Hi, I’m Michael.
I teach insight practices — yoga, meditation, and a few less obvious ones — to people building things in leadership and technology.
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About
Twenty years teaching yoga, running a studio, and thinking about what insight practices actually do. They sharpen attention — and attention is the bottleneck on every hard problem, personal or professional. I write about that intersection, work one-on-one with leaders and builders, and run The Yoga Club in D.C.
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Wednesday
July 1, 2026
washingtonian.comInside the Food Truck Mafia Wreaking Havoc Around the National MallThe article exposes an organized network of unlicensed, unsafe food trucks operating around the National Mall in Washington, DC. These vendors violate health codes, fire safety regulations, and vending laws while a coordinated system (described as a 'mafia') controls territory through intimidation a
nytimes.comIt Wasn’t Bill Maher Who Stole the Show
nytimes.comFunnily enough, all of the great apes love to laugh, in the same rhythmic way we do.
theconvivialsociety.substack.comDo Not Resign From LifeL.M. Sacasas argues that AI's primary impact is demoralization—not because machines outperform humans, but because their ambient presence makes people question whether their skills and efforts still matter. He rejects the framing of human exceptionalism, suggesting that if something is yours to do,Tuesday
June 30, 2026
washingtonian.comWhat Time Are DC’s July 4 Fireworks Actually Happening?A Washingtonian article reports confusion over DC's July 4th fireworks start time (10:30 PM vs 11 PM), with the event expanding to 40 minutes and 850,000 shells for America's 250th anniversary. The piece details extensive security restrictions on the National Mall including bans on chairs, coolers,
arstechnica.comSony erases digital content from libraries; reminded we don't own what we buySony is removing 551 StudioCanal titles from UK PlayStation customers' libraries due to expired licensing agreements, with no refunds offered. The incident highlights that digital 'purchases' are actually long-term licenses that can be revoked when distribution rights expire, not permanent ownership
sciencedaily.comScientists may have finally found how Alzheimer's spreads through the brainResearchers discovered that Arc, a protein normally involved in neuron communication, helps toxic Tau protein spread between brain cells in Alzheimer's disease by packaging it into extracellular vesicles. Arc has a dual role: it helps diseased neurons expel excess Tau (protective), but this allows t
sciencedaily.comScientists say creatine may help fight depressionA systematic review of five randomized controlled trials found mixed evidence on whether creatine supplementation helps with depression. Two studies showed significant benefits when combined with antidepressants or cognitive behavioral therapy, while three found no effect. Researchers suggest creatiPractice with us this season
Two ways to go deeper before the year turns — a full Ashtanga study season in DC, and an intimate Mysore retreat on the coast of Mexico.
Self Practice by the Sea
A Mysore retreat on the Riviera Maya.
Four mornings of practice, four nights on the coast, a private home with a rooftop pool. Small on purpose — four spots only.
Ashtanga Study Group
Three series. One room. One season.
Sixteen Tuesday cohort nights and sixteen Sunday all-levels sessions — Primary, Intermediate, and Advanced A, side by side. Choose your cohort.
Books by Michael Joel Hall
Six books on Ashtanga, systems, and the craft of a practice. Functional Ashtanga is free; the rest are $10 each, or all six for $50. EPUB + PDF, instant download.
Functional Ashtanga
The manifesto and the method — the whole project’s front door, built on one principle: agency, not compliance.
Free
Self Practice
The method as a manual — how to build an intelligent, sustainable self-practice from the first breath.
$10
Ashtanga 2.0
The philosophy — a postmodern deconstruction of yoga’s authority, and the grounded mysticism that survives it.
$10
Mechanism, Not Magic
The thinking underneath the practice — yoga as a system for clear, honest leadership on and off the mat.
$10
How to Build a Yoga Club
The playbook for the room itself — how to build a practice space that lasts, without burning out or selling out.
$10
Your Life Is Art
The systems primer — stocks, flows, and feedback loops, and the craft of composing a life.
$10
Press
Interviews, bylines, and the occasional controversy.
What is Ashtanga Yoga? The Benefits of This Challenging Practice
“Ashtanga demands fitness, flexibility, and focus — a calming, yet sweaty form of moving meditation.”
Read →Yoga Teacher Recovers, But Attack Highlights a Job’s Health Care Issue
The catalyst for my ongoing advocacy around economic precarity in the yoga teaching profession.
Read →Building Resilience in This Political Climate
A practice sequence for finding strength and clarity when the news is loud.
Read →Responding to Rand Paul on Free Yoga for Government Employees
“They are in less pain, physically and mentally. They go on and do a better job.”
Read →Does Yoga Really Foster Transformation?
On why I practice — to cultivate the conditions required for transformation.
Read →Mysore, the Place and the Practice
A long conversation with Chris Parkinson about my journey, cross-training, and the trajectory of yoga in D.C.
Listen →The Newsletter
A daily email on consciousness, leadership, technology, and practice. No fluff. Unsubscribe anytime.
Recent Writing
Fresh off the press.
Get in Touch
Questions, collaborations, speaking, coaching inquiries — send a note.
