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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