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afield since 2003 · michael joel hall
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TODAY
Wednesday
October 7, 2026
The Read
sciencedaily.comVagus Nerve Stimulation Could Help New Skills StickResearchers at Tohoku University found that stimulating the vagus nerve in mice after motor training sessions strengthened long-term skill retention, even though it did not improve performance during practice itself. The effect appears to work through rhythmic changes in brain blood volume rather th✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50
✎ Essay · Personal Notes
Safety Is Not Real: Why the Alarm Is Not a Fire
If you feel unsafe, you’re either in danger or your alarm system is broken — and it helps to know which.
Read the essay →TRAILS
Threads
Yoga2487Practice2211Teaching1212Ashtanga1090Reading1049Humor781Reflections767Reflection756Travel697Washington dc674Music562India539Philosophy531Community528Food492Family440Indoors371Nature352Celebration333Mysore319Art291Stretching284Politics271Writing245Friends236Love236Dc212Photography210Talking192Milestones186Living room182Twitter179Usa178Health175Asana171Home interior170Gym161Speaking161Home159Yoga studio153Posing137Goa134Work128Outdoors128Strength training118
On this day
October 7 in years past
October 7, 2025 · 3 entries
my pdc gym is a vibe ❤️❤️
logan is a strangely similar vibe
in imageNo1 Cares in NYC 😂
Look, I'm walking my dog in my in my pajamas with a face mask on.
logan is a strangely similar vibe
No1 Cares in NYC 😂
We get to do all of our by ourself behavior outside with everybody else.
logan is a strangely similar vibe
No1 Cares in NYC 😂
This isn't even noone this isn't even the strangest thing anyone is goingto
logan is a strangely similar vibe
Look, I'm walking my dog in my in my pajamas with a face mask on.
logan is a strangely similar vibe
No1 Cares in NYC 😂
We get to do all of our by ourself behavior outside with everybody else.
logan is a strangely similar vibe
No1 Cares in NYC 😂
This isn't even noone this isn't even the strangest thing anyone is goingto
logan is a strangely similar vibe
in imageWhen I'm in the middle of doing something and out of nowhere I realize I ghosted my friend for 3 days by accident because I only responded in my head.
October 7, 2024 · 1 entry
Backbending strategies. Heres 3 minutes on developing a better understanding of how to position the body and how to work end range strength.
in imagethe foundation forward while
And I can feel the asymmetry
pick that foot up a bit.
And I can feel the asymmetry
pick that foot up a bit.
October 7, 2023 · 5 entries
in image@raminnazer
(
• raminnazer
(
• raminnazer
in imageBut don't freak out over that,
there's no time.
• raminnazer
@raminnazer
there's no time.
• raminnazer
@raminnazer
in imageH''i''
1'
|
In fact, you have even less time
than you did a moment ago.
aminnazer
@raminnazer
1'
|
In fact, you have even less time
than you did a moment ago.
aminnazer
@raminnazer
in imageYou shouldn't have time
for perfectionism.
• raminnazer
@raminnazer
for perfectionism.
• raminnazer
@raminnazer
two of my biggest
influences in one spot
influences in one spot
in imageYOU WANT TO CREATE A VERTICAL POSITION BETWEEN
OKAY, THEN TURN TO THE
two of my biggest influences in one spot
OKAY, THEN TURN TO THE
two of my biggest influences in one spot
October 7, 2022 · 1 entry
god bless fat bear week
in imagegod bless fat bear week
@nationalparkservice
@nationalparkservice
October 7, 2019 · 1 entry
As some of you know, I'm headed to the cloud forest of Ecuador, outside of Quito. If you were ask me why, I'd tell you to "plant some trees. "
The trees and the planet are trending right now, aren't they? Maybe because the whole world is burning and things are about to get really fucked. Thats likely. But, thats not why I'm headed down there.
Yes, I'll tell you I'm going to Ecuador to plant some trees... but the truth is, I'm going down to do whatever the hell it is Kristen is doing.
For a good long time now, I've been in the business of earnestly learning from her. It's been a good choice on my end to value her knowledge... I truly don't know what I'd be if I hadn't made that choice long ago.
You can get in on this, too.
Here's the deal: you don't have to go plant trees-- for $18 a month, you'll help Kristen plant a lot of trees. And you'll get some yoga videos. Good karma stuff all around. She called the Pateron level "Karma Yogi" for a reason, and it makes me smile.
On top of the good vibes and some chocolate, you'll also get some yoga and recipe videos. Like this one. I teach ashtavakrasana very similarly to KK-- it would make sense, of course. She taught me how to teach it.
Go sign up. Get some yoga videos. Save the planet.
Tell people you're saving the planet. You're helping. And you will be.
Or don't tell anyone and just do it for yoga videos... your money will still fund the trees.
Or, be like me, and donate and tell everyone and still try and get some clout and maybe you'll never watch the videos but you'll at least in some small way be able to give back and you're gonna do it because it honors your teachers.
<3
The trees and the planet are trending right now, aren't they? Maybe because the whole world is burning and things are about to get really fucked. Thats likely. But, thats not why I'm headed down there.
Yes, I'll tell you I'm going to Ecuador to plant some trees... but the truth is, I'm going down to do whatever the hell it is Kristen is doing.
For a good long time now, I've been in the business of earnestly learning from her. It's been a good choice on my end to value her knowledge... I truly don't know what I'd be if I hadn't made that choice long ago.
You can get in on this, too.
Here's the deal: you don't have to go plant trees-- for $18 a month, you'll help Kristen plant a lot of trees. And you'll get some yoga videos. Good karma stuff all around. She called the Pateron level "Karma Yogi" for a reason, and it makes me smile.
On top of the good vibes and some chocolate, you'll also get some yoga and recipe videos. Like this one. I teach ashtavakrasana very similarly to KK-- it would make sense, of course. She taught me how to teach it.
Go sign up. Get some yoga videos. Save the planet.
Tell people you're saving the planet. You're helping. And you will be.
Or don't tell anyone and just do it for yoga videos... your money will still fund the trees.
Or, be like me, and donate and tell everyone and still try and get some clout and maybe you'll never watch the videos but you'll at least in some small way be able to give back and you're gonna do it because it honors your teachers.
<3
October 7, 2016 · 2 entries
October 7, 2014 · 1 entry
I updated to iOS8 and cannot receive or send texts. Sorry for The inconvenience.
October 7, 2011 · 2 entries
Have y'all signed up for my mailing list? India's super far, and I wanna stay in touch! I promise, Facebook'll be here when you're done. 😉
http://midcityyoga.com/
http://midcityyoga.com/
Was reminded of MA Durga and the emphatic nature of fight, flight, or collapse via the strong guidance of Mike Graglia. Breathe deep, y'all.
October 7, 2010 · 1 entry
As Lorelai observes of Kirk, âit's all any of us wants - to find a nice person to hang out with 'til we drop dead. Not a lot to ask." Amen.
October 7, 2008 · 1 entry
is all "omg i love pumpkins omg"
FIELD LOG
By the numbers
13,223entries logged
24years afield2003–2026
21on this day
37doodles
165pickings
Dec 2003logbook opened
FROM THE DESK
Writing
- Personal NotesSafety Is Not Real: Why the Alarm Is Not a FireOct 7, 2026
- Personal NotesHalf Cocked in the Fuck You RoomOct 5, 2026
- 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
FROM THE SHALA DAILY
Digests
In This Issue
- Vinyasa Yoga: Breath & MovementOct 4, 2026
Brahmari Pranayama: The Bee Breath Technique for Calm and Clarity This video introduces Brahmari Pranayama, also known as Bee Breath,...
- 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.
FROM THE FEED
The Read
sciencedaily.comVagus Nerve Stimulation Could Help New Skills StickResearchers at Tohoku University found that stimulating the vagus nerve in mice after motor training sessions strengthened long-term skill retention, even though it did not improve performance during practice itself. The effect appears to work through rhythmic changes in brain blood volume rather th✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50
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 · $5.50FROM THE FEED
The Listen
The NASM-CPT Podcast With Rick RicheyHow personal trainers can create their own career opportunitiesRichey reframes career-building as a series of low-stakes experiments rather than high-stakes gambles — practical, non-precious, and immediately actionable for anyone in the fitness industry sitting on an opportunity they're too scared to take.✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50
Uncanny Valley | WIREDKevin Roose Didn’t Use AI to Write His Book About AIRoose offers a rare calibrated take on AI — neither doom nor hype — while being unusually candid about how he actually used the technology to write the book about the technology. The meta-layer makes this essential.✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50
Next Question with Katie CouricThe Art Of Aging: The Heart Of The MatterDr. Stacey Rosen dismantles decades of cardiac mythology with precise, actionable science — this is the rare interview where every segment contains something a woman's doctor probably never told her. Essential and corrective.✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50
The Next Big Idea DailyYou’re More Than What You Do for Other PeopleTwo sharp thinkers tackle the same wound from different angles: Miles on how systems strip you of intrinsic worth, Burgess on how groups quietly replace your self with theirs. The frameworks are actionable without being self-helpy.✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50
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 · $5.50FROM 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
in imagefor honest questions
ismissed or punished
Opposition to Critical Thought
Only leader-approved sources
encouraged
Contradictory or confusing dogma
Indoctrination practiced
Confusion in understanding
Mainstream research d
Refusal to acknowledge o
views
ismissed or punished
Opposition to Critical Thought
Only leader-approved sources
encouraged
Contradictory or confusing dogma
Indoctrination practiced
Confusion in understanding
Mainstream research d
Refusal to acknowledge o
views
The full ledger
13,223 entries · 2003–2026 · filter & browse below
View
October 2026
sciencedaily.comVagus Nerve Stimulation Could Help New Skills StickResearchers at Tohoku University found that stimulating the vagus nerve in mice after motor training sessions strengthened long-term skill retention, even though it did not improve performance during practice itself. The effect appears to work through rhythmic changes in brain blood volume rather th✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50✎ Essay · Personal Notes
Safety Is Not Real: Why the Alarm Is Not a Fire
If you feel unsafe, you’re either in danger or your alarm system is broken — and it helps to know which.
Read the essay →The NASM-CPT Podcast With Rick RicheyHow personal trainers can create their own career opportunitiesRichey reframes career-building as a series of low-stakes experiments rather than high-stakes gambles — practical, non-precious, and immediately actionable for anyone in the fitness industry sitting on an opportunity they're too scared to take.✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50Uncanny Valley | WIREDKevin Roose Didn’t Use AI to Write His Book About AIRoose offers a rare calibrated take on AI — neither doom nor hype — while being unusually candid about how he actually used the technology to write the book about the technology. The meta-layer makes this essential.✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50Next Question with Katie CouricThe Art Of Aging: The Heart Of The MatterDr. Stacey Rosen dismantles decades of cardiac mythology with precise, actionable science — this is the rare interview where every segment contains something a woman's doctor probably never told her. Essential and corrective.✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50The Next Big Idea DailyYou’re More Than What You Do for Other PeopleTwo sharp thinkers tackle the same wound from different angles: Miles on how systems strip you of intrinsic worth, Burgess on how groups quietly replace your self with theirs. The frameworks are actionable without being self-helpy.✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50✎ Essay · Personal Notes
Half Cocked in the Fuck You Room
On burnout, compassion fatigue, and the slow return to cavalier — a reflection on holding a family through hard seasons and the karma yoga of starting over.
Read the essay →
✎ Essay · Shala Digest
Vinyasa Yoga: Breath & Movement
Brahmari Pranayama: The Bee Breath Technique for Calm and Clarity This video introduces Brahmari Pranayama, also known as Bee Breath,...
Read the essay →
✎ 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 · $5.50
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 · $5.50
✎ 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
✎ Essay · Yoga Professionals
What Happened to the Fourth Series Practitioners
How advanced Ashtanga turned into a status ladder—and why so many who climbed it forgot how to support anyone else.
Read the essay →
✎ Essay · Shala Digest
The Yoga Executive: A Useful Frame, Not a Brand
"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 in.
Read the essay →Get MichaelFilter
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