This is a video about Building an Inclusive and Accessible Ashtanga Community. If you’re looking for coaching, find me at michaeljoelhall.com/coaching
00:00 Introduction to the System
00:18 Inclusivity and Adaptation
00:41 Welcoming and Modifications
01:06 Evolving Tradition
Advancing in yoga, particularly in the Ashtanga tradition, is a journey that requires dedication, perseverance, and a willingness to confront both physical and emotional limits. Over the years, I have found myself at the intersection of personal expectations, teacher guidance, and the inevitable boundaries of my own body. The process has been as much about internal growth as it has been about mastering the physical postures. In Ashtanga, this challenge is heightened by the structured progression through the series, where each new posture represents both an achievement and a new set of demands. “I will not be cracking. Thanks so much. What I’m going to do is catch my wrist and you’re going to move me to intermediate faster than anyone has ever moved intermediate…
Teaching yoga is a profound and fulfilling vocation, yet the weight of responsibility can lead to burnout if we’re not mindful. As Jason Crandell reminds us, the journey is not for the faint-hearted, with challenges such as compassion fatigue, financial worries, and the isolation that can come with the role.
In this blog, we’ll explore essential strategies for self-care that will not only help you recognize the signs of burnout but also empower you to take proactive steps towards healing. From nurturing your personal practice to prioritizing rest and connection, discover how you can align your expectations and embrace the journey of teaching without sacrificing your well-being.
Join us as we dive into effective self-care techniques designed to rejuvenate your spirit and enhance your teaching capacity—because self-care isn’t just a luxury; it’s a necessity that allows you to shine brighter for your students. Embrace the process and remember, when you prioritize yourself, you elevate your entire practice.
Teaching, at its core, is about conveying information in a way that leads to understanding. Whether it’s teaching yoga, guiding students through complex subjects, or addressing legal matters, the clarity and precision of communication are paramount. In my experience, explicit communication has proven to be an essential tool, especially when working with autistic or neurodivergent individuals. Interestingly, I have found that this same level of explicitness is often required when working with lawyers. As I’ve observed, “The lawyers and the autistic people require the same stuff. You have to have everything explicitly broken down.” The necessity for clear, step-by-step instruction is not unique to one specific group but is vital across a wide range of learners. This essay will explore why explicit communication is so…
Are you feeling overwhelmed and burnt out? Visit michaeljoelhall.com/coaching to book a session if you’d like to chat about your practice.
In the United States, the debate over whether yoga teachers should be classified as employees or independent contractors is complex and fraught with challenges. The truth is, the role of a yoga teacher often aligns more closely with the responsibilities and characteristics of a contractor rather than an employee.
Caring for others is often considered a noble and virtuous responsibility, one that evokes feelings of compassion, duty, and love. However, the act of caring is not always straightforward. It is a complex burden that requires more than just emotional investment. For those who have taken on the role of caregivers, the emotional toll can be immense, and the line between caring for others and simply managing the logistics of caregiving often becomes blurred. The reality is that caring for someone isn’t the same as being good at it.
The Screen Actors Guild (SAG), now SAG-AFTRA, has long been an advocate for actors, including those in non-speaking roles such as movie extras. Under SAG’s protections, even extras—often seen as the most replaceable individuals on set—are guaranteed minimum pay rates, overtime compensation, meal breaks, and safety standards. These guidelines ensure that even those performing the most seemingly minor roles are treated with dignity and fairness. The union’s advocacy for extras highlights the importance of collective representation in industries where the workers might otherwise be vulnerable to exploitation. With SAG backing them, movie extras gain access to stable pay, healthcare, pension contributions, and a guaranteed level of workplace safety that would be nearly impossible to secure on their own. Yoga Teachers Without Collective Protection In contrast,…
To maintain equity for yoga teachers, compensation should vary based on whether the teacher is classified as an employee or an independent contractor, taking into account the responsibilities, expectations, and benefits associated with each role: 1. Employee Compensation Model 2. Independent Contractor Compensation Model 3. Additional Considerations to Ensure Equity 4. Hybrid Compensation Models Maintaining equity in compensation ultimately means recognizing the different responsibilities and benefits associated with each role—employee or contractor—and adjusting pay accordingly to ensure teachers are supported, valued, and able to sustain their livelihood. It also requires open communication and transparency so that teachers understand what they are being compensated for and have the opportunity to advocate for fair treatment.
If little me could see who I am today, I think he’d be proud—wide-eyed and amazed at how things have turned out. He’d see someone who practices yoga, who teaches, who learns, but more importantly, someone who actively works to make things better in his community. Not just talking about change, not just shouting for it at rallies, but someone who orchestrates the very places where change begins. Growing up, I always had a sense of justice, of wanting things to be better, but the way forward was never really clear. Back then, activism meant holding a sign, standing in a crowd, and hoping that someone listened. And those actions mattered—they planted seeds. But as time passed, I learned that true activism demanded more than…