is all eyeliner, yogic headstands, scissor sisters, and apartment dance party.

was able to roll his right hip down and tuck his tailbone down in an unsupported hanumanasana today!

floated into handstand for the first time ever.

changed plans: practice backbends till the rain stops, then run.

is practicing hard for the next two hours. Wish my backbends luck!

just finished a little over two hours of twisting, forward folding, and arm balancing. In related news: may not be able to leave the house tonight.

is teaching his first open/level II class at Shakti today. 12:15p! Wring out your toxins just in time for a three day weekend! 9th & N St NW. Twists and arm balances galore!

Handstand Hold: 2:24 (gym record) and 200m Sprints: 37s-36-36-38-37-38

successfully completed one one full clockwise revolution in mandalasana. Next will be a counter clockwise revolution.

Anyone interested in some lunchtime yoga? I'll be STROGA in AdMo teaching fun with hips, folds, and flight! COME PLAY!

held a 4;18 handstand. New PR.

can't help but clap for his students sometimes. Dude! Ah! The awe-inspiring power of a first wheel! Oh! Goosebumps!

found real freedom and lightness in his handstand practice today. Beauty!

found his dropbacks!

Do one thing a day that scares you: I showed my dropbacks to people.

stayed in and practiced pinch mayarasana, dwi pada dandasana, sirsasana to dwi pada, and focused on opening his heart. Success!

forward folded for three hours. Welcome, Autumn! Howsabout we bring some peace, knowledge, wisdom and bliss absolute thisaway? Ya know, before the winter makes the trees look like children with grey hair?

pushed from crow to (and held!) handstand in the center of the room for the first time today. I get to cross a goal off my list!

Fauxhawks + Headstands != Win

bound & held Marichyasana D on the left side all by himself. Danielle Dionne didn't have her Camera, but I wanted a picture jsyk.

I bound marichyasana D on both sides today-- all by myself. I'm so tickled. In (possibly) related news: I feel like someone took every muscle in my body and ran a cheese grater over it. Its not *pain*... its... I don't even know.

really wishes he could fix his broken pigeon-ness.

Stuck the landing in bhujapidasana. Kept my feet behind my head all the way up from supta kurmasana. Didn't pause on my way to kukuatasana. All firsts.Today was a big day 🙂

kapotasana for the first time. two hands on two feet, two elbows on the ground. an inch from my forehead. I had no idea I could do that.

Really, Tadasana? You're changing? When I press my ankles bones firmly into one another, something *happens* now. It's like yoga 101 up in here.

First day practicing second: was taken to my ankles in dropbacks (backbends) -- never have I ever. Said aloud "ohmygod." Sharath laaaaughed and said "No fear, no fun."

Today, I walked my hands in from a dropback (backbend) and caught hold of my ankles. Then I straightened my arms. Never have I ever.

RT @ArkieYogini: Nice. I like Garrigues' approach to asana adjustments.

RT @toneens: @daydreamingmel @yogicaroline an oldie but a goodie 😉 #kapotasana

Welcome back, dropbacks. I really missed you.

And all of a sudden, the tune of that Gotye track started playing in my head. The bastardized lyrics "You're just the body that I used to know" remained from the time I started to reach back in the last of my postures to the time I got off that mat.

Hot shower after practice, kind landlord, Kapo first try. Masala dosa brekkie, grocery shopping. Visit to Dr Jag later. Life is simple & good.

Shins. #asanatalk #catching

Stretching my groins.

Tomorrow, I'm making like a banana. #ashtanga

Catching.

After just now kicking myself in the nuts attempting to nail Urdhva Kuku from handstand, I've decided to call it a day.

#AshtangaTruth -- Kapo & Chinese Carry Out Don't Mix

and now a wild evening of inverted groin stretches.

"Caution: Especially those who want to start practicing the two yoganga’s “Asana” and “Pranayama” without following the aforementioned niyamas, following drawing charts and practicing on their own freewill will not receive benefits but may also be responsible for tarnishing the name and bringing disrepute. " http://grimmly2007.blogspot.com/2013/08/krishnamacharyas-house-recommendations.html?m=1

Pretending to be Jen René At 1030. No, I still can't lift karanda, but I *can* count to 5 😉

Saturday Morning: me: working with mulabandhasana on the kitchen floor. Roike: "I'm going to call Rolf & Marci! Take rest!"

"I got those arms into a bind on Sunday--not that my bind was the epitome of the workshop, but still..." --highlight of my day-- from one of my "Makin' Shapes" workshop participants at Little River Yoga.

Gaga, Britney, & Lemon Jelly gets Mula Bandha to my dance floor. Bitch can *move*.

Fell asleep in sivasana today. Yesterday I took a long proper rest, which I rarely do. How long do y'all take?

Overheard in Mysore: "Funny that the gays can't keep their legs behind their heads, no?"

off to stretch for god.

For me, chanting is harder and scarier than asana. Went to Dr. Jayashree's for chanting and philosophy, hoping to make Karuna proud.

Too much coffee? Deepest backbends of my life? Kundalini awakening? wtf was that?

Laughter after backbends. Eat your heart out, M. Night.

Face down, ass up, that's the way the bird comes up.

Looking for my asana porn? @michaeljoelhall on instagram.

Extra curricular backbends at 7:30pm turns ceiling eyes at 10:30. Oof! #tgip

ardha matsyendrasana hip activation induced tears. that hasn't happened in a long time. neat.

Two hours of backbending work. Phew!

Suddenly my collar bones went wide, my soft palate dropped, and I couldn't control the grinning or the shaking. Neat.

4:45 is not my wake up time. Fastest (clean) primary (ever?). Utthita Hasta? Much dancing.

Bending over backwards to find something subtle. #DGinOBX pegmulqueen's photo

Retweeted Ashtanga Brighton (@astangabrighton):

What you learnt in order to drop back won't help you when it comes to kapotasana: #ashtanga #backbends

Kapo research. The struggle is real.

#kukutasana on the trail.

"Woof shop?"
"No, buddy. Workshop. On backbends."
"Hmf. I'll be here."

Surprised to see myself on @BarManMichael Insta-- some yoga, since Charlie took over my acct.

The website's updated -- starting with THIS SUNDAY's foundational postures workshop!

http://michaeljoelhall.com/workshops/

Two hours and forty five minutes of foundational postures, and there was still more to cover. Amazing!

There is 1 spot left for my second round of Foundational Postures tomorrow at 9:30am. Do you want it?Sign up: https://goo.gl/9WhvVt

There is just no way to cover foundational postures in 2 hours.

Grab a timer. Set it to 2 minutes. Catch kapotasana. Report in here.

I did the splits today, caught my foot with both hands, and put it on my head. I also discovered the overlap between trust fund jet setter penny pinchers and doomsday preppers. They both love reviewing high-quality bags. Dear God, how is it Wednesday/OMG it's only Wednesday.

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)

I’m teaching backbends next Sunday at the Eaton Workshop in conjunction with DC Ashtanga.

3/23
12-1:30, then 1:45-3:30.

First half will be functional anatomy. Second half will be practice and play. Come for either or both.

Message me to reserve your spot.

Calling all of the Fire Eaters! The hungry ones!

I have a few spots left for my backbending classes. Anatomy is 12-1:30, practice is 2-3:30! Come for one or both!

The anatomy will make your smarter and more useful to others and yourself.

The Asana playground will let you explore, create, imagine, PUSH and PLAY.

Get! Into! It!

The practice is going to be wild fun.

https://www.secure-booker.com/eatonwellness/ClassSchedule/ClassSchedule.aspx

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