Imagine yoga before it was transformed in its journey to the West. Imagine a personalized, breath-centered practice, passed down from individual teacher to student. A Yoga for the well being of the whole person; something that would provide a vehicle for learning to truly take care of ourselves and ease the pains of life.

Yoga changed when it came to the West. New styles and brands of yoga have developed which meet the desires and expectations of much of the American audience: focusing on the outer, physical achievements, and perhaps losing something in the creation of standardized, scaled and franchised approach to yoga. But the older traditions have also continued, and J. Brown is at the forefront of a welcome resurgence of this ‘old-school’ yoga.

At once both a revolution and a return to the ancient roots of yoga, this is a gentle, therapeutic, breath-centered practice. It makes the body strong and flexible in a way that also encourages useful patterns of thought and behavior. No struggling. No straining. No striving. Just strong and calm, even and measured work.

Testimonial

“That diligence around breath and its ongoing emphasis is what struck me as the most distinguishing factor of his Gentle is the New Advanced style of practice… a gateway. For me, it swiftly removed the striving and gave license to savor the more subtle aspects of the poses – poses which I have greeted in the same fashion for nearly two decades.”

~ Susan Currie, Managing Editor at Boston Yoga & Associate Editor at LA YOGA Magazine

About J. Brown

J. Brown (E-RYT 500) is a yoga teacher, writer, podcaster, and founder of Abhyasa Yoga Center in Brooklyn, New York. A teacher for more than 20 years, he is known for his pragmatic approach to teaching personal, breath-centered therapeutic yoga practice adapted to individual needs, including chronic or acute conditions. His writing has been featured in Yoga Therapy Today, the International Journal of Yoga Therapy, and across the yoga blogosphere. He is studied in the Ashtanga-Vinyasa, Iyengar, Sivananda, and Desikachar/Krishnamacharya forms of Hatha Yoga practice. His teachers include Alison West (Yoga Union Certified), Richard Freeman, Swami P. Saraswati (Rishikesh-India), Katchie Ananda and Mark Whitwell (Heart of Yoga Certfied). J. is a member of IAYT.

For more than two decades years, J. Brown has been developing techniques to teach people how to practice yoga in a deeper and more fulfilling way. He is also a well-known writer, having been featured in Yoga Therapy Today, the International Journal of Yoga Therapy, Elephant Journal, and Yogadork.

J. came to yoga by way of his mother’s death. Reconciling that loss, and wanting to be free from the crippling grief and disillusionment that came with it, fueled his passion for learning to make himself well. First, he gravitated towards an Ashtanga, power vinyasa style. The intensity suited his struggling temperament. After sustaining several injuries, he explored an Iyengar based approach to learn better alignment. But he soon discovered that better alignment alone was not the answer. Despite having achieved proficiency in both the Ashtanga and Iyengar styles, studying with renowned teachers such as Alison West and Richard Freeman, J. admits: “I still had chronic pain and was horribly disillusioned and unhappy.”

The next phase of his search would be in India. In Rishikesh, J. found a rare and special teacher in Swami P. Saraswati. He taught J. that yoga practice was not a linear progression towards some unknown thing, but a process of learning how to take care of one’s self. Back in NY, J. stopped going to regular group classes and devoted himself to a self-practice, ultimately meeting his most influential teacher Mark Whitwell and finding his way to an entirely therapeutic orientation in the tradition of TKV Desikachar and T Krishnamacharya, the “teacher of teachers.” In 2007, after more than a decade as a popular teacher at various schools in Manhatan and Brooklyn, J. founded Abhyasa Yoga Center in Brooklyn, NY. AYC was created to provide a home for yoga practice that adapts to individual needs.

Learn more about J. Brown: www.jbrownyoga.com

Accommodations

Our lodging options offer the finest in rustic comfort. Indoor and outdoor choices include a variety of private or shared accommodations ranging from chalet-style rooms to tents, tipis and yurts nestled in the forest.

To help you select the accommodation that best suits you, please review the descriptions here and feel free to look at a Ranch map here to get a better idea of the layout of various lodging choices.

After retreat registration, Feathered Pipe office staff will contact you to confirm your lodging preference. Accommodations include all meals and use of all amenities – our bathhouse, sauna, hot tub, as well as all the Feathered Pipe Ranch facilities and grounds.

Accommodations exclude massage and bodywork.

Pricing & Registration

Program tuition and basic accommodations: $1795 

Basic accommodations are shared room Main Lodge, Yurt, Sai Condo or single Tipi/Tent, and include meals and use of all amenities – our bathhouse, sauna, hot tub, as well as all the Feathered Pipe Ranch facilities and grounds. Other housing options are available for a supplemental fee; please see pricing details below.

A $500 deposit is required to secure online registration/payment.

Airport shuttle service on the day of arrival/departure is an additional $65. Non-arrival/departure shuttle service is $100.

Please visit our Accommodation page to see an overview of all accommodation choices.

For more information, visit our FAQ page, contact us at info@featheredpipe.com, or give us a ring at (406) 442-8196.