blog – Page 3 – Michael Joel Hall

Getting Great: Adaptive Resistance and Isokinetic Training: Optimizing Muscle Growth and Fat Loss

Ever wonder how that gym buddy of yours keeps sculpting their physique while juggling a dozen other life commitments? For this Ashtanga yoga practitioner, the secret sauce often lies in mixing the right ingredients of training modalities and intensities. I‘ve been particularly partial to adaptive resistance and isokinetic training as part of my routine. Adaptive resistance is like that diligent spotter who helps carry some weight when you’re battling through injuries, ensuring you keep making gains even when life throws curveballs—like a car sending me tumbling through the air. After…

Navigating Overtraining in Ashtanga Yoga: Signs, Solutions, and Self-Care

We’ve all been there, haven’t we? You dive headfirst into the wonderland of Ashtanga Yoga, blissfully aware of the transformative power of each pose—until one day, the thought of stepping onto your mat feels more like a chore than a joy. Overtraining can sneak up on even the most enthusiastic yogis, often disguised as the eager pursuit of progress. In a world that glorifies hustle, it’s essential to pause and acknowledge that our bodies need time to recover as much as they need movement. Just like a speedy sports car…

How Breath Training Can Transform Your Sports Performance: Evidence and Techniques

Have you ever felt like your breath was holding you back on the field, court, or track? Just like a mischievous puppy chasing its tail, most athletes are blissfully unaware of how their breath can propel—or, heaven forbid, impede—their performance. Breath training, often overshadowed by the latest fancy supplements and high-tech gear, is the unsung hero in the athletic world. It’s like the secret sauce in Grandma’s spaghetti—simple, effective, and sure to elevate your game, whether you’re a weekend warrior or an Olympian aiming for gold. From increasing lung capacity to…

Sometimes the Support is the Success

I got to watch a long-time practitioner nail her first straight-leg jump-through this week. Liz has been practicing for years with my dear friend and colleague Jen Rene before joining me shortly after the pandemic. She’s a gem. Right after hearing the tell tale ‘swiff’ of a clean jump through, Liz and I locked eyes. “First one EVER,” she yelled. Liz had attended my bodyweight transitions workshop at the Yoga Club just a few days prior to all of this, and I told her that I was going to tell…

I was shocked when Lululemon moved into the neighborhood, and now I’m shocked it’s gone

They closed down the @lululemon in my neighborhood because the theft was just too high. Bummer. I was a brand ambassador for lulu for a few years. My image got used nationally. It was super cool. Lululemon helped me leverage my skillfulness as a teacher into something more meaningful. By offering opportunities to teach via their community development projects (for which i was paid and dressed) i was able to reach across the city to find intereated practitioners. So weird to have been an influencer before there were “influencers,” or…

cumulative strength: how a casual approach to chanting helped me appreciate my practice more

When my brother passed, I felt blindsided. It hadn’t occurred to me that such a thing would happen, even though looking back I can see that with that kind of drinking, it was inevitably going to happen. You can’t drink like that and not die of either health or fate. I was too young/new to this– I hadn’t actually seen anyone drink themselves to death at that point. Yikes. But, I mean, I didn’t realize what was going on and I get why: a sour combination of cognitive disonance and…

Self Practice and Grief

When I got to Goa, I felt anonymous again. In Mysore, I felt like everyone had heard. I was the ashtangi who got hate crime’d in the face after his house burned down. I wanted to be the tall pretty one. Or the smart one. But for now, I was very much the tragic one. Luckily, Rolf wasn’t watching the news. I was just one more 6’3 drop back for him to do. And he was happy to oblige– quietly sharing lite bits here and there in my ear about…

Rolf Naujokat

“Easy come, easy go,” Rolf would say. My teacher has passed. Rolf taught along the Arabian Sea, between the psytrance and the sand— just in from the jungles of Goa. As complex as he was simple and straightforward, he lived and led by example. He changed my life. He made clear that liberation was available to each of us, starting with the malarkey of our present condition. I want nothing more in this life than to make him proud. He’d likely rather that I be gardening, swimming, praying— anything other…

The Glitter and the Grind: Drag Queens, Yogis, and the Price of Dissent

RuPaul’s Drag Race has had an incredible impact on the queer community in the United States, turning hardworking performance artists into household names with niche celebrity status. comes inevitable scrutiny and challenges.This dynamic reminds me of the issues within the Ashtanga yoga system, particularly around authorization, certification, and the balance between a marketplace driven by profit and power versus being a learning organization.

Illustrating the Principal of SAID in Ashtanga Yoga with Lat Pulldowns

Why do conversations about fitness get so weird when Ashtanga gets involved? Understanding how our bodies adapt to specific physical demands can significantly enhance our practice.