Best Neil Hopkins Podcasts (2025)

1
Danny Mintz - "Busting Myths and Questioning Teachers" 1:31:24

Play Pause

3d ago1:31:24

1:31:24

Danny Mintz is a listener of the show who reached out to J about the origins of yoga postures and it lead to this conversation about depictions of practice and the inner workings of being a teacher. They discuss whether modern yoga is 5000 years old or 500 years old, finding good teachers, Alison West, different stages of life, studio closures, fin…

1
Danny Mintz - "Busting Myths and Questioning Teachers" 1:31:24

3d ago1:31:24

1:31:24

Danny Mintz is a listener of the show who reached out to J about the origins of yoga postures and it lead to this conversation about depictions of practice and the inner workings of being a teacher. They discuss whether modern yoga is 5000 years old or 500 years old, finding good teachers, Alison West, different stages of life, studio closures, fin…

1
The Alternatives Mason: Building Alts Knowledge Brick by Brick | Episode 31 | Navigating AI & Authenticity: A Dive Into Branding with Emily Binder 1:06:45

9d ago1:06:45

1:06:45

Join Brittany Mason in this enlightening episode of The Alternative Mason as she interviews Emily Binder, founder of Beetle Moment Marketing and Wealth Voice. They discuss the importance of having an informed point of view for building a strong brand, the evolving role of authenticity in content marketing, and strategies for overcoming a traumatic …

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Donna Farhi - "Conscious Pedagogic Models for Change" 1:54:23

10d ago1:54:23

1:54:23

Donna Farhi returns to talk with J about conscious pedagogic models that foster independence and moving towards grounded sensitivity. They discuss homesteading and the contrast between natural and digital worlds, recovering from a fractured pelvis, meaning of pedagogy, baking bread, horizontal communication, checks and balances, contraction in the …

1
Donna Farhi - "Conscious Pedagogic Models for Change" 1:54:23

10d ago1:54:23

1:54:23

Donna Farhi returns to talk with J about conscious pedagogic models that foster independence and moving towards grounded sensitivity. They discuss homesteading and the contrast between natural and digital worlds, recovering from a fractured pelvis, meaning of pedagogy, baking bread, horizontal communication, checks and balances, contraction in the …

1
Kim Hopkins - "Service, Strategic Planning, Ripple Effects" 1:21:19

17d ago1:21:19

1:21:19

Kim Hopkins, executive director of the Shanthi Project, talks with J about the not-for-profit work of providing yoga and mindfulness education to children and adults. They discuss different phases of the organization and where things were when Kim took over in 2023, working at Sony Music, revenue structures and fund development plans, substituting …

1
Kim Hopkins - "Service, Strategic Planning, Ripple Effects" 1:21:19

17d ago1:21:19

1:21:19

Kim Hopkins, executive director of the Shanthi Project, talks with J about the not-for-profit work of providing yoga and mindfulness education to children and adults. They discuss different phases of the organization and where things were when Kim took over in 2023, working at Sony Music, revenue structures and fund development plans, substituting …

1
Neil Taylor - "Mindfulness of the Ordinary and Profound" 1:29:36

24d ago1:29:36

1:29:36

Neil Taylor joins the show to follow up with J on the ongoing conversation about mindfulness education. They discuss Neil's entrance into practice, the importance of solitude, quality of presence, Thich Nhat Hang, the Satipattana Sutta, the end of suffering, inner bliss and demons, ignorance and true nature, cessation, self and no-self, levels of a…

1
Neil Taylor - "Mindfulness of the Ordinary and Profound" 1:29:36

24d ago1:29:36

1:29:36

Neil Taylor joins the show to follow up with J on the ongoing conversation about mindfulness education. They discuss Neil's entrance into practice, the importance of solitude, quality of presence, Thich Nhat Hang, the Satipattana Sutta, the end of suffering, inner bliss and demons, ignorance and true nature, cessation, self and no-self, levels of a…

1
Karin Lynn Carlson - "Yoga is a Tool, Not an Identity" 1:28:14

1M ago1:28:14

1:28:14

Karin Lynn Carlson, founder of Return Yoga and author of the substack Gristle and Bone, returns to touch base with J on the reckoning going on in the yoga profession. They discuss starting online platforms before it was a thing, 200hr teacher training model and the false promise of a career, marketing conundrums, living paycheck to paycheck, effect…

1
Karin Lynn Carlson - "Yoga is a Tool, Not an Identity" 1:28:14

1M ago1:28:14

1:28:14

Karin Lynn Carlson, founder of Return Yoga and author of the substack Gristle and Bone, returns to touch base with J on the reckoning going on in the yoga profession. They discuss starting online platforms before it was a thing, 200hr teacher training model and the false promise of a career, marketing conundrums, living paycheck to paycheck, effect…

1
The Alternatives Mason: Building Alts Knowledge Brick by Brick | Episode 30 | The Astoria Story: Investment Strategies and Entrepreneurship with John Davi 35:41

1M ago35:41

35:41

In this episode of The Alternative Mason, Brittany Mason chats with John Davi — founder of Astoria Portfolio Advisors and one of the sharpest minds in the ETF world. John shares how growing up in Queens shaped his hustle, how early stints at Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley fueled his love for markets, and what drove him to launch Astoria back in 2…

1
Cassie McKamey - "Being Guided to Practice and Faith" 1:36:45

1M ago1:36:45

1:36:45

Cassie McKamey is a listener of the show whose email to J led to this conversation about coming to yoga on the internet through a lens of christian faith. They discuss growing up in a church community in Kansas, youth pastors and questioning authority, following rules vs inquiring within, learning yoga on YouTube, personal relationship to God, bein…

1
Cassie McKamey - "Being Guided to Practice and Faith" 1:36:45

1M ago1:36:45

1:36:45

Cassie McKamey is a listener of the show whose email to J led to this conversation about coming to yoga on the internet through a lens of christian faith. They discuss growing up in a church community in Kansas, youth pastors and questioning authority, following rules vs inquiring within, learning yoga on YouTube, personal relationship to God, bein…

1
Sarah Powers - "An Inner Lens of Listening to Heart-Mind" 1:30:20

2M ago1:30:20

1:30:20

Sarah Powers, co-founder of the Insight Yoga Institute, talks with J about integrating Yoga, Tao, and Mindfulness. They discuss the progression of yoga into a physical orientation to wellness instead of deeper inquiries, cliche of yoga profession, earlier days at Yogaworks, Paul Griley, different camps within Yin Yoga, differentiating Iyengar metho…

1
Sarah Powers - "An Inner Lens of Listening to Heart-Mind" 1:30:20

2M ago1:30:20

1:30:20

Sarah Powers, co-founder of the Insight Yoga Institute, talks with J about integrating Yoga, Tao, and Mindfulness. They discuss the progression of yoga into a physical orientation to wellness instead of deeper inquiries, cliche of yoga profession, earlier days at Yogaworks, Paul Griley, different camps within Yin Yoga, differentiating Iyengar metho…

1
Edward Clark and Laurie A. Greene - "Grappling with Self and Other" 1:38:02

2M ago1:38:02

1:38:02

Edward Clark and Laurie A, Greene, co-authors of Yoga and the Body: The Future of Modern Yoga in the Studio and Beyond, talk with J about interrogating assumptions from within and without yoga traditions. They discuss the ancient origins of yoga, perspectives in theater arts, distinguishing asana and vinyasa, meaning making, reasons for having a bo…

1
Edward Clark and Laurie A. Greene - "Grappling with Self and Other" 1:38:02

2M ago1:38:02

1:38:02

Edward Clark and Laurie A, Greene, co-authors of Yoga and the Body: The Future of Modern Yoga in the Studio and Beyond, talk with J about interrogating assumptions from within and without yoga traditions. They discuss the ancient origins of yoga, perspectives in theater arts, distinguishing asana and vinyasa, meaning making, reasons for having a bo…

1
Adam Keen - "Reappraising Modern Yoga Methodology" 1:46:41

2M ago1:46:41

1:46:41

Adam Keen, host of the Keen on Yoga Podcast, returns to the show to revisit a conversation they started years ago about the role of teachers and teachings. They discuss recent scandals in the Ashtanga community, teaching styles and somatic dominance, origins of Ashtanga, tradition and market competition, implications of the "active series," homogen…

1
Adam Keen - "Reappraising Modern Yoga Methodology" 1:46:41

2M ago1:46:41

1:46:41

Adam Keen, host of the Keen on Yoga Podcast, returns to the show to revisit a conversation they started years ago about the role of teachers and teachings. They discuss recent scandals in the Ashtanga community, teaching styles and somatic dominance, origins of Ashtanga, tradition and market competition, implications of the "active series," homogen…

1
The Alternatives Mason: Building Alts Knowledge Brick by Brick | Episode 29 | Commanding Wealth: Military Precision in Money Management with Dennis Morton 54:11

2M ago54:11

54:11

Join Brittany Mason in this engaging episode of 'The Alternative Mason' as she sits down with Dennis Morton, co-founder of Morton Brown Family Wealth and an army veteran with a background in history. Dennis shares his unconventional path into the finance industry, discussing the importance of humanities education, his transition from the military t…

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Anna Taylor - "Teaching Presence More Than Poses" 1:31:08

2M ago1:31:08

1:31:08

Anna Taylor, author of Weaving Mindfulness & Compassion into Yoga Teaching, talks with J about the intersection of mindfulness education and yoga. They discuss being curious about why yoga works, noticing the impact of practice, mindfulness not thoughts, doing and being, attention training, involvement of the heart, equipping people to listen, effo…

1
Anna Taylor - "Teaching Presence More Than Poses" 1:31:08

2M ago1:31:08

1:31:08

Anna Taylor, author of Weaving Mindfulness & Compassion into Yoga Teaching, talks with J about the intersection of mindfulness education and yoga. They discuss being curious about why yoga works, noticing the impact of practice, mindfulness not thoughts, doing and being, attention training, involvement of the heart, equipping people to listen, effo…

1
Dystopian Data Destiny? K-12's response to the BCG report 44:31

2M ago44:31

44:31

"Dystopian Data Destiny" by Dr. Neil Hopkin, serves as a comprehensive strategic framework for overhauling K-12 education in the age of Artificial Intelligence, with significant reference to a Boston Consulting Group (BCG) report from 2025. Dr Hopkin argues that AI’s inevitable introduction into schools is creating a widening "AI value gap," separa…

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Chris Cochrane - "Science, Spirit, Horses, and Shakespeare" 1:21:45

2M ago1:21:45

1:21:45

Chris Cochrane is a listener of the show who joins to talk with J about her unique background and perspective on science and yoga. They discuss working for NASA analyzing semiconductor crystals grown on the space station, scientists and engineers who are into yoga, micro-gravity and crystal structures, distortions in the atomic order, connection be…

1
Chris Cochrane - "Science, Spirit, Horses, and Shakespeare" 1:21:45

2M ago1:21:45

1:21:45

Chris Cochrane is a listener of the show who joins to talk with J about her unique background and perspective on science and yoga. They discuss working for NASA analyzing semiconductor crystals grown on the space station, scientists and engineers who are into yoga, micro-gravity and crystal structures, distortions in the atomic order, connection be…

1
J. Brown - "10 Years, 500 Episodes, Challenges Ahead" 59:26

3M ago59:26

59:26

On the occasion of the 10-year anniversary and 500th episode of the show, J reflects on the state of the yoga profession and industry. He discusses the progression from blog writing to podcasting and his latest post entitled "What I've Learned About Where We Are," the effects of the pandemic on attendance patterns and the role of teachers, myths ab…

1
J. Brown - "10 Years, 500 Episodes, Challenges Ahead" 59:26

3M ago59:26

59:26

On the occasion of the 10-year anniversary and 500th episode of the show, J reflects on the state of the yoga profession and industry. He discusses the progression from blog writing to podcasting and his latest post entitled "What I've Learned About Where We Are," the effects of the pandemic on attendance patterns and the role of teachers, myths ab…

1
Lora Markova and Katharine Scalora - "Dedicated Aerial Yoga" 1:33:56

3M ago1:33:56

1:33:56

Lora Markova and Katharine Scalora, founders of Earth & Aerial Yoga in Hudson MA, talk with J about the advantages of owning an aerial yoga studio. They discuss Lora's previous career in media and Katharine's background, providing immediate gratification, logistical realities, how Covid killed their traditional classes, prop-specific discipline, re…

1
Lora Markova and Katharine Scalora - "Dedicated Aerial Yoga" 1:33:56

3M ago1:33:56

1:33:56

Lora Markova and Katharine Scalora, founders of Earth & Aerial Yoga in Hudson MA, talk with J about the advantages of owning an aerial yoga studio. They discuss Lora's previous career in media and Katharine's background, providing immediate gratification, logistical realities, how Covid killed their traditional classes, prop-specific discipline, re…

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How to ChatGPT 15:32

3M ago15:32

15:32

Schools are sleepwalking into an AI crisis. ChatGPT isn’t a “cheating tool.” It’s far more significant: it’s rewiring how we think. Students are outsourcing memory because AI will “just remind them.” Writing is being polished into soulless uniformity. Reading stamina is collapsing under the weight of instant digests. And worst of all, the hidden cu…

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Pamela Weber - "Keeping Things Going Against All Odds" 1:35:09

3M ago1:35:09

1:35:09

Pamela Weber, co-founder of NATA Yoga in Paris, talks with J about the uncertain future that independent centers face and the determination that keeps them going. They discuss her life as an academic and moving to Paris, teacher training before 200hr certification, minimalist teaching styles, giving up tenure for yoga, the subversive nature of open…

1
Pamela Weber - "Keeping Things Going Against All Odds" 1:35:09

3M ago1:35:09

1:35:09

Pamela Weber, co-founder of NATA Yoga in Paris, talks with J about the uncertain future that independent centers face and the determination that keeps them going. They discuss her life as an academic and moving to Paris, teacher training before 200hr certification, minimalist teaching styles, giving up tenure for yoga, the subversive nature of open…

1
The Educational Dead-End 20:53

3M ago20:53

20:53

This article, by Dr. Neil Hopkin, critiques the current trajectory of AI in education, specifically large language models, arguing they prioritize fluency over genuine understanding and transfer of knowledge. Dr Hopkin introduces the concept of "cognitive offloading," where reliance on AI for tasks like essay writing or problem-solving bypasses the…

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The Alternatives Mason: Building Alts Knowledge Brick by Brick | Episode 28 | THe VC Firm That Thinks Different and Hires Bots with Brad Zapp 56:45

3M ago56:45

56:45

What happens when a banker’s son builds a venture firm in a place most investors overlook? Brad Zapp, Cp-Founder, President and Head of Strategy & Marketing at Connetic Ventures, shares how rejection fueled his pivot into early-stage investing, eventually leading to Wendal, an AI-powered associate that reviews founders 24/7. With this remarkably in…

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Kelli Hansel and Shawn Lindsay - "Embracing Studio Ownership" 1:30:34

3M ago1:30:34

1:30:34

Kelli Hansel and Shawn Lindsay, owners of Indigo Yoga in Caldwell NJ, talk to J about taking over a studio and reaching for more than just being OK. They discuss the yoga scene in the rural Appalachian Mountains of Kentucky, learning from DVD's and correspondence courses, finding teachers on Instagram, not starting from scratch, adapting to changin…