No, no, this post isn't about Brit-Brit, though she does look good in the hat. here are some of the best Aretha looks from the more recent years. I personally love each. and. every. one.

http://community.livejournal.com/ohnotheydidnt/31670148.html

Via Iconoculture:

"Part wall of shame, part blame game, part dark comedy — the online photolog ThisIsWhyYoureFat.com is straightforward data wrapped up in a complicated package of consumer emotions."

In the photo is a meatloaf cake, the frosting is (presumably) mashed potatoes, the decorative lettering atop? Ketchup.

I was so proud of my super healthy buffalo meat loaf from last week and after seeing this, I kinda wanna die. Ditto on the bacon-and-fudge danish I saw.

http://thisiswhyyourefat.com/

On solstices and equinoxes we do a 108 sun salutations in the yogic tradition. During medaitation, when I'm silently spinning the beads on my mala, I have 108 beads before my guru bead.

But why? When one of my student's asked, I gave a few of the stock answers I knew off the top of my head (proportionate distance between the sun, most common denominators, etc).

Here's a good read.

http://www.hknet.org.nz/108meaning.html

14th Street's getting a new coffee house, just above the not-quite-recently relocated Miss Pixies @ 1626 14th.

For those that don't know, I spent a good chunk of my early DC life as a barista/cocktail server at the Dupont South Cosi. We were the "other side of the tracks" Cosi, serving up scandal with our Double Oh! Arctic Mochas.

After becoming firmly disenchanted with my coffee options here in mid city, Daddy went out and got himself a french press and coffee grinder. Now I only grind freshly roasted beans every morning.

When I want a little treat, ACKC does a good job of filling my caffinated sweet tooth, but what about when I need to get off the couch and do some work? Where do I go?

Certainly not cruise-a-bou at 14th and Rhode Island. I'm excited!

http://amandamc.blogspot.com/2009/03/mid-city-cafe-coming-to-14th-street.html

Thanks, Joel!

Aside from being six-packed hot dudes, this video totally brings the clever.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6EUupnF02vo

I listened to this podcast on the way home from Jersey yesterday, all the while thinking of you!

http://www.wnyc.org/music/articles/27256

Thanks, Towleroad, for the best headline of my morning.

I'm from a part of the country where joining the military is a very real opportunity for those who don't wish to be farmhands or make less than 30k a year for the rest of their lives.

Louis Sheldon and Andrea Lafferty make some absurd statements in their arguments to keep the mo's out of the mil. I like that they also are concerned about about Drag Queens joining, and (in the same breath) imply that they're the same as transgender folk. All I can think of is the Eddie Izzard bit about Drag Queen Paratroopers.

http://www.goodasyou.org/good_as_you/2009/03/and-theyll-replace-guns-with-dildosaahhh-fear-aaaaaaaaaah.html

For those interested in a scholarly first-hand take on vispassana meditation.

http://www.cs.ru.nl/~henk/BP/bp1.html

Anneke Lucas, a long time AYNY student, runs this amazing non-profit yoga program that brings yoga, meditation and healing practices into healing facilities. Check out the article and help her out in her Kickstarter campaign!

http://ow.ly/3xx4qp

#todaysmandala #mandala

Today's art is: "Ganesh Goes on an Adventure"

Perfect. I can vouch for their medative value & stress reduction.

http://www.the-open-mind.com/according-to-psychologists-coloring-is-the-best-alternative-to-meditation/

I forgot to mention I chatted with Rachel Lapidos earlier this year about the power of silence and meditation for Well + Good Magazine!

Is silence the next wellness luxury? – Well+Good

https://www.wellandgood.com/good-travel/silent-retreats-the-new-wellness-luxury/amp/

Join me on Friday evening for a collection of practices for utilizing yoga to develop a clearer vision of who you are and where you are going. We'll vision board, meditate, talk philosophy-- and best of all, be in community.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/yoga-for-self-inquiry-your-sacred-mission-and-vision-tickets-62048563925

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/yoga-for-self-inquiry-your-sacred-mission-and-vision-tickets-62048563925

Working inside of different federal agencies, corporations, and NGOs for the last 10+ years as a yoga teacher has been illuminating in the ways mindfulness practice can be co-opted for both the forces of good and some far more nefarious.

As a young teacher, i felt as though i was sharing something very useful with people who could affect change on a much larger scale than I ever could— i felt subversive to be doing it right in the heart of the corporate/capitalistic machine.

Practice works— and it works across a broad spectrum of therapeutic modalities each with individual metrics. Spiritual health, physical well being, interpersonal relational skills, emotional balance— each can be touched on. When instructed well, each can be elevated. So too, I’m sad to say, can the shadow side: further anesthetization, good old spiritual bypassing, and duration of a culture that punches down and goes to sleep.

Having seen this in local yoga studios, international finance organizations, and local community sports non-profits, its very much on my radar. But, it doesn’t mean to stop. It means to care more and share better.

Teachers have a responsibility: pick your platform, and to pick it well. Keep your ethics high, and they will trickle down.

https://www.thenation.com/article/ron-parser-mcmindfulness-mindfulness-meditation-book-interview/

I’ve had a lot of requests for recommendations of guided meditations lately. Any times a good time to spend a bit of your day looking inward— but particularly around the shift of the seasons and all that comes with it. Here’s a nice way to spend 8 minutes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxzsD4vrTsk&t=353s

New class tomorrow-- meditation and pranayama.

If you missed the sign-up on the schedule, here's the link!

https://clients.mindbodyonline.com/classic/ws?studioid=975057&sclassid=12&sDate=4/27/2020&sLoc=1&sTG=23&sType=1

We had a tough night last night. Let’s make this one a little easier.

Catch me for yoga or meditation today. Flow at 11 & 7, Breath & Meditation at 5. Registration is free, if you can, pay what you can.

http://michaeljoelhall.com/

http://michaeljoelhall.com/

In This Newsletter
Proud Year Round
Summer Break
Implicit Bias as Samskara: What do we carry with us?
Functional Ashtanga Training Program: For Practitioners and Professionals
Moon Phases for July

https://mailchi.mp/d072b41a25e4/summer-samskara-and-bias-yoga-with-mjh-news?e=feb1d577f1

In September, I’ll be launching a 10-month integrative online Functional Ashtanga Training. We dive *deep* into functional anatomy, contextualized yoga humanities, and a collection of the most potent pranayama and meditation practices I have discovered in my 20 years of dedicated practice. I’ve spent two years developing this program, which includes 4 functional joint assessment for each participant (so you can measure your progress), 150+ 20 minute learning videos (I’m still recording!), curated readings, and measured learning objectives (homework + quizzes). Of course, I’ll have office hours. It’s capped very, very small for this first cohort, and costs 3,000— but I’m gonna take 500 off if you sign up early. With a $500 deposit, I’ll offer a monthly payment plan for 10 months (with no upcharge— gross).

Visit our page:

https://mailchi.mp/3f805efe99bd/functional-ashtanga-training-program