Field Ledger Archive

13,001 entries across the years, 2003–2026.

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At Functional Ashtanga, we have a self practice support community every day from 7-10am. The first 15-20 minutes are sangha oriented. Then it’s community practice. No teachers, just friends on the path doing their thing together. It’s included in a studio membership.

Interested? Check out http://functionalashtanga.com 🙂

http://functionalashtanga.com/
Saturday, January 23, 2021 · 8:28 am
💬 Comment
yogaashtangamysorepracticecommunityteaching
AshtangaCommunityMysorePracticeTeachingYoga
Guys... can we talk about words?

I've seen folks claiming that these folks actin' a fool on the capital are being sent by "Antifa. "

Word means things, and I think maybe we need to talk:

"Antifa" means Anti-Fascist-- as in, against Fascism.

Fascism is a form of far-right, authoritarian ultranationalism characterized by dictatorial power, forcible suppression of opposition and strong regimentation of society and of the economy which came to prominence in early 20th-century Europe.

To be Anti Fascist means to be agains totalitarian, ultranationalist government. There are many organizations that are "Anti-Fascist" but there isn't a singular "Antifa" organization.

This is comparable to "Feminist" organizations. There isn't a single Feminist Organzation. Feminism is an ideology.

To be Feminist means that you believe woman are equal to men. To be an "Feminist organization" means that you are an organization in support of women's rights on the basis of the equality of the sexes.

So, to circle this wagon: there are feminist organizations and anti-fascist organizations-- and, like those ideals, there is no central organization.

Here's what I don't get: How have we twisted the idea of being "Anti Fascist" into being a bad thing? Since when is being against a totalitarian government a bad thing?

Could it be that if you are a fascist, you want to convince people that being "anti fascist" is a bad thing?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/five-myths/five-myths-about-antifa/2020/09/11/527071ac-f37b-11ea-bc45-e5d48ab44b9f_story.html

https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/five-myths/five-myths-about-antifa/2020/09/11/527071ac-f37b-11ea-bc45-e5d48ab44b9f_story.html
Wednesday, January 6, 2021 · 7:16 pm
💬 Comment
writingpoliticsactivism
ActivismPoliticsReflectionsWriting
Over threw last few years, I've managed to miss "Resolution Season," since I'd have been on my yearly practice and reflection sabbatical. As a teacher returning home from sabbatical in March, I would often be filled to the brim with inspiration to share-- and in front of a new audience! The reporte required -- including the desire to find a common nomenclature-- were the building blocks of a working relationship in March... but I think they work in January, too!

Check out some of my tips and tools for understanding Why Yoga Works, and how to help those seeking a resolute resolutions find value in your offergings!

https://functionalashtanga.com/drishti-weekly/the-weekly-drishti-1-3-2021-1-9-2021/
Wednesday, January 6, 2021 · 11:13 am
💬 Comment
yogateachingwritingreflection
PracticeReflectionReflectionsTeachingWritingYoga
December 2020
November 2020
Would you like to take the first course from my Anatomy and Physiology program, for free?

The Q&A is on Tuesday at 5:30 EST. Pleae join us. You'll get access to the site and the course material until November 15.

We didn't get into the review because the election results were called, and frankly, we wanted to go celebrate.

https://functionalashtanga.com/events/musculoskeletal-system/

Interested? Please register and join us 🙂

https://functionalashtanga.com/events/musculoskeletal-system/
Saturday, November 7, 2020 · 1:27 pm
💬 Comment
yogateachinganatomyphysiology
AnatomyPhysiologyPracticeTeachingYoga
August 2020
July 2020
In September, I’ll be launching a 10-month integrative online Functional Ashtanga Training. We dive *deep* into functional anatomy, contextualized yoga humanities, and a collection of the most potent pranayama and meditation practices I have discovered in my 20 years of dedicated practice. I’ve spent two years developing this program, which includes 4 functional joint assessment for each participant (so you can measure your progress), 150+ 20 minute learning videos (I’m still recording!), curated readings, and measured learning objectives (homework + quizzes). Of course, I’ll have office hours. It’s capped very, very small for this first cohort, and costs 3,000— but I’m gonna take 500 off if you sign up early. With a $500 deposit, I’ll offer a monthly payment plan for 10 months (with no upcharge— gross).

Visit our page:

https://mailchi.mp/3f805efe99bd/functional-ashtanga-training-program
Tuesday, July 7, 2020 · 10:49 am
💬 Comment
yogaashtangateachinganatomypranayamameditationfunctional range conditioningwork
AnatomyAshtangaFunctional range conditioningMeditationPracticePranayamaTeachingWork
In This Newsletter
Proud Year Round
Summer Break
Implicit Bias as Samskara: What do we carry with us?
Functional Ashtanga Training Program: For Practitioners and Professionals
Moon Phases for July

https://mailchi.mp/d072b41a25e4/summer-samskara-and-bias-yoga-with-mjh-news?e=feb1d577f1
Wednesday, July 1, 2020 · 3:00 pm
💬 Comment
yogateachingashtangapranayamameditationanatomyfunctional range conditioningwriting
AnatomyAshtangaFunctional range conditioningMeditationPracticePranayamaTeachingWriting
June 2020
May 2020
First, a thank you to Teaism. We love you.

Second, an admonishment to Brasserie Beck— The tone deafness of BB makes me wonder about the employment demographics of upper management at RW’s restaurant group. How white? How male? If you feel like you have to a apologize to your guests for being exposed to the outcry of a community who had just seen a member murdered, and not to the community for their pain.... your priorities look very clear.

https://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/food/article/21135695/teaism-other-downtown-dc-restaurants-damaged-in-saturday-night-protests
Sunday, May 31, 2020 · 11:15 am
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📍 Washington DCreadingfoodreflection
FoodReadingWashington dc
March 3, 1991: A video camera captures four Los Angeles Police Department officers beating Rodney King in one of the first viral police brutality videos.
April 21, 1992: A jury acquits the four officers who beat Rodney King. Riots ensue.
Feb. 23, 1999: Four NYPD officers shoot and kill 23-year-old Amadou Diallo. The officers were acquitted on all charges.
Nov. 26, 2006: Seven undercover NYPD officers fire more than 50 rounds of ammunition at unarmed Sean Bell at a bachelor party. The officers were acquitted on all charges.
February 26, 2012: 17-year-old Trayvon Martin is stalked, chased and shot by George Zimmerman after 911 operators tell Zimmerman to leave the teenager alone. Six weeks after the shooting, Zimmerman was arrested and subsequently acquitted of murder.
March 21, 2012: Chicago police officer Dante Servin shoots unarmed Rekia Boyd. He is acquitted on all charges.
July 17, 2014: NYPD officer Daniel Pantaleo kills Eric Garner. Pantaleo has never been convicted of a crime.
Aug. 9, 2014: Ferguson, Mo. officer Darren Wilson shoots and kills 18-year-old Mike Brown Jr. Wilson was not charged with a crime.
Nov. 22, 2014: Cleveland Police Officer Timothy Loehman kills 12-year-old Tamir Rice. Loehmann is not charged with a crime.
April 4, 2015: A bystander captures North Charleston, SC police officer Michael Slager shooting unarmed Walter Scott as Scott runs away during a traffic stop. Scott plead guilty to federal deprivation of rights under the color of law and was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
April 12, 2015: Baltimore resident Freddie Gray was arrested for carrying a knife and died from injuries while being transported to jail. No one involved was convicted of a crime.
July 19, 2015: University of Cincinnati officer Ray Tensing shot and killed Sam DuBose during a traffic stop. Tensing was not convicted of a crime.
July 13, 2015: Sandra Bland is found hanged in a jail cell after a dashcam captures her brutal arrest by State Trooper Brian Encina, who is never convicted of a crime.
July 2, 2016: St. Anthony, Minn. police officer Jeronimo Yanez shoots Philando Castile during a traffic stop in which Castile was not driving or committing a crime. Yanez was acquitted on all charges.
July 5, 2016: Baton Rouge, La. officers shoot 37-year-old Alton Sterling as he lays on the ground, restrained by officers. No one is charged with a crime.
Aug. 1, 2016: Moments after authorities coerce Facebook and Instagram to shut off the live feed for 23-year-old Korryn Gaines’ standoff with police, Baltimore County police officers burst into her home and shoot her dead as she holds her son in her arms. No one is convicted of a crime.
Sept. 16, 2016: Tulsa, Okla. police officer Betty Shelby shoots unarmed Terrance Crutcher as a news helicopter records the footage. She is acquitted of first-degree manslaughter.
March 18, 2018: Sacramento police officers open fire on 23-year-old Stephon Clark, striking him eight times, six of which were in his back. No one was ever charged with Clark’s death.
Sept. 6, 2018: Officer Amber Guyger enters the home of Botham Jean and shoots him dead. She is convicted of murder and sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Oct. 12, 2019: Fort Worth, Tex. police officer Aaron Dean shoots through the window of 28-year-old Atiatana Jefferson, killing her. Dean is fired and charged with murder.
February 23, 2020: A vigilante mob in Brunswick, Ga. chases down and shoots 23-year-old Ahmaud Arbery, killing him. Travis and Gregory McMichael have been arrested for his death after more than 2 months of freedom. A third man, William “Roddie” Bryan, has also been charged after filming the crime.
March 13, 2020: Louisville, Ky. police officers Jonathan Mattingly, Brett Hankison and Myles Cosgrove entered the apartment of 26-year-old Breonna Taylor to serve a “no-knock warrant” on her boyfriend and shot Taylor dead. No one has been charged with a crime.
May 25, 2020: Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin kneels on the neck of George Floyd for 8 minutes and 46 seconds; 2 minutes and 53 seconds of which occurred after Floyd was unconscious. Floyd Dies. Chauvin is charged with third-degree murder after four days of freedom. Three officers who were present — Tou Thao, Thomas K. Lane and J. Alexander Kueng, have not been charged.
May 27, 2020: Minneapolis residents say: “Fuck this.”
May 29- present: America says: “Damn right, fuck this:”

https://www.theroot.com/a-timeline-of-events-that-led-to-the-2020-fed-up-rising-1843780800?fbclid=IwAR2V3bcgil5d_DTSGI8967x7rgHOdMZvCH0ztXl0BOAaKhgYlTLa3-U33wQ
Sunday, May 31, 2020 · 10:37 am
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rodney kingtrayvon martineric garnermike browntamir ricewalter scottfreddie graysandra blandphilando castilealton sterlingstephon clarkbotham jeanbreonna taylorgeorge floydahmaud arbery📍 USAreadingwritinggriefreflection
LoveReadingUsaWorkWriting
Susan Sloane interviews strong woman in leadership --and beautifully captures the conversation. Her book, "A Seat at the Table," where you can find this wonderful collection, was just released.

This is the start of an excerpt series:

"Looking at this past year, I am fortunate that I embarked on a journey to write the stories of these women and share why gender-diversified leadership is imperative for our world. It is a happy birthday, indeed. And while there will be no party in this quarantine, I’ll cry if I want to. Happy tears—for the goodness in humanity shall prevail."

https://medium.com/@susansloan76/its-my-birthday-and-i-ll-cry-if-i-want-to-9993a90b12fd
Wednesday, May 20, 2020 · 12:59 pm
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susan sloanereadingwritingcelebrationgratitudecelebration
CelebrationMilestonesReadingWriting
April 2020
Solitary? There’s only really ever one of us in here anyway.

https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.motherjones.com_crime-2Djustice_2020_03_social-2Ddistancing-2Dkeith-2Dlamar-2Dsolitary-2Dconfinement-2Dcoronavirus_&d=DwMGaQ&c=0W9Vy5nnhl9u_frqx4vrzKSNz08jjO3fIve6wVqRTVo&r=xLu8kBLBwpgCkr_wpaJlQLa9hHrBTfHy818VXLMidX8&m=IRgY1vjCFUkN2BnjKA34ASjRk-W73qRMmEdlmnUpSi4&s=VEBUtAXu1ZT1B1Dys6VpITKwb1qBZU8AnV3hHmeu2vI&e
Friday, April 3, 2020 · 8:14 am
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reading
Reading
March 2020
Check out the ASHTANGA Nation Newsletter— Maggie’s got a zoom class with the ASHTANGA Nation Crew on Friday morning — I’m sure she’d let some DC Ashtangi’s come in and practice led primary... but guys.

CHECKOUT THE KIDS YOGA

https://mailchi.mp/55e47c7dfed1/chantingandpresidentsday-1070827?fbclid=IwAR1YBc4trXS9wttXkViYeGIFRTCjacxGIyoGV2unzhyta_BgDiO3e_VTE-s
Wednesday, March 18, 2020 · 6:00 pm
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maggie📍 Washington DCyogaashtangateachingpracticechanting
AshtangaChantingPracticeTeachingWashington dcYoga
A PSA to digital content consumers and new creators: Please consider paying/charging for online content

All out-bound yoga teachers in Washington, D.C. are out of work until at least April. There will be no compensation. Most of us pay at least our own health insurance, rent, and phone bill.

For most, these are recurring monthly expense in excess of $1500, required for survival— and not including food.

It’s been a tough go of things in my industry: this is the second time i am have been forcibly removed from the workforce (without reimbursement!) due to my status as a contract employee in 15 months. My job is to provide meditation and mindfulness training and classes as a wellness service to different federal agencies, non-profits, and endowments — there is no unemployment for the self employeed.

When I was out of work last year for the government furlough, there was no “back pay”— just a sharp decrease in my pay for the 35 days the government shut down. As I said, unemployment doesn’t cover contractors. With stocks plummeting and 401ks evaporating, many of us who “responsible saved” are watching our safety net shrink at exactly the time we shouldn’t be touching it.

YOU CAN HELP!

The pivot to online training for your favorite wellness provider is not a hobbiest pivot— it’s essential. Please consider reaching out to your favorite in-person provider and supporting them financially, digitally.

I’ve included my Patreon here:

https://www.patreon.com/yogawithmjh

To all of your who have already pledged— thank you! I’m looking forward to sharing content with each of you. For the cost of one boutique fitness class, you can have access to all of the content— and for $10, you can get access to once class. I’d sure love it if you wanted access to all of it 🙂

https://www.patreon.com/yogawithmjh
Tuesday, March 17, 2020 · 8:26 am
💬 Comment
📍 Washington DCyogateachingworkreflection
PracticeTeachingWashington dcWorkYoga
February 2020
My colleague, Krista, has a physical job and an incredible
work ethic— she teaches Ashtanga Yoga. She’s a mom. And due to injuries and complications from surgery, she can’t work.

Can we come together to help? No one should have to become destitute because they can’t afford care.

The irony that it is a healer who has found themselves needing healing cannot be lost. Krista needs our help.

Please help if you can.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/come-together-for-krista?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=m_pd+share-sheet
Friday, February 21, 2020 · 7:18 pm
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kristayogaashtangateachingcommunityreflection
AshtangaCommunityPracticeTeachingYoga
January 2020
December 2019
November 2019
"The weather is getting colder, and people are pulling out their space heaters. We just wanted to remind you that you should NEVER plug a heater into a power strip," the fire department wrote on its Facebook page. "These units are not designed to handle the high current flow needed for a space heater and can overheat or even catch fire due to the added energy flow. Please share and stay safe this Winter season."

https://www.fox2detroit.com/news/heres-why-you-dont-plug-space-heaters-into-power-strips
Monday, November 18, 2019 · 8:47 am
💬 Comment
My childhood obesity went hand in hand with my depressed mind state. Efforts at participating in youth sports were met with “weigh ins” for game day. I regularly wasn’t able to play, though I learned to love practice.

I also learned to be hyper critical of my size and to feel ashamed and to starve and binge and purge. When I finally got ahold of my mind state— coming out, changing schools, leaving school, nearly dying and learning to really want to live— the weight started coming off.. and staying off.

My blue print is not small. My healthy body and mind o— your healthy body and mind— are not numerical. I hope that this young lady’s testimony — our testimony— helps folks look again at the source and the solution of our own mutated self image and efforts at aesthetic.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/07/opinion/nike-running-mary-cain.html
Friday, November 8, 2019 · 9:50 am
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yogaashtangapracticereadingwriting
AshtangaPracticeReadingReflectionsWritingYoga
October 2019
September 2019
August 2019
The District had its highest number of reported hate crimes last year: 204. That’s a year of gay men being beaten, black girls being threatened, transgender women being hurt, synagogues being harassed, Muslims being taunted and a Trump supporter smacked in a restaurant.

Liu, speaking at a forum at the Justice Department last month on combating anti-Semitism, said that sometimes, the odds of conviction are better when they don’t press a hate-crime charge.

But that ignores what hate crimes do to the people who experience them. And it doesn’t make vulnerable people feel like anyone’s got their backs.

Eleanor Holmes Norton: “As you may know, the number of reported hate crimes in the District of Columbia almost doubled between 2016 and 2018. Many of these crimes were targeted at the LGBTQ community, especially transgender individuals. At a recent well-attended community forum, I learned that this community feels it is under siege. I agree,” she wrote. “As you are well aware, it takes only a few prosecutions to create a deterrent effect.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/a-prosecutor-wont-do-her-job-so-bigots-are-getting-away-with-hate-crimes-in-dc/2019/08/22/9d6499c4-c508-11e9-9986-1fb3e4397be4_story.html
Saturday, August 24, 2019 · 5:03 pm
💬 Comment
teachingyogacommunityactivismwriting
ActivismCommunityFoodReflectionsTeachingWritingYoga
July 2019
Working inside of different federal agencies, corporations, and NGOs for the last 10+ years as a yoga teacher has been illuminating in the ways mindfulness practice can be co-opted for both the forces of good and some far more nefarious.

As a young teacher, i felt as though i was sharing something very useful with people who could affect change on a much larger scale than I ever could— i felt subversive to be doing it right in the heart of the corporate/capitalistic machine.

Practice works— and it works across a broad spectrum of therapeutic modalities each with individual metrics. Spiritual health, physical well being, interpersonal relational skills, emotional balance— each can be touched on. When instructed well, each can be elevated. So too, I’m sad to say, can the shadow side: further anesthetization, good old spiritual bypassing, and duration of a culture that punches down and goes to sleep.

Having seen this in local yoga studios, international finance organizations, and local community sports non-profits, its very much on my radar. But, it doesn’t mean to stop. It means to care more and share better.

Teachers have a responsibility: pick your platform, and to pick it well. Keep your ethics high, and they will trickle down.

https://www.thenation.com/article/ron-parser-mcmindfulness-mindfulness-meditation-book-interview/
Friday, July 26, 2019 · 6:44 am
💬 Comment
yogaashtangapracticemeditationteachingyoga industrywriting
AshtangaMeditationPracticeReflectionsTeachingWritingYogaYoga industry
One of my first Ashtanga Yoga teachers, Keith Moore was recently diagnosed with throat and neck cancer. Keith, and folks like him, support and sustain communities — let’s do the same for him. He’s a great guy with an independent studio and is a touchstone for a lot of folk.

https://www.gofundme.com/Keith-Moore-we-got-this?pc=fb_dn_cpgntopnavlarge_r&rcid=r01-156193452837-141790b3701e40f9&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=fb_dn_cpgntopnavlarge_r
Monday, July 1, 2019 · 12:23 pm
💬 Comment
keith mooreyogaashtangapracticeteachingwriting
AshtangaPracticeTeachingWritingYoga
June 2019
May 2019
Join me on Friday evening for a collection of practices for utilizing yoga to develop a clearer vision of who you are and where you are going. We'll vision board, meditate, talk philosophy-- and best of all, be in community.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/yoga-for-self-inquiry-your-sacred-mission-and-vision-tickets-62048563925

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/yoga-for-self-inquiry-your-sacred-mission-and-vision-tickets-62048563925
Monday, May 20, 2019 · 12:20 pm
💬 Comment
yogaashtangapracticemeditationphilosophywriting
AshtangaMeditationPhilosophyPracticeWritingYoga
April 2019
March 2019
One of the clearest signature highlights of the last few years is wrapped up in my friendship with Cory. I’ve learned so much from him.

He’s headed to TN to start Ashtanga Nashville this summer (June!). All a’ y’all are lucky to get one of the most authentic, knowledgeable, and clear embodiments of what yoga has to offer.

Go follow @ashtanganashville — go practice.
Tuesday, March 26, 2019 · 4:10 pm
💬 Comment
cory📍 Nashville📍 Tennesseeyogaashtangateachinggratitude
AshtangaFriendsNashvillePracticeTeachingTennesseeYoga
Has he been to Maggie's house? Her pantry is labeled. I recently found a shoe in my fridge. Tell me which is Order and which is Chaos.
...
For example, he sees the world as fundamentally divided between the forces of “chaos” and the forces of “order,” and explains the difference:

...
[Chaos is] what extends, eternally and without limit, beyond the boundaries of all states, all ideas, and all disciplines… It’s the foreigner, the stranger, the member of another gang, the rustle in the bushes… the hidden anger of your mother… Chaos is symbolically associated with the feminine… Order, by contrast, is explored territory. That’s the hundreds-of-millions-of-years-old hierarchy of place, position, and authority. That’s the structure of society. It’s the structure provided by biology, too…It’s the flag of the nation… It’s the greatness of tradition, the rows of desks in the school classroom, the trains that leave on time… In the domain of order, things behave as God intended.
...
It’s very easy to hear the echoes of authoritarianism, even fascism, in this: strong men create order, which is what God intends, and the social structure is preserved by deference to authority, tradition, hierarchy, flags. (Heck, he even talks about the trains running on time!) But the moment one tries to critique this, to talk about the dangers of adhering to flags and traditions for their own sake, Peterson will angrily insist that you have misunderstood his theory: order is symbiotic with chaos, not superior to it! (“Order is not enough.”)
...
What’s important about this kind of writing is that it can easily appear to contain useful insight, because it says many things that either are true or “feel kind of true,” and does so in a way that makes the reader feel stupid for not really understanding. (Many of the book’s reviews on Amazon contain sentiments like: I am not sure I understood it, but it’s absolutely brilliant.) It’s not that it’s empty of content; in fact, it’s precisely because some of it does ring true that it is able to convince readers of its importance. It’s certainly right that some procedures work in one situation but not another. It’s right that good moral systems have to be able to think about the future in figuring out what to do in the present. But much of the rest is language so abstract that it cannot be proved or disproved. (The old expression “what’s new in it isn’t true, and what’s true isn’t new” applies here.)

https://www.currentaffairs.org/2018/03/the-intellectual-we-deserve
Sunday, March 24, 2019 · 8:29 am
💬 Comment
jordan petersonmaggiereadingreflectionphilosophy
PhilosophyReadingReflection
February 2019
January 2019
December 2018
November 2018
Three kick ass workshops — digging into the fun of it all on Friday, and then the deep tech on Sunday. The two workshops on Sunday are designed to help unlock the deeper dimensions of practice— wherever you are. Foundations of flow for those looking to better understand how the basics unravel into a majestic tapestry, and the deep dive to appreciate the novelty and patterning of the weave.
Monday, November 26, 2018 · 6:30 pm
💬 Comment
yogateachingworkshoppractice
PracticeTeachingWorkshopYoga
He didn't like a question so called the guy names. Then banned him. Then the press secretary lied about what happened.

Watch it in slow mo.
Wednesday, November 7, 2018 · 9:47 pm
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