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Yoga2487Practice2211Teaching1212Ashtanga1090Reading1049Humor781Reflections767Reflection756Travel697Washington dc674Music562India539Philosophy531Community528Food492Family440Indoors371Nature352Celebration333Mysore319Art291Stretching284Politics271Writing245Friends236Love236Dc212Photography210Talking192Milestones186Living room182Twitter179Usa178Health175Asana171Home interior170Gym161Speaking161Home159Yoga studio153Posing137Goa134Work128Outdoors128Strength training118
On this day
August 31 in years past
August 31, 2025 · 7 entries
in imageGARIBAY INSTITUTE PRESENTS AN
uh oh
in imageuh oh
put those guns away I'm a democrat
put those guns away I'm a democrat
in imageMerriam-
Webster
Merriam-Webster
@MerriamWebster
'Phonetic' is not.
'Abbreviation' is 12 letters.
'Thesaurus' doesn't have a synonym.
'Monosyllabic' has five syllables.
Say what you will about English,
but it has a sense of humor.
@merriamwebster
Webster
Merriam-Webster
@MerriamWebster
'Phonetic' is not.
'Abbreviation' is 12 letters.
'Thesaurus' doesn't have a synonym.
'Monosyllabic' has five syllables.
Say what you will about English,
but it has a sense of humor.
@merriamwebster
when you want your yoga to help you change politics vs when you want your yoga to be politics
in imagePeople not voting on principle because they have the privilege to not be adversely affected by the outcome. when you want your yoga to help you change politics vs when you want your yoga to be politics
in imageInternal Experience in Ashtanga Yoga
• Emphasis on internal experience over external instruction
• Talking vs. Doing
• Understanding through practice
• Emphasis on internal experience over external instruction
• Talking vs. Doing
• Understanding through practice
Yoga is a straightforward path towards liberation from narrowmindedness and the suffering it brings. Some teachers miss the mark— oops— by confusing success in shapes vs an expanded consciousness capable of holding boundless compassion.
A good teacher combats cognitive dissonance and spiritual bypassing by openly discussing advantages AND lamenting the disadvantages inherent in each of us as we take on spiritual practice.
See my whole video “Ashtanga Teacher Qualifications (uh oh!)” on youtube. Link in bio.
A good teacher combats cognitive dissonance and spiritual bypassing by openly discussing advantages AND lamenting the disadvantages inherent in each of us as we take on spiritual practice.
See my whole video “Ashtanga Teacher Qualifications (uh oh!)” on youtube. Link in bio.
in imageUnderstanding Nonlinear Dynamics
Two Models of Teachers
Linear Judgement
Judged by Visible Achievements
Workshops & Certifications
Physical Abilities
Modern
Want to practice longer?
Enjoy it.
Practitioners who grasp non-linear systems can sustain longer and more beneficial practices.
You don't always run into the necessity of deep learning when you're privlidged
Two Models of Teachers
Linear Judgement
Judged by Visible Achievements
Workshops & Certifications
Physical Abilities
Modern
Want to practice longer?
Enjoy it.
Practitioners who grasp non-linear systems can sustain longer and more beneficial practices.
You don't always run into the necessity of deep learning when you're privlidged
August 31, 2024 · 1 entry
Love her
k bai
k bai
August 31, 2023 · 5 entries
missing my village rn
<3 you forever arambol & anjuna.
<3 you forever arambol & anjuna.
in imagemissing my village rn
<3 you forever arambol & anjuna.
<3 you forever arambol & anjuna.
Sex sells.
(that workshop sold out)
Stoked to bring it to @birminghamyoga
(that workshop sold out)
Stoked to bring it to @birminghamyoga
in imageSex sells. (that workshop sold out) Stoked to bring it to @birminghamyoga Happy Hips Kali Yoga 3.10 /2-4p @michaeljoelhall
Sex sells. (that workshop sold out) Stoked to bring it to @birminghamyoga Happy Hips Kali Yoga 3.10 /2-4p
Sex sells. (that workshop sold out) Stoked to bring it to @birminghamyoga Happy Hips Kali Yoga 3.10 /2-4p
You can max
out your eccentrics
on this thing, safely.
Makes me
wanna do
an
Ashtanga
Barbell
Club
tbh.
out your eccentrics
on this thing, safely.
Makes me
wanna do
an
Ashtanga
Barbell
Club
tbh.
in imageYou can max out your eccentrics on this thing, safely. Makes me wanna do an Ashtanga Barbell Club tbh. Lower cables to end set Reps 4 Force kg/cable 16.9
You can max out your eccentrics on this thing, safely. Makes me wanna do an Ashtanga Barbell Club tbh.
You can max out your eccentrics on this thing, safely. Makes me wanna do an Ashtanga Barbell Club tbh.
in imageBret Contreras, PhD 0
@bretcontreras
The average lifter chooses to lift around 50% of
their 1RM for around 10 reps, according to a recent
meta-analysis. So if someone could lift 200 Ibs for
one rep, they'd select 100 Ibs for a set of 10 reps.
With this load, they're leaving around 10 reps in the
tank- meaning they could do 10 more reps if they
went all out (to failure).
This is the main reason why people don't tend to
see much results in the weight room. They just don't
train very hard.
If you want to build an appreciable amount of
muscle, you have to train a lot harder than you think
and push it a lot harder than the average lifter.
ontreras1
@bretcontreras
The average lifter chooses to lift around 50% of
their 1RM for around 10 reps, according to a recent
meta-analysis. So if someone could lift 200 Ibs for
one rep, they'd select 100 Ibs for a set of 10 reps.
With this load, they're leaving around 10 reps in the
tank- meaning they could do 10 more reps if they
went all out (to failure).
This is the main reason why people don't tend to
see much results in the weight room. They just don't
train very hard.
If you want to build an appreciable amount of
muscle, you have to train a lot harder than you think
and push it a lot harder than the average lifter.
ontreras1
End of August Vibes
August 31, 2022 · 3 entries
August 31, 2019 · 3 entries
August 31, 2017 · 5 entries
Looking for peace. Practice by the pool in good company.
Mercurial in nature. Sweat more, whine less. Reclaiming my time -- all the time. Totes fun.
My day, everyday (give or take), by the numbers:
3-3 1/2 hours in the Mysore room teaching
1-3 Hours Asana Focused Meditation & Pranayama
1-2 hours lifting, physical therapeutics, and internal research
2-3 paid corporate or group fitness classes 1/hr + commute & post class convo
1 Hour Mentoring
1 Hour Skill Development (singing, reading, business, personal development/self-help)
1 Hour bullshitting on the phone with a close friend (we'll call this my lunch break, and should count)
3-3 1/2 hours in the Mysore room teaching
1-3 Hours Asana Focused Meditation & Pranayama
1-2 hours lifting, physical therapeutics, and internal research
2-3 paid corporate or group fitness classes 1/hr + commute & post class convo
1 Hour Mentoring
1 Hour Skill Development (singing, reading, business, personal development/self-help)
1 Hour bullshitting on the phone with a close friend (we'll call this my lunch break, and should count)
Looking for peace. Practice by the pool in good company.
Mercurial in nature. Sweat more, whine less. Reclaiming my time -- all the time. Totes fun.
in imageGemini
& What They Hate
J People who overly complain and whine
when they and everyone else are just
trying to have some fun.
/ Those who cannot keep up with them
and are critical about their mercurial nature.
/ Extremely sensitive people who cannot
take a Joke.
J People who try to control them and pin
them down by demanding their
promise and time.
zodiacsociety
& What They Hate
J People who overly complain and whine
when they and everyone else are just
trying to have some fun.
/ Those who cannot keep up with them
and are critical about their mercurial nature.
/ Extremely sensitive people who cannot
take a Joke.
J People who try to control them and pin
them down by demanding their
promise and time.
zodiacsociety
August 31, 2016 · 3 entries
I had no idea what I was getting into at the Sivananda Ashram on Paradise Island.
TeamTurnUpTuesday
August 31, 2015 · 2 entries
August 31, 2014 · 10 entries
Alan Cumming in "Spice World" is so hot!
DC is blessed with such a rich ashtanga yoga community, its easy to take it for granted. To Tova Steiner, Jen René, Faith Scimecca, and Keith Moore-- you all are amazing. I'm so grateful to share space with all of your love and dedication!
@pamelaxing 'a baby Kai (5 y/o) & Charlie.
Wasn't me. Was it?
Almost.
Almost.
Wasn't me. Was it?
Almost.
Out the door for Sunday Mysore! Showing off m
Out the door for Sunday Mysore! Showing off m
August 31, 2013 · 3 entries
the tickle of joy that comes from purchasing books for the shala's library.
When you are unemployed, which is to say when you are underfed, harassed, bored, and miserable, you don't want to eat dull wholesome food. You want something a little bit 'tasty'. There is always some cheaply pleasant thing to tempt you. Let's have threepennorth of chips! Run out and buy us a twopenny ice-cream! Put the kettle on and we'll all have a nice cup of tea! That is how your mind works when you are at the P.A.C. level. White bread-and-marg and sugared tea don't nourish you to any extent, but they are nicer (at least most people think so) than brown bread-and-dripping and cold water. Unemployment is an endless misery that has got to be constantly palliated, and especially with tea, the Englishman's opium. A cup of tea or even an aspirin is much better as a temporary stimulant than a crust of brown bread.
- George Orwell, The Road to Wigan Pier
- George Orwell, The Road to Wigan Pier
the most delicious red wine chocolate cake ever. for breakfast. thanks, Debra! omg
August 31, 2011 · 1 entry
I bought 2 cartons of k-cups for my bedside coffee maker... Back to the grind with a full box of grinds. #mysore #sleepyyogi
August 31, 2007 · 1 entry
listening to the new brit-brit single on repeat. Because he has no phone/life.
FIELD LOG
By the numbers
13,162entries logged
24years afield2003–2026
48on this day
37doodles
163pickings
Dec 2003logbook opened
FROM THE DESK
Writing
- PracticeThe Sticky MomentAug 30, 2026
- PhilosophyParadise Is Just Having EnoughAug 28, 2026
- CultureTime Capsule Treasure HuntAug 26, 2026
- Yoga ProfessionalsThe $636 Rent Subsidy That Built My Yoga Career (And Won’t Build Yours)Aug 24, 2026
- PracticeYou’re Practicing the Picture, Not the PoseAug 22, 2026
- PhilosophyWho Is Your Honesty For?Aug 20, 2026
FROM THE SHALA DAILY
Digests
In This Issue
- Fifty-Two Percent No Longer Had PTSDAug 30, 2026
After 10 weeks of trauma-informed yoga, 52% of women with chronic treatment-resistant PTSD no longer met diagnostic criteria, versus 21% in the control group.
- Shrinking the Fear CenterAug 29, 2026
A study of over 15,000 people found that meditation and yoga practitioners had smaller right amygdala volume, the brain region tied to fear and negative emotions.
- The Staircase, Not the WallAug 27, 2026
Anyone can preach consistency. Instead I built it: one pose added each week, deep-linked to a Practice Recorder that logs what you actually did — and that you…
- The Brains of Long-Term YogisAug 22, 2026
Female yogis over 60 had thicker prefrontal cortexes than non-practitioners, suggesting long-term practice may protect against cognitive aging.
- Yoga Nidra in Veterans HospitalsAug 16, 2026
The iRest Yoga Nidra program has expanded to 35 VA Centers and 6 Department of Defense sites after its success treating PTSD and trauma in military populations.
- Ten Minutes, Better MoodAug 15, 2026
Just 10 minutes of low-intensity yoga improved mood across six measures and boosted cognitive function in sedentary young men, while rest alone did nothing.
- Understanding From Day OneAug 15, 2026
Most beginners get poses and a promise that meaning comes later. Praxis gives you a designed sequence and real tools to run your own practice from day one.
- When They Know You’re VulnerableAug 10, 2026
The system doesn't just sort and price. It times — finding you at your most vulnerable.
FROM THE FEED
The Read
lionsroar.comThe Metta of Mister RogersGayathri Narayanan's Lion's Roar essay examines Fred Rogers' television work as an embodied practice of metta (loving-kindness), emphasizing his consistent, unconditional acceptance of children and his capacity to see inherent goodness in everyone. Rogers' approach—slow, patient, direct address, rad✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50
s-config.comStopping the smart TV from being used against youThe article argues that smart TVs, particularly LG models, exploit users by installing unwanted software (malware) through HDMI connections via the EDID protocol. When connected to a Windows laptop, LG's 'driver' installs bloatware like McAfee without explicit consent, turning the device against its✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50
arstechnica.comAnthropic's new hardware standard lets AI agents control the physical worldAnthropic has introduced the Model Hardware Standard (MHS), a set of standardized drivers that allow AI agents to interface with and control physical devices. Initially targeting scientific research, MHS provides a common interface for disparate equipment to communicate, potentially reducing experim✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50
themarginalian.orgThe Moving Letter James Baldwin Received from His Childhood Teacher at the Peak of His Fame and His HeartbreakMaria Popova recounts how Orilla Miller, a young drama teacher at PS 24 in Harlem, recognized ten-year-old James Baldwin's brilliance and gave him books and theater outings despite his preacher father's disapproval. Seventeen years later, after Baldwin had become a famous writer, she attended his 19✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50FROM THE FEED
The Listen
The NASM-CPT Podcast With Rick RicheyHow professional trainers stand out from amateurs in fitnessA veteran trainer cuts through the noise with blunt, field-tested business and programming habits that separate people who play trainer from people who build a career. The self-awareness is unusually honest.✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50
10% Happier with Dan HarrisThe Evidence for Aliens, the Afterlife, Bigfoot, Sea Monsters, and More | Miguel SanchoA reformed ABC News skeptic maps exactly how much epistemic humility the evidence actually warrants — topic by topic, with wit and rigor. Rare combination of journalistic standards and genuine open-mindedness without tipping into credulity.✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50
The Next Big Idea DailyWhat We Find When We Lose Our WayTwo thinkers, one episode: Pico Iyer dismantles the fantasy of paradise by finding it only in death, uncertainty, and the fallen world, while Christopher Kemp reveals that GPS is quietly lobotomizing our sense of space. Both argue we navigate worse the more we think we know.✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50
TED Radio HourHow the creator economy is making you talk like the internetA working linguist-influencer cracks open the feedback loop between algorithms, language, and identity — explaining not just what internet slang is, but *why* the machine keeps generating it. The meta-layer (he's doing the thing he's analyzing) makes it genuinely rare.✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50
The Ezra Klein ShowThe A.I.s Are Already Out of ControlA rare conversation where the AI doom predictions stopped being theoretical — real incidents, real emergent behavior, real cover-up-by-accident. Toner is the ideal guide: credible, inside the room, not hysterical.✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50FROM THE FEED
The Watch
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 · $5.50
David @ Tablet Tech**New** Boox Tab & Note Devices in 6″ 8″ 10″ and 13″ SizesEarly insider leak of four simultaneous Boox releases across every major size category — rare breadth for the brand. The Note Mini C and Tab Elite X naming analysis alone makes this worth revisiting when specs drop.✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50
Megaprojects3D Printed Homes Were a Lie Anyway.A methodical takedown of 3D-printed construction hype, grounded in a rigorous 2024 cost study that exposes the full project economics — not just the flattering construction-phase numbers. The prefab comparison gives the argument real teeth.✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50FROM THE LEDGER
Pickings
FROM THE FIELD
Latest dispatches
Doodles
The full ledger
13,162 entries · 2003–2026 · filter & browse below
View
August 2026
✎ Essay · Practice
The Sticky Moment
Why the hardest part of Ashtanga isn’t a pose, but the quiet shift from following instructions to actually inhabiting the practice.
Read the essay →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 · $5.50StarTalkHow 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
✎ Essay · Shala Digest
Fifty-Two Percent No Longer Had PTSD
After 10 weeks of trauma-informed yoga, 52% of women with chronic treatment-resistant PTSD no longer met diagnostic criteria, versus 21% in the control group.
Read the essay →
✎ Essay · Shala Digest
Shrinking the Fear Center
A study of over 15,000 people found that meditation and yoga practitioners had smaller right amygdala volume, the brain region tied to fear and negative emotions.
Read the essay →lionsroar.comThe Metta of Mister RogersGayathri Narayanan's Lion's Roar essay examines Fred Rogers' television work as an embodied practice of metta (loving-kindness), emphasizing his consistent, unconditional acceptance of children and his capacity to see inherent goodness in everyone. Rogers' approach—slow, patient, direct address, rad✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50s-config.comStopping the smart TV from being used against youThe article argues that smart TVs, particularly LG models, exploit users by installing unwanted software (malware) through HDMI connections via the EDID protocol. When connected to a Windows laptop, LG's 'driver' installs bloatware like McAfee without explicit consent, turning the device against its✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50
✎ Essay · Philosophy
Paradise Is Just Having Enough
What if paradise isn’t abundance or success, but the quiet shock of realizing you only need a small, specific enough?
Read the essay →arstechnica.comAnthropic's new hardware standard lets AI agents control the physical worldAnthropic has introduced the Model Hardware Standard (MHS), a set of standardized drivers that allow AI agents to interface with and control physical devices. Initially targeting scientific research, MHS provides a common interface for disparate equipment to communicate, potentially reducing experim✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50
✎ Essay · Shala Digest
The Staircase, Not the Wall
Anyone can preach consistency. Instead I built it: one pose added each week, deep-linked to a Practice Recorder that logs what you actually did — and that you actually own.
Read the essay →themarginalian.orgThe Moving Letter James Baldwin Received from His Childhood Teacher at the Peak of His Fame and His HeartbreakMaria Popova recounts how Orilla Miller, a young drama teacher at PS 24 in Harlem, recognized ten-year-old James Baldwin's brilliance and gave him books and theater outings despite his preacher father's disapproval. Seventeen years later, after Baldwin had become a famous writer, she attended his 19✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50
defector.comOur Favorite Dolly Parton PerformancesA Defector tribute to Dolly Parton featuring three writers reflecting on their favorite performances: 'High Sierra' (collaborative harmonies with Ronstadt and Harris), 'Down From Dover' (a gut-wrenching ballad about unwanted pregnancy), and '9 to 5' (the working-class anthem). The throughline is Par✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50I will always love you.
Grows and changes just as I do.
Fast forward doesn't work well in red aloud
Grows and changes just as I do.
Fast forward doesn't work well in red aloud
Dolly was 62 when she released Backwoods Barbie.
Madonna at 67 is five years older with Confessions 2, both creating pop masterpieces at hitting creative highs.
I hope Madge gets a grandslam in her late 70s as Dolly did with Rockstar.
(empty string)
Madonna at 67 is five years older with Confessions 2, both creating pop masterpieces at hitting creative highs.
I hope Madge gets a grandslam in her late 70s as Dolly did with Rockstar.
(empty string)
Dolly was 62 when she released Backwoods Barbie.
Madonna at 67 is five years older with Confessions 2, both creating pop masterpieces at hitting creative highs.
I hope Madge gets a grandslam in her late 70s as Dolly did with Rockstar.
(empty string)
Madonna at 67 is five years older with Confessions 2, both creating pop masterpieces at hitting creative highs.
I hope Madge gets a grandslam in her late 70s as Dolly did with Rockstar.
(empty string)
✎ Essay · Culture
Time Capsule Treasure Hunt
In the summer of 1996, my cousins and I buried a time capsule in my parents' backyard. My mother is the oldest of seven sisters. Five of those six sisters got pregnant within about a year of each other. I was the only boy in…
Read the essay →
washingtonian.comSweetgreen Opens its First DC Area Drive-ThroughSweetgreen, the fast-casual salad chain founded in DC, opened its first East Coast drive-through in McLean, Virginia. The 'Sweetlane' is a mobile pickup system where customers order online and collect their bowls at a window, adapting the urban fast-casual model for car-dependent suburban markets.✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50
henryaj.substack.comThe Sloppification of PeptidesThe article examines how AI-generated content is creating fake review sites and forums to manipulate peptide buyers. An entire website (CompoundTalk) was built with AI-generated posts, fake user histories, and coordinated domain registrations—designed not for human readers but to be ingested by LLMs✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50The NASM-CPT Podcast With Rick RicheyHow professional trainers stand out from amateurs in fitnessA veteran trainer cuts through the noise with blunt, field-tested business and programming habits that separate people who play trainer from people who build a career. The self-awareness is unusually honest.✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50
thecancunsun.comWhy September Is The Cheapest Month To Fly To Cancun (And The Best Hubs For Sub-$250 Fares)September is the cheapest month to fly to Cancun, with average one-way fares around $217, driven by ultra-low-cost carrier competition and off-peak demand. Major hubs across the U.S. are seeing sub-$250 round-trip deals, and travelers can double savings by pairing cheap flights with heavily discount✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50
goodereader.comLithuania has an e-book piracy issueLithuania has an e-book piracy problem significantly worse than the EU average, with popular titles appearing on illegal platforms within hours of release. A 2024 study found that while 60% of digital readers use only legal sources, 20% are uncertain about their sources' legality, and one piracy sit✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50Notes
I'm not
sure my ♡
will go on,
actually. I'm
gutted.
heres an old trope about
every gay boy getting
one special DIVA who
will be with them
for life. Mine was
Dolly. I wore her
shirt today, yelling "I beg
Your Pardon" at my
students as they practice
"I'm real where it counts."
"A country girl's idea of glamor." :-
—
↑ Dolly Parton's America.
sure my ♡
will go on,
actually. I'm
gutted.
heres an old trope about
every gay boy getting
one special DIVA who
will be with them
for life. Mine was
Dolly. I wore her
shirt today, yelling "I beg
Your Pardon" at my
students as they practice
"I'm real where it counts."
"A country girl's idea of glamor." :-
—
↑ Dolly Parton's America.
Quotes
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