Leslie Kaminoff on Yoga Anatomy, AI Book Fraud, and What Yoga Is
Matt interviews longtime yoga educator and Yoga Anatomy co-author Leslie Kaminoff. They cover Kaminoff’s at New York’s Sivananda, a brief period as a Swami, and his perspective shaped by over 20,000 hours of bodywork focused on breathing. They discuss AI-generated fraud flooding Amazon’s chair yoga rankings, ethical uses of AI as well as the need for critical thinking around “fantasy physiology,” fascia claims, and pain science (including asymptomatic MRI findings and biopsychosocial factors). They explore alignment as person-specific, long-term hip health, and Kaminoff defines yoga practice via Patanjali’s Kriya Yoga (tapas, svadhyaya, ishvara pranidhana) and the breath’s voluntary/involuntary nature.
00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro
00:52 How Yoga Anatomy Began
02:02 Making the Illustrations
04:01 Why Amy Joined
05:06 Leslie Yoga Origin Story
07:09 Sivananda Training Talk
09:26 Debunking Yoga Myths
10:29 AI Fake Yoga Books
18:57 Ethical AI Use Cases
24:00 Fascia Hype and Labs
27:03 Yin Yoga Debate
30:00 Mystery of Mind and Pain
31:58 Pain Without Damage
32:22 MRI Findings Explained
33:50 Fibromyalgia and Labels
35:15 Yoga Teachers Helping Pain
38:08 Fear of Spinal Flexion
41:00 Neutral Spine and Hip Wear
44:05 Feet First Alignment
47:00 Do Poses Have Alignment
52:33 Yoga Competitions Debate
54:38 Technique Versus Inquiry
58:39 What Yoga Really Is
01:02:47 Wrap Up and Where to Find
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