#70 – Keen on Yoga Podcast with Russell Case

Russell is one of the most interesting characters I’ve interviewed. Sometimes painfully self-aware, the discussion gives you a good idea of the nuanced world of yoga in utter technicolour honesty as Russell is well known for now as co-host of the Finding Harmony Podcast with his wife Harmony Slater. Russell was one of the fairly old batch of student who studied directly with Pattabhi Jois. We chat about the yoga scene back then, amongst other things as well as his own evolution as a student and a man. We discuss his practice now as he deals with the results of pushing his body too hard over the years. Russell has been practicing and teaching Ashtanga yoga for more than 25 years. He is a humble and refined teacher, he was given Authorization by Sri K Pattabhi Jois in 2005. Case is known for his joking spirit, and his perpetual eye toward social justice work. When Pattabhi Jois invited him to his pranayama class in 2007, he considered this distinction to be the highest grade.  Russell has been teaching Ashtanga Yoga in the Mysore Method since 2001. He has taught programs in NYC, Brighton - England, Taipei - Taiwan, San Francisco, and was Director of the Ashtanga Yoga Mysore program at Stanford University for nine years. He worked as the Director of Partnerships for the Pure Edge Foundation, a non-profit company that brings yoga-based exercises and mindfulness programs into schools throughout the USA. Russell is known for his creative delivery of experiential presentations on neuroscience for social and emotional learning. Russell Case brings to life the teachings of yoga and mindfulness in a very colorful and scientific way that makes it easy for students to understand the deeper dimensions of why yoga works and how. Follow Russell on Instagram @russell_altice_case