion and discernment, the challenges of navigating modern spirituality, and common misconceptions about awakening. It highlights the importance of aligning one’s practice, goals, and philosophical view to bring clarity to the spiritual path, offering valuable insights into the role of teachers and the transformative power of yoga.
Discover a treasure trove of guided meditations, teachings, and courses at tantrailluminated.org.
Tantra Illuminated with Dr. Christopher Wallis 