18: Leslie Kaminoff: AI, Alignment, and the Future of Yoga

Leslie Kaminoff on Yoga Anatomy, AI Book Fraud, and What Yoga IsMatt 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 Intro00:52 How Yoga Anatomy Began02:02 Making the Illustrations04:01 Why Amy Joined05:06 Leslie Yoga Origin Story07:09 Sivananda Training Talk09:26 Debunking Yoga Myths10:29 AI Fake Yoga Books18:57 Ethical AI Use Cases24:00 Fascia Hype and Labs27:03 Yin Yoga Debate30:00 Mystery of Mind and Pain31:58 Pain Without Damage32:22 MRI Findings Explained33:50 Fibromyalgia and Labels35:15 Yoga Teachers Helping Pain38:08 Fear of Spinal Flexion41:00 Neutral Spine and Hip Wear44:05 Feet First Alignment47:00 Do Poses Have Alignment52:33 Yoga Competitions Debate54:38 Technique Versus Inquiry58:39 What Yoga Really Is01:02:47 Wrap Up and Where to Find Support the showDownload my free e-book 5 Truth Bombs to Make You a More Confident Yoga Teacher.For yoga teaching tips, follow me on Instagram or on Facebook.