Currents

This week kept circling back to the same question: where is your energy actually going? It showed up everywhere. In the prana vayus—those five currents that move breath and life force through the body—the practice isn’t about forcing energy somewhere new. It’s about noticing where it already flows and learning to work with it. Integrating the vayus means letting apana ground you while udana lifts, letting samana gather while vyana spreads. The whole system breathing together. The same principle showed up in unexpected places. When your favorite tech company goes bankrupt, the community that forms around the abandoned hardware is practicing a kind of aparigraha—non-grasping—while simultaneously building something new from what remains. When you reclaim your feed from algorithmic noise, you’re doing the digital equivalent…

Jungle Physicians and Insight Through Ancient Wisdom and Modern Practice

Jungle Physicians and Insight Through Ancient Wisdom and Modern Practice

In an age of relentless distraction, the quest for insight—that deep, intuitive understanding of ourselves and our place in the world—has never been more urgent. We seek clarity in a sea of information, purpose in a world of fleeting trends, and connection in an era of digital isolation. The answers, as a series of profound questions suggest, may not lie in the latest technology, but in the timeless wisdom of ancient traditions and the rigorous discipline of practices designed to turn our awareness inward. By exploring indigenous ways of knowing, the offerings of wisdom traditions, the nature of consciousness-altering states, and the cultural calls for awareness, we can chart a course toward a more insightful existence. At the center of this journey lies Ashtanga yoga,…

Holding Space for Political Engagement in Diverse Communities

Holding Space for Political Engagement in Diverse Communities

Protest as Practice Have you noticed how diverse our community is? I’m not gonna lie… it brings me so much joy. So many races, countires of origin, sexual identities, and ages– all practicing in one spot. Straight dudes, Fem Dykes, Catholics, Central American Mystics, and one MJH– fuck yo’ pokemon, we got ’em all. 😉 This weekend, we’re hosting sign-making at the studio ahead of the No Kings protest in DC. Members are invited for self-practice and to prepare signs if they’d like. Come for prax, stay for signs.  Many in our community cannot protest due to fear of deportation. Phones are no longer safe to use at these events without being tracked. Be aware of your rights—this is important information.This announcement might seem simple, but…

Introduction to Ashtanga Collider Theory

Introduction: When Effects Distort Our Understanding of Causes In 1946, statistician Joseph Berkson noticed something peculiar in hospital patient data: diseases that should have been independent appeared to be negatively correlated. Cancer patients seemed less likely to have diabetes, and vice versa. This observation seemed to contradict everything known about disease independence. The answer to this paradox would eventually reveal one of the most counterintuitive principles in causal reasoning—the collider effect. A collider is a variable that sits at the convergence point of two or more independent causal pathways. The structure looks deceptively simple:Variable X → Collider Z ← Variable Y Two independent causes (X and Y) flow into a common effect (Z). But here’s the paradox: when we condition on the collider—when we only…

Getting Better at Causal Loops and Drawing Inferences

Revisiting Rule 1: Independent Variables Are Not Correlated Restating the Argument In Ashtanga Yoga, not all elements of practice are causally connected. For example, focusing solely on aesthetic performance (e.g., how a posture looks) often leads to false assumptions about progress. Understanding this independence helps practitioners avoid wasting energy on irrelevant or misleading correlations. Detachment (vairagya) serves as a guiding principle for staying grounded in what truly matters. Counterpoints, Holes, and Second Opinions 1. Do Variables Ever Exist in True Independence in Yoga? Counterpoint: Yoga philosophy emphasizes the interconnectedness of all things. The idea that two variables (e.g., strength and flexibility) are completely independent may clash with this holistic worldview. Can independence ever truly exist in a system as integrated as the body-mind connection? Alternative View: Instead…

Causal Inference Rules and How to Use Them

In systems thinking and yoga alike, progress requires recognizing hidden confounders and addressing them directly rather than being misled by surface-level correlations. When practitioners address the root cause, both seemingly related symptoms often resolve harmoniously. Rule 1: Independent Variables Are Not Correlated This rule states that if two variables are causally independent, there will be no observable association between them in the data. For instance, if Variable A does not influence Variable B, their correlation will be zero unless influenced by an external factor. Intersection with Ashtanga Yoga: In Ashtanga Yoga, this can be explored through the principle of detachment (vairagya). The yogic system acknowledges that not all elements in life are interconnected in meaningful ways, and discernment (viveka) is required to understand what truly impacts…

Introduction to Causal Inference

The eight basic rules for causal inference from Peder M. Isager’s blog provide an excellent framework for understanding how causal relationships emerge and interact with observable data. These rules resonate with core principles in both systems thinking and Ashtanga Yoga. Let’s explore this connection. 1. Independent Variables are Not Correlated In systems thinking, an independent variable can be seen as an external input or a system component that does not directly influence other parts. This rule aligns with the yogic principle of detachment (Vairagya) where actions devoid of expectations (causal independence) do not entangle one in their outcomes. 2. Causal Influence Creates Correlation This mirrors the idea in systems thinking that feedback loops (positive or negative) generate observable patterns. In yoga, cause-effect chains are understood…

What Is a Collider? How Ashtanga Practice Teaches Systems Thinking Through the Body

What Is a Collider? In systems thinking, a collider is a variable that sits at the convergence point of two or more independent causal pathways. Unlike a mediator (which transmits influence from one variable to another) or a confounder (which influences multiple variables), a collider is influenced by multiple independent sources—and this seemingly simple distinction creates profound complications in how we understand cause and effect. The mathematical structure looks deceptively simple:Variable X → Collider Z ← Variable Y Two independent causes (X and Y) both flow into a common effect (Z). But here’s where it gets interesting: when we condition on the collider—when we only examine cases where Z occurred—we create an artificial correlation between X and Y that doesn’t exist in the broader system….

Collider: Why Ability Privilege Perpetuates Itself

In systems thinking, a collider is a variable influenced by two or more independent factors—and Ashtanga’s authorization system contains a perfect example that explains why the current model is so resistant to change. Consider the collider: “Becoming an Authorized Teacher” This outcome is influenced by two largely independent variables: In an ideal system, both would be required for authorization. But the current Ashtanga authorization process primarily conditions on X (asana achievement), creating what statisticians call collider bias—a systematic distortion that produces misleading correlations. Here’s how the collider creates dysfunction: The Selection Bias When we only examine people who’ve achieved authorization (conditioning on the collider), we’re looking at a pre-filtered population. Within this group, we might observe that teachers with exceptional asana ability sometimes struggle with…