Raff's Brain

In this episode of Hot Yoga Problems , Rob exits another early-morning hot yoga class only to realize the practice he’s done for a decade still has endless ways to surprise—and punish—him. Today’s offenders: the Shiva Curtsy and the newly discovered Dancing Camel , two poses that raise an important question: Is yoga an infinite system of human suffering disguised as flexibility training? Between b...

What happens when a hot yoga class accidentally turns into the best throwback playlist of all time? In this episode of Hot Yoga Problems , Rob battles the post–daylight savings struggle just to make it to class. The whole world feels ten minutes behind schedule, the sleep deprivation is real, and showing up might actually be the hardest part of yoga—for once. But halfway through class, something m...

Charles Blatz returns to Raff’s Brain for a wide-ranging conversation about DIY home renovation, backyard farming, and the unexpected joys of modern homesteading. After buying a modest fixer-upper outside Cleveland, Charles has spent the past year transforming both the house and his lifestyle. He shares lessons learned from ripping out old plumbing, sanding hardwood floors, and aggressively paying...

This episode of Hot Yoga Problems begins where many great stories do: backing out of a garage and almost getting taken out by a concrete column with attitude. Rob spins that everyday moment into a funny meditation on cars, frugality, dents, and the freedom that comes from not caring too much about cosmetic damage. Then it’s off to the studio for a truly unhinged hot yoga flow, where strange transi...

Rob Raffety welcomes Brady Bond to Riffin’ with Raff for a conversation about collectibles, card culture, and the economic ideas hiding in plain sight inside hobby markets. Brady, a college student with experience buying and selling cards, is developing a project that uses the trading card world as a lens for teaching concepts like market value, scarcity, incentives, and consumer behavior. What ma...

This episode is different — and deeply personal. Rob shares the remarks he delivered to the inaugural class of MRU College Fellows, a program focused on cultivating the next generation of communicators advancing economic ideas and classical liberal principles. In a world where more than half of Americans believe the country can’t solve its biggest problems, what role do creators play? Rob frames t...

After six days off, I return to hot yoga — and it’s absolute carnage. In this Hot Yoga Problems episode, I unpack the mental spiral of falling off routine, the speed of physical regression, and the brutal honesty required to admit when you’ve been “Sloth Central.” From the mystery of Reverse Horse pose to the temptation of GLP-1 weight loss meds as the ultimate cheat code, this episode dives into...

Rob is back on the road from West Virginia to Arlington, and this Drive & Jive goes everywhere—in the best way. What begins as a casual riff about zip codes and phone numbers evolves into reflections on: Memory and how technology rewires our brains Identity shifts from “Robby” to “Rob” and maybe back again Advice for young people navigating life transitions AI, healthcare, and the future of wo...

What if the secret to content creation is that no one actually has it figured out? In this Riffin’ with Raff episode, Rob reconnects with Detroit-based storyteller and creator Bryce the Third to talk about something most creators wrestle with behind the scenes: organizing the chaos of content. Despite building major brand partnerships and growing substantial audiences, Bryce admits he’s still refi...

Senior year is a proving ground. In this episode of Riffin’ with Raff , Rob sits down with returning guest Mallory Moss to talk about discipline, team culture, resilience, and what it means to grow — even when you don’t feel grown yet. They unpack: Why motivation is overrated How habits shape identity The psychology of productivity Recovering from a car accident Fixing toxic team dynamics Choosing...

On this episode of Raff’s Brain – Drive & Jive , Rob records on the road and wrestles with creativity, technology, and identity in real time. From Meta-powered sunglasses and Spanish vocabulary experiments to group text dynamics and lifelong friendships, this episode slowly shifts into something deeper: how we’re thinking too small about AI. After five days into a 30-day Instagram posting chal...

Two days of hot yoga. One impossible baby grasshopper. And a full-blown philosophical detour into the fate of newspapers. In this Hot Yoga Problems episode, Rob explores the tension between nostalgia and progress — from the tactile joy of reading a physical newspaper to the modern outrage over canceled sports sections. It’s a sweaty meditation on comparison, change, media evolution, and the strang...

After more than a decade of yoga, Rob encounters something shocking: The Blossoming Cobra. Is it a pose? A metaphor? Or proof that anyone can invent anything if they add frog legs to it? This episode of Hot Yoga Problems dives into the absurdity of yoga naming conventions, the contradiction of “almost without fail,” and whether going to yoga gives you a psychological “license to ill.” Along the wa...

In this episode of Raff’s Brain , Rob experiments with AI in a big way, by letting AI debate AI. After two viral essays ignited the internet—one predicting massive white-collar job disruption, the other arguing that fear is the real threat—Rob uploaded both pieces into Google NotebookLM and generated a 16-minute AI-powered conversation unpacking the arguments. The result is surprisingly thoughtful...

Rob walks out of a brutally tough hot yoga class and immediately gets philosophical about winter, accountability, and a new menace: Snow Crete —that concrete-like snowpack in Northern Virginia/DC that crunches under your tires and won’t melt no matter how much you stare at the forecast. He makes a bold call that it could linger through the end of February (and maybe into March) , then turns the le...

In this can't-miss finale of the Riffin’ with Raff NFL playoff mini-series, Rob Raffety and Hoa Phan go head-to-head on Super Bowl predictions. They break down how New England clawed their way into the big game, why Seattle looks unstoppable, and whether Drake May is the real deal. The conversation turns candid (and cathartic) as Raff vents about the Steelers’ surprise hiring of Mike McCarthy...

It’s Groundhog Day, it’s snowing, and Rob just had one of the weirdest savasana experiences of his hot yoga life. This short-but-stacked episode blends everyday chaos, yogic reflections, and comically relatable frustrations from the snowy streets. From “hell or high water” musings to morning routines and 6AM class crowds, Rob delivers a hilariously rambling meditation on life, language, and the ma...

On this episode of Hot Yoga Problems , Rob Raffety shares a rare and mildly traumatic moment: receiving a stink eye in yoga class. Was it earned? Was it imagined? Was it a side effect of rolling into the sacred 9:30am slot unannounced? Rob dives deep into the territorial rituals of yoga studio life, the unspoken rules of corner spots, and how circadian rhythms, winter prep, and substitute teachers...

In this Hot Yoga Problems episode, Rob Raffety battles a Core 3 hot yoga class while the DC area melts down over an impending snowstorm. From mastering the flying frog (kind of) to fumbling a mystifying pose transition, it's an evening class full of sweat, sarcasm, and self-reflection. Enter Chatbot 5000—Rob’s digital frenemy—to roast his effort and remind him that sweat isn’t a personality t...

In this episode of Riffin’ with Raff , Rob Raffety and football whisperer Hoa Phan return for week three of their NFL playoff breakdown. From stunning upsets to questionable officiating, they unpack the agony and ecstasy of the Divisional Round and look ahead to the AFC and NFC Championship matchups. Plus, a deeper conversation emerges about rebuilding teams, the importance of knowing when to pivo...

On today's edition of Hot Yoga Problems , Rob finds himself in a nearly empty studio—and has a mind-expanding session because of it. Between sweaty breakthroughs and a soul-realigning pyramid pose, he opens up about new creative projects in AI animation, past regrets from the internet era, and how he's determined not to miss the next big wave. Plus, some light NFL banter and a motivation...

In this episode of Riffin’ with Raff , Rob Raffety reconnects with content creator Grauben Laura, who’s racked up over 7 million video views in just seven months. They dive into the wins, the misses, and the magic behind viral storytelling—from spontaneous cow cameos to high-impact cultural commentary. Grauben unpacks how unexpected visuals, cognitive dissonance, and sheer experimentation shaped h...

Riffin’ with Raff returns with Week 2 of the NFL playoff special, and it’s a rollercoaster. Raff and Hoa dissect a wild Wild Card weekend—Eagles collapse, Steelers disappoint, and Josh Allen goes full superhero. They debate divisional round matchups, shout out the underrated NFC West, and share thoughts on Mike Tomlin’s shocking exit after nearly two decades in Pittsburgh. Equal parts heart, humor...

In this on-location installment of Hot Yoga Problems , Rob returns to his hometown of Buckhannon, WV, and stumbles upon a beautiful surprise: a thriving yoga scene in a town where that once felt impossible. Broadcasting with incense in the air and deer in the yard, Rob breaks down his experience at Soulshine Yoga—from $10 drop-ins to unexpected shavasana bliss. Plus, reflections on 80s childhood,...

Old friend and longtime listener Hoa Phan returns to Riffin’ with Raff for a sharp, funny, and slightly chaotic look at the NFL playoffs. Rob and Hoa break down three big matchups — Steelers vs Texans, Eagles vs 49ers, and Bills vs Jags — and make their Super Bowl predictions, complete with spicy underdog picks. It’s part analysis, part therapy, and 100% Raff’s Brain. Who’s right? Who’s delusional...