✶
Journal & Field Ledger
The Michael Joel Hall JournalsMichaelFilter
Handpicked. Curated. No ads. No spam. Cozy and real, made daily by Michael.
The Michael Joel Hall Journals
Read MichaelFilter
Get the hand-curated daily edition and follow the Journals. No feed, no algorithm, no slop.
afield since 2003 · michael joel hall
View
TRAILS
Threads
Yoga2487Practice2211Teaching1212Ashtanga1090Reading1049Humor781Reflections767Reflection756Travel697Washington dc674Music562India539Philosophy531Community528Food492Family440Indoors371Nature352Celebration333Mysore319Art291Stretching284Politics271Writing245Friends236Love236Dc212Photography210Talking192Milestones186Living room182Twitter179Usa178Health175Asana171Home interior170Gym161Speaking161Home159Yoga studio153Posing137Goa134Work128Outdoors128Strength training118
On this day
July 27 in years past
July 26, 2025 · 1 entry
July 27, 2023 · 3 entries
@michaelgeovanni chase & charlie
in imagechase & charlie
@magiccityyogi
in imageAre you working on catching these days, sir? You told me you wanted to 🤦
Yoga AMA
Are you working on catching these days, sir? You told me you wanted to 🤴
Yoga AMA
Are you working on catching these days, sir? You told me you wanted to 🤴
in imagediary.of.a.yogi
1) Mindfulness -. Being fully present and aware of now. Practicing observing my thoughts and feelings daily without reacting increases access to peace.
1) Mindfulness -. Being fully present and aware of now. Practicing observing my thoughts and feelings daily without reacting increases access to peace.
July 27, 2020 · 2 entries
July 27, 2019 · 6 entries
I am so excited. wanna?
in imageI am so excited.
wanna?
soukofrima_
Jivamukti Yoga Center
aea
Rolf&
Marci @
Jivamukti
Wed 7/31, Thur 8/1, Fri 8/2
Mysore 5:30-7:30am
Workshops 7:30-9:30am
Contact rimagoa@gmail.com
wanna?
soukofrima_
Jivamukti Yoga Center
aea
Rolf&
Marci @
Jivamukti
Wed 7/31, Thur 8/1, Fri 8/2
Mysore 5:30-7:30am
Workshops 7:30-9:30am
Contact rimagoa@gmail.com
Any of my New York friends wanna put me up for Tuesday night-friday morning? Iâve got a yoga thing in the village in the mornings.
in imageYour memories on Facebook
Michael, we care about you and the memories that
you share here. We thought that you'd like to look
back on this post from 7 years ago.
f
Michael Joel Hall
27 July 2012 at 12:21
I'm thankful for my teachers in all of their forms for
awakening me to the insight of the happiness of pure Being.
A place without the poison of conditioned existence, the
poisons of prejudice and hate. I'm thankful for my teachers,
who provided the antidote (like a jungle physician). That
antidote: be yourself. No hate. No prejudice. Just joy. Just
love. Vande Gurunam.
Michael, we care about you and the memories that
you share here. We thought that you'd like to look
back on this post from 7 years ago.
f
Michael Joel Hall
27 July 2012 at 12:21
I'm thankful for my teachers in all of their forms for
awakening me to the insight of the happiness of pure Being.
A place without the poison of conditioned existence, the
poisons of prejudice and hate. I'm thankful for my teachers,
who provided the antidote (like a jungle physician). That
antidote: be yourself. No hate. No prejudice. Just joy. Just
love. Vande Gurunam.
July 27, 2018 · 3 entries
Remember: Chick-fil-a is anti-gay Eating here makes you complicit in my people and me’s dehumanization
in imageRemember: Chick-fil-a is
anti-gay
-GHIKIND
BÔ%
lice-fil,
Eating here makes you
complicit in my people
and me's
dehumanization
anti-gay
-GHIKIND
BÔ%
lice-fil,
Eating here makes you
complicit in my people
and me's
dehumanization
moondays mean extra sleep extra sleep means no bags
Lmao
in image••| AT&T LTE *
10:14 AM
• facebook.com
* 52%
Michael Dumlao is with Daniel Arrieta at
Rijksmuseum.
2 hrs • Amsterdam, Netherlands •
"OMG Jesus we get it. You're paleo and do CrossFit now.
You've said so like a million times." - jealous queen on left
who stole my ruffle
=
DO
Anthony Hesselius and 54 others
3 comments 1 share
FRIBAY
hranö
2 WEEAS FOR $2o // Come experience the greatest #calm of
your life! Our premier #meditation studios offer a range of
a
а
1
aaaann
TA
о
00
10
mA
aae
A A
10:14 AM
• facebook.com
* 52%
Michael Dumlao is with Daniel Arrieta at
Rijksmuseum.
2 hrs • Amsterdam, Netherlands •
"OMG Jesus we get it. You're paleo and do CrossFit now.
You've said so like a million times." - jealous queen on left
who stole my ruffle
=
DO
Anthony Hesselius and 54 others
3 comments 1 share
FRIBAY
hranö
2 WEEAS FOR $2o // Come experience the greatest #calm of
your life! Our premier #meditation studios offer a range of
a
а
1
aaaann
TA
о
00
10
mA
aae
A A
July 27, 2017 · 1 entry
"There's a saying that the four prerequisites for practice are great faith, great doubt, great vow, and great vigor. When I first went to Mysore it was because I wanted to see if being there and studying with Sharath would satisfy the questions in my mind about practice. About this thing that I felt driven to do, but didn't understand exactly why."
http://www.ashtangaparampara.org/karen-kelley.html
http://www.ashtangaparampara.org/karen-kelley.html
July 27, 2016 · 1 entry
My adventures on the #lyra aka #arielhoop at @polepressure
in imagePOLE PRESSURE
★ ★ ★ POLE PRESSURE
★ ★ ★ POLE PRESSURE
July 27, 2014 · 1 entry
July 27, 2013 · 3 entries
July 27, 2012 · 1 entry
I'm thankful for my teachers in all of their forms for awakening me to the insight of the happiness of pure Being. A place without the poison of conditioned existence, the poisons of prejudice and hate. I'm thankful for my teachers, who provided the antidote (like a jungle physician). That antidote: be yourself. No hate. No prejudice. Just joy. Just love. Vande Gurunam.
July 27, 2011 · 3 entries
July 27, 2010 · 3 entries
wants this wrist injury gone. He'd like to be unjured... I can't believe how badly I miss doing burpees. And, lots not even speak of my sorrow for the absent Handstand.
My cousin @[5005835:2048:Mara Iocolano], who knows me quite well, sent this with a note saying "If you had a lawn, this is how you'd mow it." She's right... Oh man.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQmYUjuuUJo&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQmYUjuuUJo&feature=related
loves his new iPhone and stereo bluetooth combo! cool cool cool. "I don't care, I love it!" *twirls and dances off, hugging unexpected new toys*
FIELD LOG
By the numbers
12,989entries logged
24years afield2003–2026
31on this day
36doodles
85pickings
Dec 2003logbook opened
FROM THE DESK
Writing
- Yoga ProfessionalsTeaching a Lineage I Never Fact-CheckedJul 25, 2026
- CultureThe Information Diet Is the PracticeJul 23, 2026
- PracticePerforming the Practice vs. Reading It: Why Inheritance Isn’t UnderstandingJul 21, 2026
- Yoga ProfessionalsGood Teacher, Broke Teacher: The Business Skills Yoga Training IgnoresJul 17, 2026
- Science and TechA Beginner’s Guide to Systems TheoryJul 15, 2026
- PracticeFrom Obedience to Inquiry: When I Started Asking Why in PracticeJul 13, 2026
FROM THE SHALA DAILY
Digests
In This Issue
- Your Context Is Your DestinyJul 26, 2026
We love a genetic excuse. “Tight hips run in my family.” “I’m just not flexible.” It feels final, which is comforting, because final means off the hook.
- Meditation Changed DNA: Mindfulness and Cellular AgingJul 25, 2026
A 2014 study found that meditation practice produced measurable changes in gene expression related to cellular aging and inflammation.
- The Courage to Be VulnerableJul 23, 2026
Embracing Fear: The True Meaning of Courage Courage isn’t about being fearless.
- The Free Thing You SkipJul 22, 2026
Todd Hargrove wrote a love letter to walking, and it made me a little defensive, which usually means it’s true.
- The Whole Method, No Gurus RequiredJul 22, 2026
The entire Ashtanga method — 81 lessons — built into one self-owned course library you operate. Not a playlist. A platform.
- The Impossible ScrollJul 21, 2026
For two thousand years, the Herculaneum scrolls were unreadable. Carbonized by Vesuvius in 79 AD. Touch one and it crumbles. Unroll it and you destroy the only copy.…
- Kiss of the Spider Woman: Ashtanga, Authoritarianism and ArtJul 20, 2026
Michael Joel Hall recounts his visit to the Gala Theater in Columbia Heights to watch a Spanish production of ‘Kiss...
- Yoga for Anxious TeensJul 19, 2026
A Georgetown University review found that mindfulness and yoga improved mental health in anxious teens, with researchers recommending these practices be tried before medication.
FROM THE FEED
The Read
highsnobiety.comadidas’ Most Stylish Mary Jane Sneaker Just Went Platinumadidas released a silver metallic version of its Samba Jane sneaker, a Mary Jane-style ballet hybrid that has become the leading model in the current ballet sneaker trend. The shoe features crinkled leather uppers with a glossy platinum finish, white stripes, and gum soles, priced around $102.✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50
theguardian.comKaty Perry ‘deeply appalled’ over White House using her song in Iran war videoKaty Perry condemned the White House for using her song 'Firework' without permission in a TikTok video showing military strikes on Iran, stating the song was written as an anthem of hope and healing, not to soundtrack violence. She joins multiple artists—including Olivia Rodrigo, Beyoncé, Kesha, Sa✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50
theguardian.comThe growing vigilante movement to knock out Flock surveillance camerasA Guardian article documents a growing vigilante movement across the US targeting Flock Safety's automated license plate reader (ALPR) cameras, which critics view as mass surveillance tools. Individuals like "NoMark," a Minneapolis-based influencer, are physically disabling these cameras—taping lens✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50
theguardian.comCecilia Vega of 60 Minutes says she felt pressure from CBS to add ‘political bias’Former 60 Minutes correspondent Cecilia Vega publicly stated she felt pressured by CBS News executives to incorporate political bias into her reporting, including requests to add non-existent footage and interview subjects unrelated to her stories. Her comments come amid broader concerns about edito✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50
yucatanmagazine.comYucatán Opens Registry for LGBTQ+ EntrepreneursYucatán's youth secretariat (Sejuvey) has launched a state registry specifically for LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs to connect them with promotional opportunities. The Padrón Estatal de Personas Emprendedoras LGBTI+ aims to increase visibility and support for queer-owned businesses across the region.✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50FROM THE FEED
The Listen
Uncanny Valley | WIREDWhy Apple Sued OpenAI; New York Takes On Data Centers; Cyclosporiasis OutbreakA tightly argued triple-header on OpenAI's legal and political fractures, the data center backlash as emerging electoral fault line, and a genuinely alarming parasitic outbreak tied to CDC staffing cuts — each thread has real stakes and sharp takes.✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50
The DailyThe Onion’s Latest Joke: Taking Over InfowarsA genuinely strange and consequential media story: The Onion buying InfoWars out of bankruptcy to parody it, return proceeds to Sandy Hook families, and 'retrain people's brains' on what the brand means. Ben Collins and Tim Heidecker are unusually clear-eyed about what they're doing and why.✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50
The VergecastWe finally have a Trump Phone | The Vergecast LivestreamA hands-on autopsy of a phone that shouldn't exist, revealing what modern smartphone hardware actually costs to build right — and why branding alone can't fake it. The Trump phone becomes a perfect accidental case study.✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50
Life KitElevate group conversations with a ‘magical question’Priya Parker reframes small talk as a learnable craft, offering a precise framework for questions that reveal character without demanding agreement. The concrete examples and the host's own vulnerability make the theory immediately usable.✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50FROM THE FEED
The Watch
TODAYFDA Panel Meets to Weigh Easier Access to PeptidesA clean, no-hype explainer on the FDA peptide hearing that separates what's actually being debated from what's being sold on Instagram. Useful framing for anyone navigating the wellness-industrial complex.✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50
MU HealthiRest Yoga Nidra – Meditation #1A complete iRest Yoga Nidra body-scan script with the rare pairing-of-opposites technique for sensations, emotions, and beliefs. Return to this when you need a full guided protocol, not just a relaxation track.✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50
ReligionForBreakfastThe Camel and Needle: Did Scholars Mistranslate Jesus’s Famous Saying?A methodical demolition of two viral misreadings of a single Gospel verse — with manuscript evidence, Aramaic lexicography, and a medieval fabrication trail. Rare case of biblical scholarship that's genuinely satisfying to follow.✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50
UsefulChartsWho Would Be King of America if George Washington Had Been a Monarch? [Updated]A deceptively playful 'what if' that keeps cashing out into real history — slavery, Civil War allegiances, DNA science, and Black aristocracy hiding in plain sight. The Washington family tree is a funhouse mirror held up to America itself.✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50
Peter LadueKarl Hess: Toward LibertyKarl Hess is the rare figure who lived the full arc — power, disillusionment, craft, and radical decentralism — and articulates each stage with disarming clarity. This transcript is a masterclass in how principled apostasy actually works.✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50FROM THE LEDGER
Pickings
FROM THE FIELD
Latest dispatches
Doodles
The full ledger
12,991 entries · 2003–2026 · filter & browse below
View
July 2026
highsnobiety.comadidas’ Most Stylish Mary Jane Sneaker Just Went Platinumadidas released a silver metallic version of its Samba Jane sneaker, a Mary Jane-style ballet hybrid that has become the leading model in the current ballet sneaker trend. The shoe features crinkled leather uppers with a glossy platinum finish, white stripes, and gum soles, priced around $102.✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50theguardian.comKaty Perry ‘deeply appalled’ over White House using her song in Iran war videoKaty Perry condemned the White House for using her song 'Firework' without permission in a TikTok video showing military strikes on Iran, stating the song was written as an anthem of hope and healing, not to soundtrack violence. She joins multiple artists—including Olivia Rodrigo, Beyoncé, Kesha, Sa✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50
✎ Essay · Shala Digest
Your Context Is Your Destiny
We love a genetic excuse. “Tight hips run in my family.” “I’m just not flexible.” It feels final, which is comforting, because final means off the hook.
Read the essay →theguardian.comThe growing vigilante movement to knock out Flock surveillance camerasA Guardian article documents a growing vigilante movement across the US targeting Flock Safety's automated license plate reader (ALPR) cameras, which critics view as mass surveillance tools. Individuals like "NoMark," a Minneapolis-based influencer, are physically disabling these cameras—taping lens✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50theguardian.comCecilia Vega of 60 Minutes says she felt pressure from CBS to add ‘political bias’Former 60 Minutes correspondent Cecilia Vega publicly stated she felt pressured by CBS News executives to incorporate political bias into her reporting, including requests to add non-existent footage and interview subjects unrelated to her stories. Her comments come amid broader concerns about edito✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50yucatanmagazine.comYucatán Opens Registry for LGBTQ+ EntrepreneursYucatán's youth secretariat (Sejuvey) has launched a state registry specifically for LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs to connect them with promotional opportunities. The Padrón Estatal de Personas Emprendedoras LGBTI+ aims to increase visibility and support for queer-owned businesses across the region.✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50
futurism.comAI Companies Are Buying Antique Books, Ingesting Their Contents to Train Models, and Then Destroying Them at Incredible ScaleAI companies are bulk-buying physical books published before 2022, destroying them to scan and ingest their contents for training language models. This practice exploits first-sale doctrine and targets pre-LLM texts as 'clean' training data, with intermediaries like ISBNdb facilitating anonymous bul✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50get bent
Yoga Class
Wish Kazi Happy Birthday
New booking request
get bent
Yoga Class
Wish Kazi Happy Birthday
New booking request
get bent
Yoga Class
Wish Kazi Happy Birthday
New booking request
Yoga Class
Wish Kazi Happy Birthday
New booking request
get bent
Yoga Class
Wish Kazi Happy Birthday
New booking request
get bent
Yoga Class
Wish Kazi Happy Birthday
New booking request
Notes
Quotes
✎ Essay · Yoga Professionals
Teaching a Lineage I Never Fact-Checked
For years I could recite my lineage and couldn’t have told you which parts were history and which were marketing. So I ran an audit on my own values — and built the answer instead of only preaching it. Culture and Context is the humanities companion that lets you hold the source, not the paraphrase.
Read the essay →
highsnobiety.comSupreme Is So BackSupreme streetwear brand has experienced a major sales resurgence in 2026 after years of declining relevance, with secondary market sales up 19% and reclaiming its position as top-selling apparel brand on StockX. The turnaround is attributed to controversial releases like a $3,798 casket and strong✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50
thisiscolossal.comFelicia Chiao’s Domestic Scenes Reflect the Emotional Structures of Daily LifeFelicia Chiao creates warm, surreal illustrations of domestic scenes using pencil, ink, and watercolor that explore emotion and mental health through layered, flower-filled compositions. Her work features stacked objects, curious characters, and ordinary household elements that reflect both timeless✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50
✎ Essay · Shala Digest
Meditation Changed DNA: Mindfulness and Cellular Aging
A 2014 study found that meditation practice produced measurable changes in gene expression related to cellular aging and inflammation.
Read the essay →get bent
Yoga Class
Wish Kazi Happy Birthday
New booking request
Yoga Class
Wish Kazi Happy Birthday
New booking request
futurism.comGoogle’s Immense Greed Is Destroying the Open WebGoogle's AI-powered search features are drastically reducing publisher traffic by surfacing AI summaries instead of directing users to original sources. Major outlets like USA Today, Reuters, and Politico are debating whether to block Google entirely, even as doing so risks further traffic loss. The✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50
bbc.co.ukScientists find building blocks of birdsong's 'spectacular diversity'French researchers analyzed over 116,000 birdsongs from 3,000+ species and identified eight fundamental sound motifs (three trills, three whistles, chaotic notes, harmonies) underlying all birdsong diversity. Environment shapes composition: tropical birds use simpler motifs to cut through dense soun✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50TODAYFDA Panel Meets to Weigh Easier Access to PeptidesA clean, no-hype explainer on the FDA peptide hearing that separates what's actually being debated from what's being sold on Instagram. Useful framing for anyone navigating the wellness-industrial complex.✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50
✎ Essay · Culture
The Information Diet Is the Practice
Why a yoga teacher reads three newspapers a day, and what algorithmic feeds quietly took from all of us.
Read the essay →
✎ Essay · Shala Digest
The Courage to Be Vulnerable
Embracing Fear: The True Meaning of Courage Courage isn’t about being fearless.
Read the essay →
highsnobiety.comArtist Uniform: The Anti-Fashion Art Duo Who Accidentally Became Style IconsGilbert & George, a British artist duo, have worn identical tweed suits daily since the late 1960s as a 'living sculpture,' creating a stark contrast with their vibrant, kaleidoscopic artwork. Despite claiming no interest in fashion, their unchanging uniform has made them style icons, inspiring coll✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50
futurism.comElon Musk Says Grok Will Generate Its Own Feature-Length Version of “The Odyssey” for People Allergic to Progressive IdeasElon Musk criticized Christopher Nolan's Odyssey adaptation for casting choices he deemed 'woke,' claiming his AI tool Grok will create a 'historically accurate' version before year's end. Despite Musk's online campaign against the film, Nolan's version opened to $264 million globally with strong re✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50get bent
Yoga Class
Wish Kazi Happy Birthday
Yoga Class
Wish Kazi Happy Birthday
Notes
Quotes
(empty string)
MU HealthiRest Yoga Nidra – Meditation #1A complete iRest Yoga Nidra body-scan script with the rare pairing-of-opposites technique for sensations, emotions, and beliefs. Return to this when you need a full guided protocol, not just a relaxation track.✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50
✎ Essay · Shala Digest
The Free Thing You Skip
Todd Hargrove wrote a love letter to walking, and it made me a little defensive, which usually means it’s true.
Read the essay →
✎ Essay · Shala Digest
The Whole Method, No Gurus Required
The entire Ashtanga method — 81 lessons — built into one self-owned course library you operate. Not a playlist. A platform.
Read the essay →
Get MichaelFilter
Enter your email. We'll send a one-tap link to read today's edition free, in your browser — the link works for 24 hours. Membership unlocks every issue, PDFs, and transcripts.
Already a member of theyoga.club or ashtanga.tech? You're already on file — no re-registration. We won't add you to any list.