Jahnavi (Claire) Missingham - "Holding True to What You Know"

·1 hr 48 min·5 clips

Jahnavi grew up as Habiba in a Sufi family, relentlessly bullied for her unusual name in a small English town.

This episode features host J. Brown in conversation with Jahnavi (Claire) Missingham, a longtime yoga teacher from the UK. They explore their parallel journeys through the evolution of modern yoga, from its downtown New York roots to its current state. Missingham shares her unique background as the child of Sufi parents and a former professional dancer. Her first name was Habiba, and she changed it to Claire at age ten due to bullying. She later received the spiritual name Jahnavi through Guru Diksha after decades of practice. Missingham began practicing at Jivamukti Yoga on Second Avenue in New York around 1996-97 while touring with a dance company. She describes that era as an exciting time when artists could afford to live in New York and explore disciplines like contact improvisation. She completed the Jivamukti teacher training in 2005, a month-long intensive at Omega Institute costing around $10,000 with about 150 participants. Missingham started teaching in 2000 before standardized 200-hour trainings were common, often securing classes through opportunity rather than certification. She practiced Ashtanga yoga devoutly for ten years and also taught at gyms, where she insisted on chanting Om despite management requests. Missingham taught at Tri Yoga in London for 17 years and is now teaching at the new Home Wellness Center. She reflects on teacher Peter Rizzo, known for his brilliant hands-on assists and innovative studio design at Bhava Yoga, while acknowledging later controversies about him. The conversation notes how the boutique fitness model, combining yoga with barre and Pilates, reflects changed consumer habits and business realities. A surprising insight is that Missingham found the same exciting feeling walking into a Kundalini studio in LA in 2016 as she did entering Jivamukti in the 90s. She discusses the careful, skillful use of music in yoga to create somatic and emotional connection, contrasting it with generic playlists. Missingham observes that vulnerability in spiritual practice can unfortunately be exploited by those in positions of power. The tone is a reflective and conversational exchange between two seasoned practitioners comparing notes. The style is personal and anecdotal, weaving life history with professional evolution. Listeners interested in the history of vinyasa yoga, Jivamukti, or the 90s New York yoga scene would appreciate this episode. Those seeking instruction or debates on yoga philosophy might find it less directly applicable.

As heard by us

A grounded talk about yoga studios, rent, and the pressure to make practice fit real life.

Jay Brown keeps coming back to a simple problem: how do yoga spaces stay rooted while everything around them shifts? He and Jahnavi (Claire) Missingham move from Tri Yoga history to reopening, teaching, and the work of building a team around a new Home spot.

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Why you'd press play

You want a grounded yoga-world conversation about reopening, teaching, and what running a studio actually costs.

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