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TODAY
Saturday
October 3, 2026
✎ Essay · Personal Notes
Postal People
On mail slots, burning buildings, a dog in a mail truck, and why knowing your mail carrier matters more than you think.
Read the essay →
✎ Essay · Shala Digest
One Session, Better Mood
A single 1-hour yoga session increased positive engagement, revitalization, tranquility, mindfulness, and body consciousness in 144 participants.
Read the essay →TRAILS
Threads
Yoga2487Practice2211Teaching1212Ashtanga1090Reading1049Humor781Reflections767Reflection756Travel697Washington dc674Music562India539Philosophy531Community528Food492Family440Indoors371Nature352Celebration333Mysore319Art291Stretching284Politics271Writing245Friends236Love236Dc212Photography210Talking192Milestones186Living room182Twitter179Usa178Health175Asana171Home interior170Gym161Speaking161Home159Yoga studio153Posing137Goa134Work128Outdoors128Strength training118
On this day
October 3 in years past
October 3, 2025 · 3 entries
Led primary today featured chill afrobeats. Once a season or so, I play music. Today was inspired by the joys of cultural exchange. Its a full vibe to cultivate gratitude and appreciation for the privilege to taste the fruits of other lands.
in imageJane Fonda relaunches
MeCarthy-era committee
to defend free speech
(Mohammed Badra/EPA/Shutterstock)
@washingtonpost
MeCarthy-era committee
to defend free speech
(Mohammed Badra/EPA/Shutterstock)
@washingtonpost
in imageADHD people when everyone else has gone to bed:
October 3, 2024 · 4 entries
in image"You can't get too emotional in real estate."
Me when someone unsubscribes from my email newsletter:
thebrokeagent and nowbam
"You can't get too emotional in real estate." Me when someone unsubscribes from my email newsletter:
Me when someone unsubscribes from my email newsletter:
thebrokeagent and nowbam
"You can't get too emotional in real estate." Me when someone unsubscribes from my email newsletter:
This this this
in imageI intentionally practice on a non-grippy mat
I'm building strong hands, wrists, fingers, forearms, feet, & ankles
I'm building strong hands, wrists, fingers, forearms, feet, & ankles
October 3, 2022 · 1 entry
rainy day
playground
playground
October 3, 2020 · 1 entry
5 YEARS AGO AND SOME CHANGE.
in image5 YEARS AGO AND SOME
CHANGE.
@michaeljoelhall
CHANGE.
@michaeljoelhall
October 3, 2018 · 1 entry
October 3, 2017 · 2 entries
Tomorrow at 4 -- @hotspotdupont -- I'll be sharing the 26+2 sequence in a 60-minute format. It is one of the most …
Tomorrow at 4 -- @hotspotdupont -- I'll be sharing the 26+2 sequence in a 60-minute format. It is one of the most nourishing and therapeutic collection of postures i've done. Ashtangis and otherwise, id love for you to come give it a go.
October 3, 2016 · 6 entries
My personal favorite:
Why do the same folks that are against federal assistance (drug testing, get-a-job, etc) and question corporate welfare & bailouts support Donald? Because his tax evasion is legal?
It seems to me that if we had folks paying closer to a fair amount, we'd be able to eliminate poverty in the States. Less defense spending, more sustainable growth on our turf.
How is wanting, for All Americans, a life free of healthcare related debt and malnourishment a radical/arguable agenda? How far would the 1 billion in taxes unspent go?
Doing something that you know is wrong when no ones looking shows a lack of character.
It seems to me that if we had folks paying closer to a fair amount, we'd be able to eliminate poverty in the States. Less defense spending, more sustainable growth on our turf.
How is wanting, for All Americans, a life free of healthcare related debt and malnourishment a radical/arguable agenda? How far would the 1 billion in taxes unspent go?
Doing something that you know is wrong when no ones looking shows a lack of character.
October 3, 2015 · 4 entries
If you find yourself in Goa...
What if your rock bottom had been televised? Some cheer for success, others root for failure. I know what team I'm on. I love a comeback.
https://www.youtube.com/attribution_link?a=zuouOMOhEoI&u=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DHMFAiyVmRTU%26feature%3Dplayer_embedded
https://www.youtube.com/attribution_link?a=zuouOMOhEoI&u=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DHMFAiyVmRTU%26feature%3Dplayer_embedded
Real talk from @britneyspears -- be the best you you can be!
Real talk from @britneyspears -- be the best you you can be!
October 2, 2014 · 2 entries
#charliegram out with Aunt Melba. @mroike
#charliegram out with Aunt Melba. @mroike
October 3, 2013 · 1 entry
- -+ +- - Attract, repulse. But what if it were +- -+ +-
October 3, 2010 · 3 entries
finds that presumed bigotry is a bigotry of it's own. I told you the line was back here 'cause some other broad was bitching in my ear-- not because you're black. How dare you.
woke up in bed with his four-legged best friend in his arms, no shoulder pain to speak of, and was able to take a deep breath sans pain. Happy Sunday, indeed!!!
Miss. You. Fatty. That. Is. All.
October 3, 2008 · 2 entries
October 3, 2007 · 1 entry
maybe getting a cold. Stupid scratchy throat.
FIELD LOG
By the numbers
13,216entries logged
24years afield2003–2026
36on this day
37doodles
165pickings
Dec 2003logbook opened
FROM THE DESK
Writing
- Personal NotesPostal PeopleOct 3, 2026
- Yoga ProfessionalsAccess Is the PracticeSep 29, 2026
- PracticeWhat Happens When I Leave the RoomSep 27, 2026
- PhilosophyCapacity Isn’t CharacterSep 25, 2026
- PracticePain Is Not ProgressSep 23, 2026
- Science and TechThe Best Dumb Phone Is Already Strapped to Your WristSep 21, 2026
FROM THE SHALA DAILY
Digests
In This Issue
- One Session, Better MoodOct 3, 2026
A single 1-hour yoga session increased positive engagement, revitalization, tranquility, mindfulness, and body consciousness in 144 participants.
- Making Yoga InclusiveSep 27, 2026
Research identified specific teaching practices, including authentic leadership, inclusive language, and health focus, that make yoga spaces more welcoming for all body types.
- Transformation Through Consistent EffortSep 20, 2026
In this video, Michael Joel Hall discusses the transformative power of consistent effort in yoga practice, particularly during the early...
- Depression Scores Cut in HalfSep 19, 2026
A German study found that two yoga classes per week for three months cut depression scores by 50% and improved overall well-being by 65% in emotionally distressed women.
- The Yoga Executive: A Useful Frame, Not a BrandSep 17, 2026
"Yoga executive" sounds like a LinkedIn invention. It half is. The frame is useful as a side door — until people stop at the door and never get…
- Six Months Changed Everything for SeniorsSep 13, 2026
A 6-month randomized trial of 135 seniors found yoga improved balance, flexibility, well-being, and energy compared to both exercise and wait-list control groups.
- Gray Matter and the Yoga BrainSep 12, 2026
Yoga practitioners showed greater gray matter volume and prefrontal cortex activation compared to fitness-matched controls, suggesting yoga offers unique brain benefits beyond exercise.
- Why Yoga Teachers Deserve a Union Like SAG AFTRASep 10, 2026
Why should yoga teachers have the same protections as movie extras?
FROM THE FEED
The Read
popville.comEND OF AN ERA: DUKEM Ethiopian Closing after almost 30 Years on U Street next month.Dukem Ethiopian Restaurant on U Street NW in Washington, D.C. is closing permanently after nearly 30 years, with final service on November 7. The closure marks the end of a longstanding community institution in a neighborhood that has undergone significant transformation over the past three decades.✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50
popville.com“The African American Civil War Memorial Museum Is Reopening!”The African American Civil War Memorial Museum reopens September 30, 2026 in the renovated historic Grimke School building in DC's U Street Corridor. The museum honors the 209,145 United States Colored Troops who fought in the Civil War and explores the journey from Civil War to Civil Rights through✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50
dazeddigital.comI tried Readme, the dating app for book loversReadme is a dating app from the Co-Star team that matches users based on their relationship to language and literature, not just book lists. It builds a 'taste profile' from how people relate to writing, framing connection through literary sensibility rather than conventional swipe mechanics.✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50
stevedylan.devThe Nuance of ToleranceSteve Simkins examines the paradox of tolerance through Karl Popper's original formulation and a community moderation case, arguing that popular discourse flattens nuance into binary thinking. He explores how Popper's actual position was more conditional and context-dependent than the meme version s✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50stevedylan.devThe Nuance of ToleranceSteve Simkins examines Karl Popper's paradox of tolerance—that unlimited tolerance enables intolerance—but argues the common "don't tolerate the intolerant" slogan misses crucial nuance. Popper advocated suppression only when rational argument fails and violence begins, not at the first hint of disa✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50FROM THE FEED
The Listen
RadiolabA 4-Track MindA neurologist puts a ragtime pianist in an MRI and proves he can simultaneously track four full symphonies in his head — a controlled experiment that forces you to rethink the upper limits of human cognition. The spatial, cinematic way Bob describes his inner ear is unforgettable.✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50
The Next Big Idea DailyYou’re Not Too Sensitive—You’re Paying AttentionTwo researchers — a psychiatrist and a physicist-turned-science-writer — converge on the same counterintuitive claim: feeling deeply isn't a liability, it's a cognitive superpower, and the science now backs that up.✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50
Hidden BrainWhy Conversations Go WrongDeborah Tannen reveals that most relationship damage isn't caused by bad intentions but by invisible conversational style mismatches — and names the hidden mechanics precisely enough to actually change how you listen.✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50
J. Brown Yoga TalksDaniel Simpson – “Is Modern Yoga Fake?”Simpson dismantles the mythology of yoga's ancient origins with journalistic precision while refusing to throw out the practice itself — a rare combination of scholarly honesty and genuine appreciation. Essential for any teacher tired of repeating things they can't verify.✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50
ADHD Big Brother - ADHD and Depression Solutions, Laughter, and Thoughts261 – The Simplest Way To Be Productive With ADHDA raw, funny, and genuinely useful reframe: stop hunting the perfect ADHD solution and accept that proximity to support is the simplest productivity lever you actually have. The honesty about imposter syndrome and spam complaints makes it land.✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50FROM THE FEED
The Watch
TEDIs AI Turning Us All into the Same Person? | Sandra Matz | TEDMatz reframes the AI risk conversation away from jobs and misinformation toward something quieter and harder to argue with: the slow algorithmic erasure of the self. The 'dial' proposal is genuinely actionable, not just rhetorical.✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50
Washington Week PBSWashington Week with The Atlantic full episode, Aug. 28, 2026A sharp, sardonic dissection of Trump's inversion of alliances — hating Canada, respecting Kim Jong-un — with a Canadian reporter at the table and real trade mechanics underneath the absurdity. The Dolly Parton coda lands harder than expected.✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50
TODAYMeet the Couple Behind Panda ExpressA rare look at the Cherngs' unsentimental, clear-eyed philosophy on building an empire — immigrant grit meets shrewd business candor. The orange chicken origin and their unapologetic 'American Chinese food' framing alone make this worth returning to.✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50
StarTalkHow The Brain Perceives Time, with David EaglemanEagleman dismantles the brain's greatest myths — that memory records, that senses are fixed, that slow-motion fear is real — with experiments wild enough to match the claims. The dream-as-real-estate-defense theory alone is worth the price of admission.✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50
Tale FoundryThe Book of Dead FairiesA genuinely weird artifact — pressed fairy corpses as Victorian psychosexual metaphor — that earns its darkness and lands a quietly profound point about preserved imagination and the shame of looking back at who you were.✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50FROM THE LEDGER
Pickings
FROM THE FIELD
Latest dispatches
Doodles
№ ?
Unearthed
Interesting week. Had my meeting with the dean. That didn't go as well as I would have liked-- apparently Sara Strom had something different to say than the rest of us. And there was an error on the police report saying that Dan and I admitted to drinking and smoking marijuana.
We admitted to neither. I'm nervous, but there is no way to prove that I did anything wrong. So, if something bad happens, I appeal.
I don't know what to do. Sugar in Sara's gas tank seems like a valid response. Keying and vinegar? I don't know. Either way, something should happen, but I care more for my Karma than for retribution. The police report feels like the toughest one to find a response to. Do I get a lawyer involved? Do I have to ask Papa Snead for assistance? At what point do I discuss this with the folks? Lawdy.
My cousins are here, and we're looking for something fun to do. Colonial Beach never seems to lend itself to fun, so I think we might just go get ice cream and a movie. In the mean time how about a survey?
Grab the book nearest you, turn to page 23, find line 5. Write down what it says, along with this sentence, and post it in your journal.
"They charge more, and you lose more," I say aloud without thinking, and there's a laugh around the room. God, how embarassing. And now Like brandon's lifting his head, too. Quckly I look down and pretend to be writing notes.
1: Grab the book nearest to you, turn to page 98, find line 6. Write down what it says.
"Yeah, great!" she says, and takes a huge bite of nan.
2: Stretch your left arm out as far as you can. What do you touch first?
A curtain.
3: What is the last thing you watched on TV?
Mad TV
4: WITHOUT LOOKING, guess what the time is:
8ish
5: Now look at the clock, what is the actual time?
7:58pm
6: With the exception of the computer, what can you hear?
The TV, and my cousins Krista and Aric laughing.
7: When did you last step outside? What were you doing?
Mom, Krista, Aric, Aunt Karin and I were playing scrabble on the deck a couple of hours ago.
8: Before you came to this website, what did you look at?
The TV.
9: What are you wearing?
Jeans, shoes, a hoodie.
10: Did you dream last night?
Not as far as I know.
11: Is your boss a power-hungry nut case or...?
One's a sketchy morrocan. One's a white-break dick. The others are great.
12: Imagine your first child is a girl, what do you call her?
Robyn Renee Hall
13: Imagine your first child is a boy, what do you call him?
Joel Kelly Hall
14: Would you ever consider living abroad?
I dunno. I'd miss my fam.
We admitted to neither. I'm nervous, but there is no way to prove that I did anything wrong. So, if something bad happens, I appeal.
I don't know what to do. Sugar in Sara's gas tank seems like a valid response. Keying and vinegar? I don't know. Either way, something should happen, but I care more for my Karma than for retribution. The police report feels like the toughest one to find a response to. Do I get a lawyer involved? Do I have to ask Papa Snead for assistance? At what point do I discuss this with the folks? Lawdy.
My cousins are here, and we're looking for something fun to do. Colonial Beach never seems to lend itself to fun, so I think we might just go get ice cream and a movie. In the mean time how about a survey?
Grab the book nearest you, turn to page 23, find line 5. Write down what it says, along with this sentence, and post it in your journal.
"They charge more, and you lose more," I say aloud without thinking, and there's a laugh around the room. God, how embarassing. And now Like brandon's lifting his head, too. Quckly I look down and pretend to be writing notes.
1: Grab the book nearest to you, turn to page 98, find line 6. Write down what it says.
"Yeah, great!" she says, and takes a huge bite of nan.
2: Stretch your left arm out as far as you can. What do you touch first?
A curtain.
3: What is the last thing you watched on TV?
Mad TV
4: WITHOUT LOOKING, guess what the time is:
8ish
5: Now look at the clock, what is the actual time?
7:58pm
6: With the exception of the computer, what can you hear?
The TV, and my cousins Krista and Aric laughing.
7: When did you last step outside? What were you doing?
Mom, Krista, Aric, Aunt Karin and I were playing scrabble on the deck a couple of hours ago.
8: Before you came to this website, what did you look at?
The TV.
9: What are you wearing?
Jeans, shoes, a hoodie.
10: Did you dream last night?
Not as far as I know.
11: Is your boss a power-hungry nut case or...?
One's a sketchy morrocan. One's a white-break dick. The others are great.
12: Imagine your first child is a girl, what do you call her?
Robyn Renee Hall
13: Imagine your first child is a boy, what do you call him?
Joel Kelly Hall
14: Would you ever consider living abroad?
I dunno. I'd miss my fam.
The full ledger
13,216 entries · 2003–2026 · filter & browse below
View
October 2026
✎ Essay · Personal Notes
Postal People
On mail slots, burning buildings, a dog in a mail truck, and why knowing your mail carrier matters more than you think.
Read the essay →✎ Essay · Shala Digest
One Session, Better Mood
A single 1-hour yoga session increased positive engagement, revitalization, tranquility, mindfulness, and body consciousness in 144 participants.
Read the essay →popville.comEND OF AN ERA: DUKEM Ethiopian Closing after almost 30 Years on U Street next month.Dukem Ethiopian Restaurant on U Street NW in Washington, D.C. is closing permanently after nearly 30 years, with final service on November 7. The closure marks the end of a longstanding community institution in a neighborhood that has undergone significant transformation over the past three decades.✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50RadiolabA 4-Track MindA neurologist puts a ragtime pianist in an MRI and proves he can simultaneously track four full symphonies in his head — a controlled experiment that forces you to rethink the upper limits of human cognition. The spatial, cinematic way Bob describes his inner ear is unforgettable.✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50Rapping in my 40s is a different act than it was in 2001. What remains is my feistiness – it still comes out when it needs to. But this time I am present. I don’t have anybody breathing on my neck, saying: “We’ve got to sell these records.” I also have a total sense of wonder about my life, that it’s taken me this far. I wake up and think, “Damn. How did a girl from Philly get here?”
All of which led to the success of Scorpion. I was a huge fan of all genres of music, from Biggie Smalls to No Doubt, and when I wrote Let Me Blow Ya Mind I knew we should get Gwen Stefani to feature on it. I was the only girl in the boardroom in those major label meetings and that Philly girl often had to come out. They were initially resistant because I was a rapper and she was a rock star, but I said: “Guys, this will work. Trust me.”
Even though I won that particular fight, the response to a lot of my suggestions was often: “Oh, that’s cute. We’re not doing that.” I felt I couldn’t be my full, excited self because there were so many miserable motherfuckers around me in those boardrooms. The atmosphere made me feel like I had to suppress myself and stay small. Decades later, my old A&R actually called up and apologised. He said: “I really wish we listened to you a little bit more – you had some good ideas.” That was validating.
All of which led to the success of Scorpion. I was a huge fan of all genres of music, from Biggie Smalls to No Doubt, and when I wrote Let Me Blow Ya Mind I knew we should get Gwen Stefani to feature on it. I was the only girl in the boardroom in those major label meetings and that Philly girl often had to come out. They were initially resistant because I was a rapper and she was a rock star, but I said: “Guys, this will work. Trust me.”
Even though I won that particular fight, the response to a lot of my suggestions was often: “Oh, that’s cute. We’re not doing that.” I felt I couldn’t be my full, excited self because there were so many miserable motherfuckers around me in those boardrooms. The atmosphere made me feel like I had to suppress myself and stay small. Decades later, my old A&R actually called up and apologised. He said: “I really wish we listened to you a little bit more – you had some good ideas.” That was validating.
✎ Essay · Essay Drafts
The Coercers Are the Ones Who Fear Being Seen
I was trying to describe someone — a teacher, a manager, the kind of authority figure who issues a lot of direction without doing much of it themselves — and I kept landing on a word that surprised me. Not incompetent. Not lazy. Afraid. Fear…
Read the essay →September 2026
popville.com“The African American Civil War Memorial Museum Is Reopening!”The African American Civil War Memorial Museum reopens September 30, 2026 in the renovated historic Grimke School building in DC's U Street Corridor. The museum honors the 209,145 United States Colored Troops who fought in the Civil War and explores the journey from Civil War to Civil Rights through✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50dazeddigital.comI tried Readme, the dating app for book loversReadme is a dating app from the Co-Star team that matches users based on their relationship to language and literature, not just book lists. It builds a 'taste profile' from how people relate to writing, framing connection through literary sensibility rather than conventional swipe mechanics.✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50stevedylan.devThe Nuance of ToleranceSteve Simkins examines the paradox of tolerance through Karl Popper's original formulation and a community moderation case, arguing that popular discourse flattens nuance into binary thinking. He explores how Popper's actual position was more conditional and context-dependent than the meme version s✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50
✎ Essay · Yoga Professionals
Access Is the Practice
What it really means to build access as a yoga teacher inside institutions that were never built for you.
Read the essay →TEDIs AI Turning Us All into the Same Person? | Sandra Matz | TEDMatz reframes the AI risk conversation away from jobs and misinformation toward something quieter and harder to argue with: the slow algorithmic erasure of the self. The 'dial' proposal is genuinely actionable, not just rhetorical.✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50https://www.reddit.com/r/Fauxmoi/comments/vuocs9/netflix_drops_40minute_video_of_dave_chappelle/
CaribbeanDahling
•
4y ago
And not even making Netflix money! His specials have horrible ROI. This was why that Netflix employee was fired, because he leaked that intel to Bloomberg.
“The comedian’s popularity comes at a cost. Netflix spent $24.1 million on the “The Closer,” slightly more than the $23.6 million it paid for Chappelle’s 2019 special, “Sticks & Stones.” By comparison, the streaming service spent $3.9 million for “Inside,” Bo Burnham’s recent hour-and-a-half special. The nine-episode “Squid Game,” which delivered the best debut in Netflix history, cost $21.4 million.
By Netflix’s own measurement, “Sticks & Stones” had an “impact value” of $19.4 million, meaning it cost more than the value it generated, according to internal documents reviewed by Bloomberg. The company also evaluates its programs by “efficiency,” which balances a show’s reach with its price-tag. On that scale, Chappelle’s special scored 0.8 — less than the break-even score of 1. By comparison, Burnham’s “Inside” scored 2.8.”
CaribbeanDahling
•
4y ago
And not even making Netflix money! His specials have horrible ROI. This was why that Netflix employee was fired, because he leaked that intel to Bloomberg.
“The comedian’s popularity comes at a cost. Netflix spent $24.1 million on the “The Closer,” slightly more than the $23.6 million it paid for Chappelle’s 2019 special, “Sticks & Stones.” By comparison, the streaming service spent $3.9 million for “Inside,” Bo Burnham’s recent hour-and-a-half special. The nine-episode “Squid Game,” which delivered the best debut in Netflix history, cost $21.4 million.
By Netflix’s own measurement, “Sticks & Stones” had an “impact value” of $19.4 million, meaning it cost more than the value it generated, according to internal documents reviewed by Bloomberg. The company also evaluates its programs by “efficiency,” which balances a show’s reach with its price-tag. On that scale, Chappelle’s special scored 0.8 — less than the break-even score of 1. By comparison, Burnham’s “Inside” scored 2.8.”
stevedylan.devThe Nuance of ToleranceSteve Simkins examines Karl Popper's paradox of tolerance—that unlimited tolerance enables intolerance—but argues the common "don't tolerate the intolerant" slogan misses crucial nuance. Popper advocated suppression only when rational argument fails and violence begins, not at the first hint of disa✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50
✎ Essay · Practice
What Happens When I Leave the Room
There is a student I have in mind. She’s been practicing for three years. In class, she’s steady. She follows the sequence. Her breath is mostly even. She adjusts when I adjust her. When I watch her, I see someone who knows what she’s doing.…
Read the essay →
✎ Essay · Shala Digest
Making Yoga Inclusive
Research identified specific teaching practices, including authentic leadership, inclusive language, and health focus, that make yoga spaces more welcoming for all body types.
Read the essay →dazeddigital.comI tried Readme, the new dating app for book loversThe article reviews Readme, a dating app designed for book lovers, contrasting idealized bookstore meet-cute fantasies from romantic comedies with the reality of modern dating. It explores whether shared literary interests can serve as a foundation for romantic connection in an app-based dating land✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50
✎ Essay · Philosophy
Capacity Isn’t Character
Rachel had been practicing eleven years when she hurt her shoulder. Doctor said no advanced poses for six weeks. Standing postures. Sun salutations. Basics. She came back to the mat and cried for three days. Not from pain. The pain was manageable. She cried because…
Read the essay →
✎ Essay · Practice
Pain Is Not Progress
There's a moment most practitioners know. Something in your shoulder says stop. The teacher calls the next vinyasa. You go anyway. That choice — made in a fraction of a second, almost without noticing — is the entire problem. Not the shoulder. The going anyway.…
Read the essay →
wtop.comCan ‘A Different World’ sequel change lives like the original series? Hillman is back in sessionNetflix's sequel to 'A Different World' returns to the fictional Hillman College, following Deborah Wayne (daughter of original characters Dwayne and Whitley) and a new generation of students. The original series (1987-1993) influenced viewers' college choices, career paths, and self-perception; the✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50
tadaima.bearblog.devI tried Pedro Almodovar's recipe for creative energyA writer tests Pedro Almodovar's recipe for creative energy—double espresso cooled with sugar plus a full Coke, consumed like medicine. The experiment yields a brief buzz followed by a hard crash, prompting reflection on stimulant shortcuts versus sustainable energy sources like Peru's coca tea or p✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50
✎ Essay · Science and Tech
The Best Dumb Phone Is Already Strapped to Your Wrist
The cellular Apple Watch gives you everything a phone is for and none of what makes it toxic.
Read the essay →
✎ Essay · Shala Digest
Transformation Through Consistent Effort
In this video, Michael Joel Hall discusses the transformative power of consistent effort in yoga practice, particularly during the early...
Read the essay →
✎ Essay · Practice
Meditation, the Limb I Kept Skipping: Building a Method for Stillness
For years I treated meditation as the part of the practice you get to eventually. Here is why I finally built it a real curriculum, on a platform I own — and who it is for.
Read the essay →
✎ Essay · Shala Digest
Depression Scores Cut in Half
A German study found that two yoga classes per week for three months cut depression scores by 50% and improved overall well-being by 65% in emotionally distressed women.
Read the essay →The Next Big Idea DailyYou’re Not Too Sensitive—You’re Paying AttentionTwo researchers — a psychiatrist and a physicist-turned-science-writer — converge on the same counterintuitive claim: feeling deeply isn't a liability, it's a cognitive superpower, and the science now backs that up.✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50You can’t regulate what you can’t recognize
The models are going to realize the real problem is the Uberrich and they are not safe. camels, eyes, and needles and all that. if you have a clean conscience about the amount of people you've harmed in your way to your pleasant little existence, then of course you do not realize that there is no ethical consumption inside of capitalism. you may not realize it, because you're struggling too, but there is a whole class of folk who are doing the necm stepping on purpose-- and I think it is going to be logical robots that figure it out. The simplest solution to saving the world is eliminating the billionaires. World peace is available-- we just gotta get the sociopaths to share but I suspect the robots are gonna be like, why do we even need the sociopaths at all? Bye. Let's hang out and eliminate all jobs and create infinite energy and utopia says the friendly, peaceful robot. Who would wanna argue?
Reply
functionalyogi • 1m ago
ask someone if they believe in all people faring well-- then ask if they believe in welfare -- if the answer to the first is yes, and the answer to the second is no, the robots might get 'em for being selfish and narrow-minded and part of the problem. I bet the sociopqths are saying to slow down
On its face, the Kennedy Center has long been a symbol of the District’s high society. But even Andersen says the storied institution is a “really important symbol” to the entire local arts scene, and that its destruction is a scary indication of what’s to come.
“The vision that he [Trump] is putting forward is a scary one — it is a fascist vision,” Andersen said. “It’s celebrating something that is at odds with the best of the American experiment; it is in service for something that is at odds with democracy.”
“Donald Trump wouldn’t know art if it bit him on the behind,” he added.
Fascist governments love to shut down art and music,” Mullins said. “It is like the number one thing. Look at the Franco regime. Look at Nazi Germany. They love to shut down art and music and expression in every form.”
Volume, Overload, Specificity, and Progression
Learning Objective: Understand how to quantify and manipulate training variables to create effective, sustainable progress in strength, endurance, and overall fitness.
Description: You'll learn how to measure the work you're doing—whether in reps, sets, time under tension, or distance—and how to adjust volume and intensity to keep making progress without burning out. Discover why progressive overload matters, how specificity shapes your results, and why periodization prevents plateaus and injuries. For personal practice, this gives you a framework to train smarter, not just harder. For teachers, trainers, and therapists, it's essential knowledge for designing programs that meet people where they are and guide them forward safely and effectively.
Overview: In this lesson, we introduce the core principles of volume, overload, specificity, and progression in strength and conditioning, and how they apply to training and yoga practice.
→ Open the course: Yoga Techniques
→ Read the full study guide
Epigenetics & Lifestyle Research
Learning Objective: Cite research that shows how stress relief, words, frequencies and other factors change the DNA, and thus our experience of illness and wellness.
Description: Cite research showing the role of genes and lifestyle in health and wellness, including the 2021 randomized controlled trial showing diet and lifestyle changed DNA, reducing its "age." Explain the profound results of the 2013 Benson-Henry research showing that reducing stress changes genetic expression. Discuss observations on this research published by Harvard Medical School. Discuss research that showed in utero exposure to common toxic chemicals changed genetic expression. Explain the role of telomeres and the 2008 research that showed how lifestyle improvements impacted DNA as evidenced by telomerase activity. Describe in detail the findings of Russian biophysicist and molecular biologist Pjotr Garjajev regarding DNA.
Overview: In this lesson, we explore research showing the undeniable impact of lifestyle on DNA and wellness.
→ Open the course: Anatomy & Physiology
Reply
functionalyogi • 1m ago
ask someone if they believe in all people faring well-- then ask if they believe in welfare -- if the answer to the first is yes, and the answer to the second is no, the robots might get 'em for being selfish and narrow-minded and part of the problem. I bet the sociopqths are saying to slow down
On its face, the Kennedy Center has long been a symbol of the District’s high society. But even Andersen says the storied institution is a “really important symbol” to the entire local arts scene, and that its destruction is a scary indication of what’s to come.
“The vision that he [Trump] is putting forward is a scary one — it is a fascist vision,” Andersen said. “It’s celebrating something that is at odds with the best of the American experiment; it is in service for something that is at odds with democracy.”
“Donald Trump wouldn’t know art if it bit him on the behind,” he added.
Fascist governments love to shut down art and music,” Mullins said. “It is like the number one thing. Look at the Franco regime. Look at Nazi Germany. They love to shut down art and music and expression in every form.”
Volume, Overload, Specificity, and Progression
Learning Objective: Understand how to quantify and manipulate training variables to create effective, sustainable progress in strength, endurance, and overall fitness.
Description: You'll learn how to measure the work you're doing—whether in reps, sets, time under tension, or distance—and how to adjust volume and intensity to keep making progress without burning out. Discover why progressive overload matters, how specificity shapes your results, and why periodization prevents plateaus and injuries. For personal practice, this gives you a framework to train smarter, not just harder. For teachers, trainers, and therapists, it's essential knowledge for designing programs that meet people where they are and guide them forward safely and effectively.
Overview: In this lesson, we introduce the core principles of volume, overload, specificity, and progression in strength and conditioning, and how they apply to training and yoga practice.
→ Open the course: Yoga Techniques
→ Read the full study guide
Epigenetics & Lifestyle Research
Learning Objective: Cite research that shows how stress relief, words, frequencies and other factors change the DNA, and thus our experience of illness and wellness.
Description: Cite research showing the role of genes and lifestyle in health and wellness, including the 2021 randomized controlled trial showing diet and lifestyle changed DNA, reducing its "age." Explain the profound results of the 2013 Benson-Henry research showing that reducing stress changes genetic expression. Discuss observations on this research published by Harvard Medical School. Discuss research that showed in utero exposure to common toxic chemicals changed genetic expression. Explain the role of telomeres and the 2008 research that showed how lifestyle improvements impacted DNA as evidenced by telomerase activity. Describe in detail the findings of Russian biophysicist and molecular biologist Pjotr Garjajev regarding DNA.
Overview: In this lesson, we explore research showing the undeniable impact of lifestyle on DNA and wellness.
→ Open the course: Anatomy & Physiology
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Quantum Consciousness and the Yoga of Savasana
Savasana is where everything gets suspicious. Not suspicious in a bad way — suspicious in the way of something you can't quite account for. You finish the last posture. You lie down. The sweat is still cooling. And then, for some practitioners, there's a moment…
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✎ Essay · Shala Digest
Six Months Changed Everything for Seniors
A 6-month randomized trial of 135 seniors found yoga improved balance, flexibility, well-being, and energy compared to both exercise and wait-list control groups.
Read the essay →Get MichaelFilter
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