Guys Talking Yoga

These days, yoga is a mainstream phenomenon practiced by many. But back in the 1970s, when actor and filmmaker Campbell Scott first discovered it, it was still a fringe practice associated with hippies and gurus. In this episode with guest host Larry Millburn, Campbell shares how a yoga book by Richard Hittleman nourished him physically, mentally, and spiritually. As a teenager struggling with anx...

Back from a couple months off with a quick update on the summer season with guest host Larry Milburn, former host of Roadie Free Radio and the online site, Yoga for Dudes. Derek and Larry share their initial thoughts from the Kripalu Yoga Center in Western Massachusetts where they just completed the Way of the Empowered Man led by frequent guest, Johnny Gillespie. The guys talk about the intense c...

Ever wondered what it would be like to roll out a yoga mat on your lunch break and check in with your body? Today’s show was recorded at Triangle Manufacturing , a company that encourages just that. My friend and former guest Larry Milburn was brought in to start a yoga program at this medical device manufacturing firm, and today he introduces us to two company leaders who made it happen: CEO Dax...

Casey McBride is a longtime yoga practitioner and teacher who specializes in working with men and young male athletes. She joins us to talk about how she found her way to that niche; common themes she sees among yoga-curious men; using props; and how yoga helps her athletes gain strength and avoid (and recover from) injuries. Casey also talks about: The “underground revolution” of young athletes u...

Today we have a 3-man episode, with two friends of the show joining me to go beyond downward dog and dive into the more philosophical and contemplative side of yoga.  The subject is dharma: what it means to us, why it’s so important, and how to pursue it alongside other guys who share similar values.  Put simply, dharma is about maintaining a practice or a program that grounds you in the present a...

Ever wondered why I’m so motivated to spread the good word about the benefits of yoga to guys everywhere? This episode lays it all out. That’s because today the mic is turned on me, as I’m interviewed by my good friend Larry Milburn, on his excellent podcast Roadie Free Radio .  I share how it all started with an injury to a muscle I barely knew existed, which led to a lot of physical and mental p...

Ed Harrold is a health and performance coach, yoga teacher, and the author of Life with Breath .  In this episode, he shares how he came to yoga and breathwork as a stressed-out, “broken” middle-aged guy battling physical and psychological demons; how those practices have completely transformed his health and fitness; and how you can start down the same path today. Ed also talks about: The science...

We’ve heard from a lot of guys about how yoga has helped ease their back pain, work through stress, or improve their relationships. Today’s episode has those elements, but it’s also something else entirely: the story of Darnell “Moe” Washington , a former gang member who found yoga while serving a sentence of 35 years to life in prison. It’s the third and final episode in our Prison Yoga Project s...

Bill Brown was 41 years old when he took his first yoga class, and the experience moved him to tears. You’ll hear why in this conversation, as well as how Bill wound up directing an organization that brings yoga to thousands of incarcerated men and women around the world. This is the second of three conversations in our Prison Yoga Project series; Bill expands on the group’s work (discussed last e...

James Fox is the Founding Director of Prison Yoga Project , which he started in San Quentin and grew to 17 states and beyond. In part one of a three-part series on prison yoga, James tells Derek about the program's origins (he started in a single juvenile detention center); the unique challenges and opportunities involved; and the story of a participant whose rehabilitation and parole was inex...

Friend of the show Johnny Gillespie joins Derek to talk about the men's yoga retreat he's hosting in February, called " The Way of the Empowered Man ." Johnny is a certified meditation and yoga teacher and the founder of Empowered Wellness Studio. He's also run about 30 retreats in his career. Johnny and Derek talk about: The value of retreats and why there aren't many yo...

In 2017 Derek sought out Alison West , one of the most recognized and respected yoga instructors in the industry, for his 200-hour teaching certification and his first step out of the pain, tension, and overall chronic imbalances that dogged him for over five years. It was Alison who helped introduce Derek to the infinite potential that yoga offers for developing agency and awareness in navigating...

In this episode, Derek talks yoga with two of the most impactful college lacrosse players to emerge from upstate New York in the 1990s: his former teammate and good friend, Todd Burnham – a two-time All-American and 1993 National Champion at Hobart College; and Casey Powell, a four-time All-American and 1995 National Champion at Syracuse University. Todd Burnham is an expert litigator, entrepreneu...

In this episode, Dean Pohlman, the founder of Man Flow Yoga, shares his path with yoga and the idea to launch an online yoga training program targeted to men who are new to the practice. In this informative discussion, Dean shares how he first stumbled into yoga as a senior in college, the physical benefits of yoga and how it complements any fitness program, and the impact on the lives of many guy...

Introduced to the basic principles of Hatha Yoga by his father while growing up in Little Italy, it wasn’t until his mid-twenties that Frank Mauro began exploring asana postures and the philosophical underpinnings of the practice. In the 1990s, New York was in its heady day with studios opening across the city and giving birth to a new generation of conscious and creative yoga teachers, including...

We have invited back two of our most popular guests, Johnny Gillespie and Neil Taylor, to explore 'What is Yoga?' Johnny, Neil, and Derek discuss several themes around known aspects of the physical practice – including alignment and balance; however, the guys also hit on more subtle themes, such as skillfulness, connection, vulnerability, and wisdom that most probably don’t consider when r...

In this special bonus episode, Larry Milburn shares several stories about his work teaching men Yoga. You can also listen to Larry's full episode, titled "Reckoning Poses and Working Out the Gunk with Filmmaker, Podcaster, Yoga Instructor Larry Millburn" for more of Larry's insights, advice, and stories.

In 1995 Larry Millburn wandered into the Center for Yoga in Los Angeles not knowing what he was looking for and the path ahead. Sensing he needed to find a healthier approach to balance out some bad habits he told the studio owner at the front desk that he looking to get “out of his body” to which she replied  No, you need to get into your body.  In this conversation, Larry shares his long path wi...

Highlights from over forty interviews, this episode is a great companion listen for any new or seasoned practitioner with offerings ranging from how yoga has helped overcome back issues to real break-through experiences on a deeper, personal level. If you have any doubts about your practice and looking for some reminders on why you found yoga pop this string of hard-earned wisdom on your favorite...

A top athlete all his life, participating in varsity sports, long-distance races, triathlons, crossfit and cycling, Dave Johnson first experienced yoga in 2013 while vacationing in Tulum, Mexico at an outdoor palapa at the beach and felt a connection and awareness in his body that he had never experienced before – and by the time that first savasana ended he was hooked. When he...

Retired Major Mark Voelker (USMC) shares his path with yoga and how the practice has helped him develop the mind-body connection, learn to make better choices off the mat and be a teacher and leader for others in need.  He’s a certified yoga and meditation teacher, Warriors at Ease graduate and Level 1 instructor.  Mark is also a team lead at Semper Fi Odyssey where he works with injured and comba...

Geoffrey Roniger has been leading yoga classes for over twenty years and is the founder of Freret Street Yoga in New Orleans and Yoga Unbound, a hybrid studio model offering online, studio, and private training classes and instruction. He has apprenticed with globally renowned teachers Richard Rosen and Rodney Yee and completed the advanced studies program at Piedmont Yoga Studio. During his teach...

As a former athlete who was approaching his fortieth birthday and weighing two hundred and eighty pounds, Art Massolo never thought he would consider yoga. But when stuck in a rut, and recognizing psychotherapy and other western approaches weren’t providing the tools and perspective he needed, Art began his yoga path by attending a two-week immersion program of “love, community, peace, and great h...

Leon Barnett was never a gym guy. After twenty-five years in the restaurant business, and being in recovery for seventeen, he knew he needed to make a change. But that change wasn’t going to happen if he wasn’t willing to make it. In this conversation, Leon shares his story about starting his path with yoga at the age of fifty-four and his experiences working through his first few classes. Along t...

In Southern California during the mid-1960s, most twelve-year old boys were focusing on Sandy Kofax, Don Drysdale and the Los Angeles Dodgers. However young Rich Driscoll was captivated by Autobiography of a Yogi, the best seller by Parmahansa Yogananda. Ever the seeker and student, Rich’s path and interest in meditation took him to Yogananda’s Self-Realization Fellowship as a curious teenager, ab...