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elephantjournal.comGuaranteed Transformation – If You Want It. | elephant journalGuaranteed Transformation – If You Want It.
RT @AYCT: @MichaelJoelHall "It’s a total transformation – if you want to do it, it’s guaranteed that it will change ...
Saturday, June 2, 2012 · 1:07 pm
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WritingYoga
2013
2014
2015
washingtoncitypaper.comCome to Our Fiction Issue Reading at Kramerbooks This SundayOpen mics are a gamble—-there’s usually a teenager with an angsty diary entry or a rocksteady cover of “Bad Romance” sprinkled in amid the good stuff. There’s a time for anything-goes amateur art, but there’s also a time for well-thought-out curation. For last week’s Fiction Issue, John Wilwol chose four D.C.-focused stories from a remarkable trove of submissions from local writers, and the […]
Retweeted City Paper (@wcp):

Red pandas, queer Jews, drones, and gentrification: Hear readings from our Fiction Issue at Kramerbooks on Sunday!
Wednesday, January 14, 2015 · 2:20 pm
💬 Comment
CommunityReadingWashington dcWriting
washingtoncitypaper.comCome to Our Fiction Issue Reading at Kramerbooks This SundayOpen mics are a gamble—-there’s usually a teenager with an angsty diary entry or a rocksteady cover of “Bad Romance” sprinkled in amid the good stuff. There’s a time for anything-goes amateur art, but there’s also a time for well-thought-out curation. For last week’s Fiction Issue, John Wilwol chose four D.C.-focused stories from a remarkable trove of submissions from local writers, and the […]
Retweeted City Paper (@wcp):

Red pandas, queer Jews, drones, and gentrification: Hear readings from our Fiction Issue at Kramerbooks on Sunday!
Wednesday, January 14, 2015 · 2:20 pm
💬 Comment
CommunityReadingWashington dcWriting
I apologize for my purposefully divisive comments on prayer, fundamentalism, and letter of the law religion. I recognize in them a lack of compassion.

As an individual who prays to a supreme (not Diana Ross) power, I see value in prayer. Due to the value I also see in the dissolution of labels and constructed beliefs, I let my interest in the dissonance that can bring destruction override equanimity in tone and presentation.

I cannot destroy your constructed beliefs nor force an experience of any kind-- I forgot that, as my passion got in the way.

Please understand: I am challenged in tonality by strong opinions on faiths that recommend slaughter or subjugation. Many do.

A better framing: does your faith pray to a God that would cast anyone to a hell for getting the name of God "wrong"? That would enslave a people? That kills? How does this make you feel in light of recent tragedies?
Sunday, November 15, 2015 · 6:37 am
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PhilosophyReadingReflectionReflectionsWriting
2016
This is why yoga will never be mainstream.

Engaging in materialistic or sensual pleasure with little focus on higher purpose is not yoga-- it's called bhoga. Bhoga, left unchecked, can lead to pain in the body or/and mind-- and this is called roga.

On the flip side, Roga and Bhoga can both lead back to yoga. Once you make a commitment to not harming or deceiving by paying attention to what is, the pain and discomfort can lead you right back out of the yick and into something better: reality.

For yoga to arise, attention to reality must be fixed and firm... Even when it becomes unpleasant. Even when it is inconvenient. Only then can we see what's under the hood.

Yoga will never be mainstream, but nowadays is a great time for alchemy. For transmutation. Turn this time of grasping and grabbing and pain into abiding love and bliss, by doing the inconvenient and uncomfortable.

When the tide comes in, all boats are lifted. "Other" is only illusion. The side effects of yoga are worth the effort: abiding joy, made of honesty and love. This does not mean "free of pain" but it does mean "free of suffering."
Monday, November 14, 2016 · 9:18 am
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PhilosophyPracticeTeachingWritingYoga
2017
WE'RE HERE! WE'RE QUEER! GET USED TO IT!

I wish that the White House would have acknowledged the male spouse of Luxembourgs's male prime minister. I wish that 45 would have made a statement for June, which is Pride Month. I do not wish I hadn't been assaulted physically and verbally most days growing up-- told my voice, my body, my mind, and my capacity for love were wrong, ugly and loathesome-- because it has made me who I am today. However, I do not wish it on your children, my children, or anyone else.

As a child, that kind of violence almost killed my spirit. As an adult, it almost killed my human form.

The silence is deafening and the message is clear. Systematic erasure. You want to help? Know that it's pride. Know when black history month is. Talk frankly and openly about sexuality and race. If you can't, ask for help. Im talking frank conversation from your cohort. If you don't have anyone you can have this conversation with, I'm here. Get real. Get woke. GET LOUD.

I assure you, WE aren't going back in the closet-- we won't die to the pages of history. Tell your friends.
Friday, June 2, 2017 · 10:08 am
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PoliticsReflectionThe white houseWriting
“We call this mosquito net green. But how do you know what I see as green looks like what you see as green? No, all we can say is that we both agree that this thing we see is that which we both call green... which tells us nothing about either the net or…
Wednesday, December 13, 2017 · 6:50 pm
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PhilosophyReflectionWriting
2018
“…I must confess that I am not afraid of the word “tension.” …there is a type of constructive nonviolent tension that is necessary for growth. Just as Socrates felt that it was necessary to create a tension in the mind so that individuals could rise from the bondage of myths and half-truths to the unfettered realm of creative analysis and objective appraisal, we must see the need of having nonviolent gadflies to create the kind of tension in society that will help men to rise from the dark depths of prejudice and racism to the majestic heights of understanding and brotherhood. So, the purpose of direct action is to create a situation so crisis-packed that it will inevitably open the door to negotiation"

AS MLK WROTE IN HIS Birmingham letters, Rattling the establishment is very useful. Its true, you might find yourself a pariah, but to an unrepresented community of people, you are representation, giving voice to those that have been largely voiceless. It requires valor and bravery, as MLK later came to discover, as standing your ground may in fact become the hill that you die upon.

Much like my affinity for drag, I recognize that yoga will never truly be mainstream because it "mocks ego," as RuPaul says. Yoga is very good for marginalized people. It's goodness for the voices unspoken is directly proportionate to its threat to the establishment.

The establishment, the Man, is invested in maintaining its power, and because that power comes from a deified ego, the establishment further marginalizes those that dare question ego.

Anything that mocks ego becomes an inherent threat.

Those vested in the power that comes from the establishment, and for this I say as clearly as I can: especially ONLY from the establishment-- those people will always attempt to (at best) diminish and (at worst) silence (by any means necessary) that which shows that the emporer has no clothes. They will do it with a clear conscience as only those who have made a god out of a toothless tiger can murder guiltlessly.

The very best way to rattle the ego starts by creating tension. Without discounting your inherent value, question your worth. You can't use your privileges for good if you don't admit you have them. We all have god given rights and innate gifts. What are your gifts? Where have you struggled? You can't recognize your growth potential without a sober assesment of where you are. This will help build empathy.

Then, go out and get loud.
Rattle the establishment.
Do yoga.
Fight AIDS.

Make MLK, RuPaul, and this little yogi proud and go out there and color with all the colors in the crayon box.
Tuesday, January 16, 2018 · 3:51 am
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DragPhilosophyPoliticsQueer lifeReflectionReflectionsWritingYoga
Yoga in the era of #MeToo: This Sunday, from 3-5p, I'll be sitting on a panel of colleauges discussing the relative merits and potential pitfalls of hands on assistance in the yoga space. This will be an opportunity to discuss trauma sensitivity, pedagogy, and practice. I hope you'll join us.

https://practice.sideplank.org/dc-yoga-coop-april-29th-panel

https://practice.sideplank.org/dc-yoga-coop-april-29th-panel
Thursday, April 26, 2018 · 6:51 am
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CommunityDcMetooTeachingUsaWashington dcWritingYoga
Last year I appeared in federal court functioning as a symbol of potential for my asylum seeking then-boyfriend. In many countries, you can still be killed legally for being queer. He was a victim of the gang violence the article mentions-- as some of you may recall, when I was a victim of this kind of violence, we called it a hate crime. In Russia, there is no crime. I have never been more patriotic than in the moment his asylum was granted. I am gutted to hear that our attorney general is going to leave my marginalized brothers and sisters to die at the hands of their community or country.

https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2018/06/jeff-sessions-just-signed-death-warrant-lgbtq-asylum-seekers/
Wednesday, June 13, 2018 · 3:17 pm
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LoveReadingReflectionWriting
How do we tether a soul to another? What twine or taffy makes them stay? Is it love or god or byproduct of inevitability?

Perhaps there is no real delineation-- all three the same, differently labeled, but effectively borderless. So then too, this is a reflection on both marriage and friendship, both of which can bind so equally and tightly. It seems to me there is no distinction -- both a pact with another to participate in the process of complete cooperation with the inevitable. Sounds an awful lot like enlightenment.

The great sages of the yogic path say that the surest way to the end states of yoga are through love and devotion. They call that path to enlightenment bhakti.

There is no surer way to know God and the self than love.

Till death do we part, indeed.
Saturday, June 30, 2018 · 9:32 am
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CommunityPhilosophyReflectionsWritingYoga
com·plic·it
kəmˈplisit
adjective
involved with others in an illegal activity or wrongdoing.

"Support of Trump makes you complicit in the dehumanization of woman. "
"Deifying Jois on Guru Purnima makes you complicit in silencing victims of sexual abuse in spiritual communities"
"Eating at chick-fil-a makes you complicit in the oppression of the LGBT community"
"Supporting India with your tourism dollars makes you complicit in radical Hinduism."

How much complicity can you stomach?
Saturday, July 28, 2018 · 8:30 am
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IndiaPhilosophyReflectionWritingYoga
finishing touches on my applied anatomy day 1 best study date ever, too. #instawags
in imagefinishing touches on my
applied anatomy day 1
best study date ever,
too.
#instawags
NATIONAL
PORTRAIT
DONALD W. REYNOLDS CENTER FOY
AMERICAN ART AND FOXTANTONE
Smithsonian Institutio
Dondld W. Reynolds Ce
American Art and Portr
National Portrait Galler
+8
Monday, October 1, 2018 · 5:14 pm
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AnatomyDcTeachingUsaWashington dcWritingYoga
trapped.
lonely. trapped.
lonely. thank God for friends. thank God for representation. 320 lbs.
16 years old.
dying to understand. come out come out come out. someone needs you to be out and proud.
in image320
lbs.
16 years old.
dying to understand.
trapped.
lonely.
thank God for friends.
thank God for
representation.
someone needs you to be out
and proud.
come out come out come out.
Friday, October 12, 2018 · 9:00 am
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ReflectionWriting
I still like to write by hand with ink and shit (anatomy preview!!) da traps
in image(anatomy preview!!)
da traps
pereos.
Origia - base of skollı postıriar Lijamts
at thn neck, spinous processes or
C2- т/2
по нуи т
scapua
Nhits it do2
- Contraction of tu lamr
Shers draws the Scagula davnwad
- Contraction of th uppur faikes
Upwar dag ratites an elerates
Scapula
E increases cartat of homaa,
head to ghenad in overkerd
position
- contraltian of muddle fiers
astist rhombards in opnenig yn
Chos
I still like to write by
hand with ink and shit
Monday, October 15, 2018 · 3:52 pm
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AnatomyTeachingWritingYoga
The comments give me faith in god above.

creating false dichotomies and clinging to societal standards is further sealing the cracks in the proverbial box where the air can come in. the air the keeps you from pretending that the world isn’t burning and that any kind of exploration on unboxing won’t get you killed. At your church, your synagogue, your discotech, your yoga studio, running up 12th street, or coming home from a restaurant opening in eckington.
Saturday, November 3, 2018 · 9:45 am
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DcEckingtonFoodRunningWritingYoga
I’ve met a lot of polite bigots in my 35 years. I’ve never asked their party affiliations. I do not believe for one second every republican is purposefully engaging in the propagation of bigotry, but in 2018, every vote for a republican is a vote co-signing the continuation of institutionalized white supremacy and the denigration of those near and dear to my heart across a broad stroke of categories.
Tuesday, November 6, 2018 · 4:44 pm
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LoveReflectionWriting
2019
Hey fellow authorized ashtanga yoga teachers! y’all gonna go to “Bill Cosby school of comedy” or “the R Kelly Institute for Balladry”? What if they gave you your degree with the guys face on it and made you hang it up in your class room? Are you going to do it? If you wouldn’t do it, why not? Could you support an organization that demanded you do?
Tuesday, February 5, 2019 · 7:43 am
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AshtangaPracticeReflectionTeaching artsWritingYoga
A while back I was the victim of a hate crime — I was assaulted and hospitalized for being other.

They took nothing except my illusions. And I’m left asking what kind of other was it that made me a target:

White in a black neighborhood?
A perception of Gentry in a neighborhood undergoing gentrification?
Being queer?

I’m not sure what exactly cause it. “White faggot” isn’t quite enough to go on.

What the media does with marginalized communities and race relations is appalling. The questions it asks and posits are cheap (I’m looking at you, Roxanne Gay).

I implore everyone reading this to leave your gated communities and engage. Ask better questions. Thank you for checking up on me. And remember: I love you. I’m sorry you hurt.

Also: follow the patterns. The Smullet thing is too close to the Lincoln Memorial thing. Somethings fishy.
Thursday, February 21, 2019 · 2:36 pm
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ReflectionWriting
It’s hard to laugh at the Smullett memes.

Some of us have faces held together by laffy taffy and metal plates because we actually were brutally attacked on the street in a random act of violence for no reason other than pure hatred.

Please be aware that by making light of this situation, it becomes a way of diminishing the realities of hate crimes in America.

Funny that it’s my straight white cohort sharing them. Your lack of empathy is worth examining.
Thursday, February 21, 2019 · 11:26 pm
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ReflectionWriting
same humble suggestion. two years ago.
in imageMichael Joel Hall
3 March 2017 at 05:42
There is unlimited potential for solidarity, connection, and
compassion inside of each and every one of us. The
loneliness you feel, the sorrow of disconnection, is the inner
voice telling you to plug in and wake up. Might I recommend
Ashtanga yoga? It's very simple and incredibly effective.
DCASHTANGA.COM
two years ago.
same humble suggestion
Sunday, March 3, 2019 · 8:35 am
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AshtangaPracticeReflectionWritingYoga
Sebastian Cole Hall passed away today. He lived 15 amazing years with me, my mom, and my dad. He knew his toys by name, was fearless, and gentle. He helped make me the person I am today, and taught me about unconditional love. He was a very good boy.
Monday, March 11, 2019 · 4:48 pm
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FamilyGriefReflectionWriting
Two years ago I had an inkling of Jois’s abuses of power. I also had plausibility in my internal denial. I think Nigel has so eloquently stated so much of how i feel. I was reminded this morning by my statement of gratitude for Jois’s work from those two years ago— I am no less grateful for his vast accomplishment but also no longer interested in a purposeful naivety. Have nuance here— and leave space for others to do so also. And in the interim, please stop diefying, explicitly or implicitly, a flawed, complicated human. If you have real interest in helping others heal their traumas, take down your icons and your alters to an abuser.
Saturday, May 18, 2019 · 12:54 pm
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AshtangaPracticeReflectionsWritingYoga
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
Monday, May 20, 2019 · 12:20 pm
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AshtangaMeditationPhilosophyPracticeWritingYoga
One of my first Ashtanga Yoga teachers, Keith Moore was recently diagnosed with throat and neck cancer. Keith, and folks like him, support and sustain communities — let’s do the same for him. He’s a great guy with an independent studio and is a touchstone for a lot of folk.

https://www.gofundme.com/Keith-Moore-we-got-this?pc=fb_dn_cpgntopnavlarge_r&rcid=r01-156193452837-141790b3701e40f9&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=fb_dn_cpgntopnavlarge_r
Monday, July 1, 2019 · 12:23 pm
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AshtangaPracticeTeachingWritingYoga
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/
Friday, July 26, 2019 · 6:44 am
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AshtangaMeditationPracticeReflectionsTeachingWritingYogaYoga industry
The District had its highest number of reported hate crimes last year: 204. That’s a year of gay men being beaten, black girls being threatened, transgender women being hurt, synagogues being harassed, Muslims being taunted and a Trump supporter smacked in a restaurant.

Liu, speaking at a forum at the Justice Department last month on combating anti-Semitism, said that sometimes, the odds of conviction are better when they don’t press a hate-crime charge.

But that ignores what hate crimes do to the people who experience them. And it doesn’t make vulnerable people feel like anyone’s got their backs.

Eleanor Holmes Norton: “As you may know, the number of reported hate crimes in the District of Columbia almost doubled between 2016 and 2018. Many of these crimes were targeted at the LGBTQ community, especially transgender individuals. At a recent well-attended community forum, I learned that this community feels it is under siege. I agree,” she wrote. “As you are well aware, it takes only a few prosecutions to create a deterrent effect.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/a-prosecutor-wont-do-her-job-so-bigots-are-getting-away-with-hate-crimes-in-dc/2019/08/22/9d6499c4-c508-11e9-9986-1fb3e4397be4_story.html
Saturday, August 24, 2019 · 5:03 pm
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ActivismCommunityFoodReflectionsTeachingWritingYoga
Don't get it twisted.
I'm def not here for DARE and will TED talk you about my *maybe* nuanced thoughts on optimization via experimental and experiential disco-pharmacology. ... but I am here for the petty. Oh. And:
in imageDon't get it twisted.
I'm def not here for DARE
and will TED talk you about
my *maybe* nuanced thoughts
on optimization via
experimental and
experiential disco-
pharmacology.
... but I am here for the
petty. Oh. And:
Thursday, August 29, 2019 · 9:59 pm
💬 Comment
Writing
Mike has a long read for you today. I know him from his time as a working stand up comic— his live performance was gifted. His writing is clear and powerful. Give this a read, his perspective strikes me as valuable.
Monday, September 2, 2019 · 9:00 am
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Writing
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
Monday, October 7, 2019 · 3:31 pm
💬 Comment
AsanaAshtangaAshtavakrasanaEcuadorEnvironmentFoodPracticeQuito
https://www.yogajournal.com/practice/a-sequence-for-political-resilience

About ten years ago, i set a goal for myself to be on the cover of yoga journal. Today, i made it to the homepage.

10 years in, I think that's about right. Time and dreams change. Markers of success evolve.

Back then, I imagined that my perfect form and smiling face would make a valuable representation -- and mark an internal validation.

As practice is wont to, I eventually had a realization: I could do better. I wanted to share something more substantive than just form. The marker for validation had shifted dramticay.

I wanted to share some part of what practice had shared with me-- something that has helped me grow and thrive and that I have seen do the same for others time and time again.

Well, here we are. I talk about resilience. I share a modified primary series. I tried to use explicit language so as to maximize value and minimize confusion. .

I'm honored and thrilled. Simply in existing, it represents those who might feel marginalized.

I'm out, I'm queer, and I'm big. I'm a yoga practitioner who shares a powerful and potent practice steeped in tradition and that has a veracious efficacy.

I hope you find it useful, for yourself or for others
Friday, October 25, 2019 · 7:00 pm
💬 Comment
AshtangaCommunityGoaIndiaPracticePrimary seriesReflectionsTravel
https://www.yogajournal.com/practice/a-sequence-for-political-resilience

About ten years ago, i set a goal for myself to be on the cover of yoga journal. Today, i made it to the homepage.

10 years in, I think that's about right. Time and dreams change. Markers of success evolve.

Back then, I imagined that my perfect form and smiling face would make a valuable representation -- and mark an internal validation.

As practice is wont to, I eventually had a realization: I could do better. I wanted to share something more substantive than just form. The marker for validation had shifted dramticay.

I wanted to share some part of what practice had shared with me-- something that has helped me grow and thrive and that I have seen do the same for others time and time again.

Well, here we are. I talk about resilience. I share a modified primary series. I tried to use explicit language so as to maximize value and minimize confusion. .

I'm honored and thrilled. Simply in existing, it represents those who might feel marginalized.

I'm out, I'm queer, and I'm big. I'm a yoga practitioner. What I've shared is what I know to be a powerful and potent practice steeped in tradition and that has a veracious efficacy.

I hope you find it useful, for yourself or for others
Friday, October 25, 2019 · 7:04 pm
💬 Comment
AshtangaCommunityGoaIndiaPracticePrimary seriesReflectionsTravel
My childhood obesity went hand in hand with my depressed mind state. Efforts at participating in youth sports were met with “weigh ins” for game day. I regularly wasn’t able to play, though I learned to love practice.

I also learned to be hyper critical of my size and to feel ashamed and to starve and binge and purge. When I finally got ahold of my mind state— coming out, changing schools, leaving school, nearly dying and learning to really want to live— the weight started coming off.. and staying off.

My blue print is not small. My healthy body and mind o— your healthy body and mind— are not numerical. I hope that this young lady’s testimony — our testimony— helps folks look again at the source and the solution of our own mutated self image and efforts at aesthetic.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/07/opinion/nike-running-mary-cain.html
Friday, November 8, 2019 · 9:50 am
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AshtangaPracticeReadingReflectionsWritingYoga
I am fascinated by ritual.

They have so many different forms and varied affectations— different elaborations, steps, and varied repetitions — I love them.

I am often *taken* by them, and occasionally my attention is so captivated it makes me want to try it. This medicated ghee speaks to me, and shows me the value of Annette’s practice in so many different arenas of life. Makes me want to participate.

Thanks, Annette!
Saturday, November 16, 2019 · 10:40 am
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AshtangaFoodPracticeWritingYoga
2020
117 homeless Washingtonians have died in the last year. This is up more than 100% compared to the previous last year.

2 million dollars was spent on an art installation designed to keep homeless people out of an underpass— not for safety, but because of community aesthetics.

The building the crew club is in on 14th street sold for 2 million.

I’m all for public art commissions— but c’mon. We can hang shitty LED lights, but not help our most vulnerable at the very least stay safe from the elements?

How much housing can 2 million buy?
Thursday, January 16, 2020 · 10:23 am
💬 Comment
ArtWashington dcWriting
Here is an explanation or intersectional analysis as it relates to the Kobe story. I found it useful.

I don’t know anything about current athletes who aren’t gay and shirtless, so I only know of Kobe by how much he meant to a lot of people. When I saw he died, I said “oh wow.”

Later, I said, “didn’t he get accused of rape or something?”

My news feed is filled to the brim with stories of sexual assault— stories of black men, Indian men, and white men— and they are all intense and complicated and people hold these men up high on pedastels while others say to tear them down and distance themselves. I’ve taken down the smiling visage of one such Indian man.

But guys, can’t we think more deeply?
Tuesday, January 28, 2020 · 5:26 pm
💬 Comment
IndiaReadingWriting
I worked at the improv during that impressionable 21-28 time frame. I am so grateful for that time. Night after night i got to watch masters hone their craft. Words, wit, and dynamic performance art... all at the same time. The relationships forged there— my friends, my own art, and with incredible artists... Wow. Please help if you can!
Wednesday, March 18, 2020 · 8:53 pm
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ArtFriendsPerformanceReflectionsWashington dcWriting
Newsletter went out!!!
in imageNewsletter went out!!!
In This Newsletter
1. Upcoming Holidays & Observations
2. Class Announcements
3. Yoga Philosophy: Trusting Your Source
4. Moon Phases This Month
5. Schedule & Sign-Up
Upcoming Holidays & Observations
Seasonal Influences
Northern Hemisphere: Kapha Season, Spring
Calendar of Observations
May 1 Beltane (Northern Hemisphere)
May 1 May Day
Newsletter went out!!!
Monday, May 4, 2020 · 4:08 pm
💬 Comment
AnnouncementMilestonesNewsletterNewsletter announcementNewsletter publishingOnlineReading textWriting
Susan Sloane interviews strong woman in leadership --and beautifully captures the conversation. Her book, "A Seat at the Table," where you can find this wonderful collection, was just released.

This is the start of an excerpt series:

"Looking at this past year, I am fortunate that I embarked on a journey to write the stories of these women and share why gender-diversified leadership is imperative for our world. It is a happy birthday, indeed. And while there will be no party in this quarantine, I’ll cry if I want to. Happy tears—for the goodness in humanity shall prevail."

https://medium.com/@susansloan76/its-my-birthday-and-i-ll-cry-if-i-want-to-9993a90b12fd
Wednesday, May 20, 2020 · 12:59 pm
💬 Comment
CelebrationMilestonesReadingWriting
March 3, 1991: A video camera captures four Los Angeles Police Department officers beating Rodney King in one of the first viral police brutality videos.
April 21, 1992: A jury acquits the four officers who beat Rodney King. Riots ensue.
Feb. 23, 1999: Four NYPD officers shoot and kill 23-year-old Amadou Diallo. The officers were acquitted on all charges.
Nov. 26, 2006: Seven undercover NYPD officers fire more than 50 rounds of ammunition at unarmed Sean Bell at a bachelor party. The officers were acquitted on all charges.
February 26, 2012: 17-year-old Trayvon Martin is stalked, chased and shot by George Zimmerman after 911 operators tell Zimmerman to leave the teenager alone. Six weeks after the shooting, Zimmerman was arrested and subsequently acquitted of murder.
March 21, 2012: Chicago police officer Dante Servin shoots unarmed Rekia Boyd. He is acquitted on all charges.
July 17, 2014: NYPD officer Daniel Pantaleo kills Eric Garner. Pantaleo has never been convicted of a crime.
Aug. 9, 2014: Ferguson, Mo. officer Darren Wilson shoots and kills 18-year-old Mike Brown Jr. Wilson was not charged with a crime.
Nov. 22, 2014: Cleveland Police Officer Timothy Loehman kills 12-year-old Tamir Rice. Loehmann is not charged with a crime.
April 4, 2015: A bystander captures North Charleston, SC police officer Michael Slager shooting unarmed Walter Scott as Scott runs away during a traffic stop. Scott plead guilty to federal deprivation of rights under the color of law and was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
April 12, 2015: Baltimore resident Freddie Gray was arrested for carrying a knife and died from injuries while being transported to jail. No one involved was convicted of a crime.
July 19, 2015: University of Cincinnati officer Ray Tensing shot and killed Sam DuBose during a traffic stop. Tensing was not convicted of a crime.
July 13, 2015: Sandra Bland is found hanged in a jail cell after a dashcam captures her brutal arrest by State Trooper Brian Encina, who is never convicted of a crime.
July 2, 2016: St. Anthony, Minn. police officer Jeronimo Yanez shoots Philando Castile during a traffic stop in which Castile was not driving or committing a crime. Yanez was acquitted on all charges.
July 5, 2016: Baton Rouge, La. officers shoot 37-year-old Alton Sterling as he lays on the ground, restrained by officers. No one is charged with a crime.
Aug. 1, 2016: Moments after authorities coerce Facebook and Instagram to shut off the live feed for 23-year-old Korryn Gaines’ standoff with police, Baltimore County police officers burst into her home and shoot her dead as she holds her son in her arms. No one is convicted of a crime.
Sept. 16, 2016: Tulsa, Okla. police officer Betty Shelby shoots unarmed Terrance Crutcher as a news helicopter records the footage. She is acquitted of first-degree manslaughter.
March 18, 2018: Sacramento police officers open fire on 23-year-old Stephon Clark, striking him eight times, six of which were in his back. No one was ever charged with Clark’s death.
Sept. 6, 2018: Officer Amber Guyger enters the home of Botham Jean and shoots him dead. She is convicted of murder and sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Oct. 12, 2019: Fort Worth, Tex. police officer Aaron Dean shoots through the window of 28-year-old Atiatana Jefferson, killing her. Dean is fired and charged with murder.
February 23, 2020: A vigilante mob in Brunswick, Ga. chases down and shoots 23-year-old Ahmaud Arbery, killing him. Travis and Gregory McMichael have been arrested for his death after more than 2 months of freedom. A third man, William “Roddie” Bryan, has also been charged after filming the crime.
March 13, 2020: Louisville, Ky. police officers Jonathan Mattingly, Brett Hankison and Myles Cosgrove entered the apartment of 26-year-old Breonna Taylor to serve a “no-knock warrant” on her boyfriend and shot Taylor dead. No one has been charged with a crime.
May 25, 2020: Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin kneels on the neck of George Floyd for 8 minutes and 46 seconds; 2 minutes and 53 seconds of which occurred after Floyd was unconscious. Floyd Dies. Chauvin is charged with third-degree murder after four days of freedom. Three officers who were present — Tou Thao, Thomas K. Lane and J. Alexander Kueng, have not been charged.
May 27, 2020: Minneapolis residents say: “Fuck this.”
May 29- present: America says: “Damn right, fuck this:”

https://www.theroot.com/a-timeline-of-events-that-led-to-the-2020-fed-up-rising-1843780800?fbclid=IwAR2V3bcgil5d_DTSGI8967x7rgHOdMZvCH0ztXl0BOAaKhgYlTLa3-U33wQ
Sunday, May 31, 2020 · 10:37 am
💬 Comment
LoveReadingUsaWorkWriting
So much "can't erase history" stuff, and I am gonna take it on face value that y'all don't really understand ( a VERY charitable read rn).

Lemmie break this down for ya:

Say you came over and put a statue up in my front yard-- one that was in the image of the men who have verbally and physically assaulted me over the years. How do you think it would make me feel?

Now, lets make it spicy: that statue, lets say it was built to highlighting the virtuousness of the men who harassed, hospitalized, and hurt me?

Do you think I'd wanna come home? Do you think I'd wanna be anywhere near it?

Would you like to see the face of your tormenters every day comin' and goin? "History is history" really feels like "suffer, bitch."
Thursday, June 25, 2020 · 8:54 am
💬 Comment
ActivismPoliticsWriting
in imageMichael Joel Hall
34 mins •
...
So much "can't erase history" stuff, and l am gonna take it on face value
that y'all don't really understand ( a VERY charitable read rn).
Lemmie break this down for ya:
Say you came over and put a statue up in my front yard-- one that was
in the image of the men who have verbally and physically assaulted me
over the years. How do you think it would make me feel?
Now, lets make it spicy: that statue, lets say it was built to highlighting
the virtuousness of the men who harassed, hospitalized, and hurt me?
Do you think I'd wanna come home? Do you think I'd wanna be
anywhere near it?
Would you like to see the face of your tormenters every day comin' and
goin? "History is history" really feels like "suffer, bitch."
Thursday, June 25, 2020 · 9:31 am
💬 Comment
ActivismWriting
Because ive watched people make ad hominem attacks on my behalf in order to further their racist agenda, I’d like to share other logical fallacies that show up when arguing with ignorant or agenda’d populations.

The one occurring here, when drawing comparisons to George Flloyd, is an ad hominem attack— that’s when we attack the character of an individual instead of the subject matter at hand. When folks do that with George flloyd, that’s often a proxy for the black community. This is racist tell, friends. Of course, racism happens, and if you’re comitted to being anti racist, this won’t hurt your feelings. If you aren’t committed to being anti racist, then this might hurt your feelings.

When the comparison between this poor little boy and the comparison is to talking points associated with anti racist discussions, meaning someone else (“race” is a someone else, so that would be ad hominem on all black folk), it’s a classic red herring— meaning it’s meant to distract you from the true culprit.

So, this little boy is being used as either a proxy for all whites assaulted or killed by black folks (something i take seriously, based on my history) using a dead black man with no correlation, or a total red herring, because these situations don’t have anything in common except media propagation.

I would ask what and why regarding the logic— and then what and why regarding the comparison.

For those that are “why aren’t we talking about this dead little boy? We’re talking about this dead black man” I would encourage deeper reflection about why you think that comparison is apt.

For those that are like “this poor little boy was killed by a black man” I would ask what you want from this conversation and why.
Saturday, August 15, 2020 · 7:31 pm
💬 Comment
ActivismReflectionsWriting
in imagediary ofa yogi
2
O
AlE
FA
Peace•
here thare ls no note, tawl
or hand sorl. 4 men lo kl
Thn muền ah hon hang 2 2
be calm in your herh
- The Vedas): 30c0-4000.ye dl
- те св
о,
С н в
aublc Valc Score
meae at en y ns
-tgo
д р е р л ні е р а
is Sankhys
-Yoga con be thought of as appied Suikingá - Cacy
(HW for Functional
Ashtanga Yoga 300hr
Training w/
@michaeljoelhall)
Goodmorning.
Monday, October 12, 2020 · 11:06 pm
💬 Comment
AshtangaPhilosophyPracticeReadingWritingYoga
Thank you for voting.

This year, I’ve been really touched by how many of my friends and loved ones have sacrificed their time to help others vote.

Thank you for helping others.

I am in admiration of this act of non partisan civil service.
in imageThank you for voting.
This year, I've been really
touched by how many of my
friends and loved ones have
sacrificed their time to help
others vote.
Thank you for helping
others.
I am in admiration of this
act of non partisan civil
service.
Tuesday, November 3, 2020 · 8:07 am
💬 Comment
ActivismFriendsPoliticsWriting
I’ve been divisive
and dismissive of a certain kinda vote.

If that was you, I’m sorry i called you a trash human.

I hope you come around and understand where the hurt is for me, and folks like me...

...and that you want to care more about me and the folks I love the next time.
in imagere been divisive'
and dismissive of a
certain kinda vote.
1f that was you, Im
sorry i called you a
trash human.
I hope you come around
and understand where
the hurt is for me, and
folks like me...
and that you want to.
care more about me and
the folks I love the
next time.
Tuesday, November 3, 2020 · 5:08 pm
💬 Comment
ActivismPoliticsReflectionWriting
I added a few words to the translation of this poses’s name. It could be called “standing belly on thighs calm the fuck down pose,” but it’s already a mouthful. She’s the first pose of Ashtanga’s foundational series. Look gently at your nose. Calm your nerves with the standing forward bend. Chill out. Bend your knees till you feel great.

learn more at functionalashtanga.com.
in imagePadangushthasana
"hold-the-big-toe-posture"
3 VINYASA
• NOSE
Wednesday, December 9, 2020 · 7:27 am
💬 Comment
AsanaAshtangaPhilosophyPracticeTeachingWritingYoga
This pose is neat because it lets me use my imagination. I imagine that I am hanging from a window ledge for dear life. If I lean back and balance, I can dangle with straight arms. If I go forward and pull, I can pull with an infinite strength, so long as I meet myself *exactly* in the middle. Generally, this pose highlights where I’ve got some resistance inside keeping me from the balance. Sometimes legs, sometimes arms, sometimes belly, sometimes butt. Most often, it’s no one single thing but a concurrence of them and so the best thing to do is just try to find the middle and let things work themselves out.
in imagePada-Hastasana
"feet-on-hands-posture"
3 VINYASA
• NOSE
Thursday, December 10, 2020 · 10:32 am
💬 Comment
AsanaAshtangaPhilosophyPracticeReflectionTeachingWritingYoga
Ah yes, “Try Angle” pose. Of course. The one where you try to make an angle.

Seriously: this is where you can start thinking about something called “yantras”— or sacred geometry. Its an on ramp for beauty and imagination inside of yoga practice.

Here’s how it works:

Try to visualize yourself as a collection of lines.

For example, can you visualize your bottom arm and front leg as a collection of vectors that connect and intersect?

Oh look! A triangle!

The real fun comes as you try to visualize more and more of them... at the same time. And, without looking, feel how changing one vector somewhere can change the angles elsewhere... all without losing track of your breath.

So trippy. So fun.

Come try and make an angle with me at functionalashtanga.com
in imageUtthita
Trikonasana
"triangle pose"
5 VINYASA
• HAND
1
ITANGA
Friday, December 11, 2020 · 1:13 pm
💬 Comment
AsanaAshtangaPhilosophyPracticeTeachingWritingYoga
2021
Its that time of year again: resolution season. When you work in spiritual communities, gymnasiums, and/or wellness centers, you can't miss it.

Being aware of it doesn't mean that I've had to engage in it; I've typically been abroad, studying with my teachers during this pivotal time of transformation. I reckon what I've had come across my desk this time of year is more the "run-off"-- how it impacts those in my communities. Over the years, I've been struck by the dichotomy of response: managers and studio owners were thrilled to see rookies and wayward weekend warriors returning, while many yoga teachers themselves found that their progress in creating community was often frustratingly glutted by folks who lacked commitment, thereby "taking away from" the more committed practitioners.

Woof.

It's so easy to see both sides of it, and so easy to look down one's nose at so much associated with this malarky: conflating yoga with "getting fit", the pressure to be anti-fat, and of course all of the other dogwhistles things out there that say "you're not good enough."

I'll say it again: woof. But, it doesn't have to be this way inside of the lab of our own teachings and practices.

Come see more of my thoughts on this, and how to approach this season as both a professional and a practitioner, over at FunctionalAshtanga.com
in imageCOMPARE
CONTRAST
Wednesday, January 6, 2021 · 11:11 am
💬 Comment
CommunityPhilosophyPracticeReflectionTeachingTravelWritingYoga
Over threw last few years, I've managed to miss "Resolution Season," since I'd have been on my yearly practice and reflection sabbatical. As a teacher returning home from sabbatical in March, I would often be filled to the brim with inspiration to share-- and in front of a new audience! The reporte required -- including the desire to find a common nomenclature-- were the building blocks of a working relationship in March... but I think they work in January, too!

Check out some of my tips and tools for understanding Why Yoga Works, and how to help those seeking a resolute resolutions find value in your offergings!

https://functionalashtanga.com/drishti-weekly/the-weekly-drishti-1-3-2021-1-9-2021/
Wednesday, January 6, 2021 · 11:13 am
💬 Comment
PracticeReflectionReflectionsTeachingWritingYoga
Guys... can we talk about words?

I've seen folks claiming that these folks actin' a fool on the capital are being sent by "Antifa. "

Word means things, and I think maybe we need to talk:

"Antifa" means Anti-Fascist-- as in, against Fascism.

Fascism is a form of far-right, authoritarian ultranationalism characterized by dictatorial power, forcible suppression of opposition and strong regimentation of society and of the economy which came to prominence in early 20th-century Europe.

To be Anti Fascist means to be agains totalitarian, ultranationalist government. There are many organizations that are "Anti-Fascist" but there isn't a singular "Antifa" organization.

This is comparable to "Feminist" organizations. There isn't a single Feminist Organzation. Feminism is an ideology.

To be Feminist means that you believe woman are equal to men. To be an "Feminist organization" means that you are an organization in support of women's rights on the basis of the equality of the sexes.

So, to circle this wagon: there are feminist organizations and anti-fascist organizations-- and, like those ideals, there is no central organization.

Here's what I don't get: How have we twisted the idea of being "Anti Fascist" into being a bad thing? Since when is being against a totalitarian government a bad thing?

Could it be that if you are a fascist, you want to convince people that being "anti fascist" is a bad thing?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/five-myths/five-myths-about-antifa/2020/09/11/527071ac-f37b-11ea-bc45-e5d48ab44b9f_story.html

https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/five-myths/five-myths-about-antifa/2020/09/11/527071ac-f37b-11ea-bc45-e5d48ab44b9f_story.html
Wednesday, January 6, 2021 · 7:16 pm
💬 Comment
ActivismPoliticsReflectionsWriting
I'm teaching Asana Foundations this month over at Functional Ashtanga. We started on Bandhas this week, with a deep dive into Mula Bandha. I'm excited to cover more for the rest of February. If you're interested, the studio, academy, and Mysore room are all open.

http://functionalasthanga.com
in imageBADDHA PADMASANA,
YOGA-MUDRA
Baddha Padmasana
"bound lotus"
Yoga-Mudra
"symbol for yoga"
Thursday, February 11, 2021 · 6:13 pm
💬 Comment
AsanaAshtangaBandhaMysorePracticeTeachingWritingYoga
Existential angst around unprovoked violence in marginalized communities?

Create impact through direct action and/or energy exchange—

Here are 3 ways.
in imageExistential angst around
unprovoked violence in
marginalized communities?
Create impact through
direct action and/or energy
exchange-
Here are 3 ways.
Friday, March 19, 2021 · 9:00 pm
💬 Comment
ActivismWriting
@redcanarysong is a transnational focused organization supporting Asian woman in the sex work industry. OUR TENETS.

No more police raids and deportations. Policing is not social work. Arrest and and sentencing, even with diversion programming, is not a humane way to deliver social services.

Labor rights in our workplaces, regardless of immigration status: Freedom to openly assemble without fear, share resources, and collectively organize for better wages and working conditions

Nothing about us without us. Respect and dignified livelihood for all sex workers and migrant workers. #1. Donate to a sex workers right organization.
in image#1. Donate to a sex workers
right organization.
Credcanarysong is a
transnational focused
organization supporting
Asian woman in the sex work
industry.
OUR TENETS.
No more police raids and
deportations. Policing is
not social work. Arrest and
and sentencing, even with
diversion programming, is
not a humane way to deliver
social services.
Labor rights in our
workplaces, regardless of
immigration status: Freedom
to openly assemble without
fear, share resources, and
collectively organize for
better wages and working
conditions
Nothing about us without
us. Respect and dignified
livelihood for all sex
workers and migrant
workers.
Friday, March 19, 2021 · 9:04 pm
💬 Comment
ActivismWriting
AAPI Women Lead and #ImReady Movement aims to strengthen the progressive political and social platforms of Asian and Pacific Islander communities in the US through the leadership of self-identified AAPI women and girls.

Their goal is to challenge and help end the intersections of violence against and within our communities. We do this work in solidarity with other communities of color. #2. Donate to @aapiwomenlead
in image#2.
Donate to
Caapiwomenlead
AAPI Women Lead and
#ImReady Movement aims to
strengthen the progressive
political and social
platforms of Asian and
Pacific Islander
communities in the US
through the leadership of
self-identified AAPI women
and girls.
Their goal is to challenge
and help end the
intersections of violence
against and within our
communities. We do this
work in solidarity with
other communities of color.
Friday, March 19, 2021 · 9:06 pm
💬 Comment
ActivismImreadyWriting
If you’re reading this you probably already identify as an ally. Great.

Speak up and create conversation. Don’t beat yourself up if you miss your first chance.

It’s never too late. It’s tough. Be brave and non-combative if your intention is to create healing and procure new anti racist allies.

WARNING: Pick a real person in real life. This is not the platform and you will waste your vital life force arguing with bots. Save your strength. #3: Non-Violent Communication: Get Uncomfortable
in image#3: Non-Violent
Communication: Get
Uncomfortable
If you' re reading this you
probably already identify
as an ally. Great.
Speak up and create
conversation. Don't beat
yourself up if you miss
your first chance.
It's never too late. It's
tough. Be brave and non-
combative if your intention
is to create healing and
procure new anti racist
allies.
WARNING: Pick a real person
in real life. This is not
the platform and you will
waste your vital life force
arguing with bots. Save
your strength.
Friday, March 19, 2021 · 9:12 pm
💬 Comment
ActivismWriting
Best Option:
All 3.

(gentle reminder: save your vital life force for meaningful engagement. the bots are real and want us tired and divided. )
in imageBest Option:
Al1 3.
(gentle reminder: save
your vital life force for
meaningful engagement. the
bots are real and want us
tired and divided. )
Friday, March 19, 2021 · 9:15 pm
💬 Comment
ActivismWriting
in imageOlayemi Olurin
@msolurin
Police don't have the right to kill you
for not following their instructions or
if they believe you've broken the law.
Stop perpetuating the idea that they
do, they don't. Start valuing the lives
of human beings over police
feelings. It's a JOB, they aren't gods
amongst men
@daylaborernetwork
Tuesday, April 13, 2021 · 9:18 am
💬 Comment
ActivismWriting
learn how to begin your
eco-conscious sustainability journey.

it’s so much easier and more rewarding than i imagined.
in image@suenodevida_ecu
learn how to begin your
eco-conscious
sustainability journey.
it's so much easier and
more rewarding than i
imagined.
Thursday, April 22, 2021 · 7:01 am
💬 Comment
PhilosophyWriting
in imageśö
In our culture privacy is often confused with secrecy. Open, honest,
truth-telling individuals value privacy. We all need spaces where we
can be alone with thoughts and feelings - where we can experience
healthy psychological autonomy and can choose to share when we
want to. Keeping secrets is usually about power, about hiding and
concealing information.
@savedbythebellhooks
Sunday, May 2, 2021 · 7:29 am
💬 Comment
LovePhilosophyReadingWriting
I saw that @kingsdominionva is having trouble staffing it’s water park.

Life guards make $15/hr and other gigs pay $13.
in imageI saw that @kingsdominionva
is having trouble staffing
it's water park.
Life guards make $15/hr and
other gigs pay $13.
Thursday, May 13, 2021 · 9:21 am
💬 Comment
PoliticsWriting
I was a kid who worked full time during summer months (age 14-18).

I made $13/hr at the Virginia Renn Faire.

I was performing child labor (I was a child, and I labored).
in imageI was a kid who worked full
time
during summer months
(age 14-18) .
I made $13/hr at the
Virginia Renn Faire.
I was performing child
labor (I was a child, and I
labored) •
Thursday, May 13, 2021 · 9:22 am
💬 Comment
PoliticsReflectionWriting
Data Set 2:
Monthly Expenses
in image$15/hr
40/hr week
$2400/ month
$1984/take home
Rent: $1000
Health Care: $550
Electric: $75
Phone: $50
Expenses: $1675
Data Set 2:
Monthly Expenses
$77.25/week
Must cover:
-transportation (2.50 bus ride each way= $25/
week)
$52.25/week now...for...?
Groceries
Saving for college
Thursday, May 13, 2021 · 9:28 am
💬 Comment
PoliticsWriting
$1984
- $1675
in image$15/hr
40/hr week
$2400/month
$1984/take home
Rent: $1000
Health Care: $550
Electric: $75
Phone: $50
Expenses: $1675
$1984
- $1675
$77.25/week
Must cover:
-transportation (2.50 bus ride each way= $25/
week)
$52.25/week now...for...?
Groceries
Saving for college
Thursday, May 13, 2021 · 9:30 am
💬 Comment
PoliticsWriting
This isn’t a livable wage as an adult.

So!

Am i to understand that this is a job for children?

When I was younger, they hired Russians and Ukrainians to come in and do it.

Because it wasn’t a livable wage 25 years ago.

And there weren’t enough children Virginian children who could labor.
in imageThis isn't a livable wage
as an adult.
So!
Am i to understand that
this is a job for
children?
When I was younger, they
hired Russians and
Ukrainians to come in and
do it.
Because it wasn't a livable
wage 25 years ago.
And there weren't enough
children Virginian children
who could labor.
Thursday, May 13, 2021 · 9:35 am
💬 Comment
PoliticsReflectionWriting
Can anyone make the math work for $77.25/week to cover:

-Groceries

-Child Care

-Occupational Training (getting a lifeguard cert updated costs money)

-Mental Health Treatment (co-pays are still $25, even at a $550/month insurance rate)

-Retirement
Thursday, May 13, 2021 · 9:41 am
💬 Comment
PoliticsWriting
The conclusion I draw:

@kingsdominionva has a business model that neccistates any of the following:

-child labor

-work visas for immigrants

-households with multiple incomes and a shared pool... where the other wage earner makes significantly more than $13-15/hr.
in imageThe conclusion I draw:
Ckingsdominionva has a
business model that
neccistates any of the
following:
-child labor
-work visas for immigrants
-households with multiple
incomes and a shared
pool... where the other
wage earner makes
significantly more than
$13-15/hr.
Thursday, May 13, 2021 · 9:51 am
💬 Comment
PoliticsWriting
My friend has a print edition of her new erotica collection "Transgressions" -- wow wow wow!!
in imageMy friend has a print
edition of her new erotica
collection "Transgressions"
-- wOW wOW wOW! !
30
sansgresnons
ANASTASIA FLEUR
lezbianna
Monday, May 24, 2021 · 1:21 pm
💬 Comment
FriendsReadingWriting
The Yoga Club’s very first ad will be right here.

When I first started coming to DC, I would go to a little coffee house at 22nd and P (love to Soho!) to hang out, spending time reading all of my favorite (read: free + edgy) DC newspapers— The Blade, the City Paper... and Pathways.

Each of these publications has struggled to stay in print over the last 10 years. I likely don’t need to tell y’all about the rapidly changing face of media— and how it has adversely impacted queer journalism, alt-newspapers, and trade-zines.

For y’all that haven’t been here for 30 years, lemmie tell ya: Pathways is the OG DC natural living/holistic health trade publication. Last year, Pathways didn’t have a print publication (due largely to the pandemic... and the changing landscape of readership).

One of the reasons i love DC so much is precisely because i was able to find my tribe— and so much of that is due to publications like this. Who knew that the local publications i loved growing up I’d eventually get to work with?

We went with Pathways first because it’s owned by my bestie’s bestie— and you know I love family owned and friend-ran.

For 7 years, my yoga program, DC Ashtanga, was fiercely independent and grassroots — and while we remain firmly non-commercial, the Yoga Club (my new practice space) wants to help others find community while also supporting and elevating others in our community.

While DC ashtanga will remain a grassroots practice group (as it always has been), we’re now proudly in residence in our new home at theyoga.club, and it is a pro ledge to help Pathways relaunch in print, so that other little woo woo gays can find a copy... and a tribe.
Friday, June 4, 2021 · 10:40 am
💬 Comment
CommunityFamilyMilestonesPracticeReflectionReflectionsTeachingWashington dc
in imagePoem Beginning with a Retweet
f you drive past horses and don't say horses
you're a psychopath. If you see an airplane
but don't point it out. A rainbow,
a cardinal, a butterfly. If you don't
whisper-shout albino squirrel! Deer!
Red fox! If you hear a woodpecker
and don't shush everyone around you
into silence. If you find an unbroken
sand dollar in a tide pool. If you see
a dorsal fin breaking the water.
If you see the moon and don't say
oh my god look at the moon. If you smell
smoke and don't search for fire.
If you feel yourself receding, receding,
and don't tell anyone until you're gone.
@maggiesmithpoet
@mackie bella
Monday, July 19, 2021 · 11:40 am
💬 Comment
PhilosophyReadingWriting
2022
The whole thread is a brilliant capsule
in imagediary.of.a.yogi
* e e e ra a e iens
•
10)
l otter, the beduty is, I dont
to seton toe wy are ts me so I di toe
An thing thts
diary.of.a.yogi Another journal closing ritual complete. I titled
this journal and chapter of my life "Waking Dreams" after Bu...
The whole thread is a
brilliant capsule
Sunday, December 11, 2022 · 2:21 pm
💬 Comment
ReflectionWritingYoga
2023
in image0
MICHAELJOELHALL.COM
CP
UJJAYI | UJJAYII
Conquer Negativity
with Ujjayi Pranayama:
A Superhero's Guide
By michael joel hall • May 7, 2023
Hello, hello, hello yogis! Get ready to channel
your inner superhero with Ujjayi Pranayama,
the "Victorious Breath" that can help you
conquer negativity and find peace and
balance within yourself.
Sunday, May 7, 2023 · 8:22 am
💬 Comment
BreathPracticePranayamaTeachingWritingYoga
a favorite zine (self publishing is so punk)
in imagea favorite zine
ASHTANGA
DISPATCH
-g
SIMESTI JOES - A FAMLY TRADITION
NONANCEDO & SERUEO - A GUIDE FOR PRACTICE
MINORE, BoCAIN THE DAE - JOHN SCOTT REMEMBERS GURLII
Tue Tew3a-Sn DesT RoLATIOAsHP-ATHOXAPYST'S PERSECTIE
So. Dor 10 esz po carTo MiNom? -AREST-TADI'S TRAIS QUCE
ARALOKE E ASEAA - EOLORNG ASANA ON FEM
Tine StoEx oF Es - LVNG THE QUESTIONA
shtangadispatch
(self publishing is so punk)
Thursday, September 14, 2023 · 11:42 am
💬 Comment
AshtangaPhilosophyPracticeReadingWritingYoga
when the Asana
is a 2,
but the vibe
is an 8

Happy Equinox (from @theyoga.club newsletter)
in image4. Holistic vs. Linear Thinking:
While linear thinking focuses on cause-
and-effect relationships, systems theory
embraces holistic thinking, considering the
entire systemn's dynamics. In yoga, this
means moving beyond viewing a single
pose as a cause and injury as an effect.
Instead, we explore the holistic context of
our practice, recognizing that many factors
contribute to our well-being. For example,
Michael has concert tickets for Friday night,
and he needs a night on the dance floor like
a good gay. This makes a 9am class time
tough. In order to make sure Michael
doesn't begin to resent his job, he needs
time to go blow off some steam. Having a
self-practice day ensures that the Mysore
room is in capable hands going forward.
(from @theyoga.club newsletter)
when the Asana
is a 2,
but the vibe
is an 8
Happy Equinox
Friday, September 22, 2023 · 10:00 pm
💬 Comment
AsanaHealthMusicPhilosophyPracticeSeasonsTeachingWashington dc
thank you for sharing — so glad you guys are finding something meaningful in my work.

As always, link in bio.
in imageazaliawood
THE PARADOX OF THE YOGA
FLAME
Balancing the Fire
In this phase of our journey, it's crucial to
reevaluate our relationship with the
transformative fire. Do we need to keep fueling it
to the same degree? Or is it time to allow the fire
to burn at a level that supports, nurtures, and
maintains our newfound state of balance? This is
not about extinguishing our drive or stopping our
practices, but rather about finding a sustainable
way to continue our growth.
EXCELLENT ARTICLE
WRITTEN BY THE ALWAYS
BRILLIANT
@MICHAELJOELHALL
@ MICHAELJOELHALL.COM
thank you for sharing - só glad you
guys are finding something
meaningful in my work.
As always, link in bio.
Friday, November 10, 2023 · 7:45 pm
💬 Comment
LoveReflectionsTeachingWritingYoga
2024
**Subjective Value Construction:**

In the absence of universal verities, meaning is a tapestry woven subjectively by individual consciousness.
in imageSUBJECTIVE
VALUE CONSTUCTION
y
**Subjective Value
Construction:**
In the absence of universal verities,
meaning is a tapestry woven
subjectively by individual
consciousness.
Thursday, January 4, 2024 · 11:21 pm
💬 Comment
ArtPhilosophyWriting
Life, devoid of inherent teleology, presents an existential conundrum, a canvas bereft of predetermined purpose. #nihlisafrank Existential Absurdity
in imageExistential Absurdity
5
os
Life, devoid of inherent teleology,
presents an existential conundrum,
a canvas bereft of predetermined
purpose.
#nihlisafrank
Sunday, January 7, 2024 · 10:40 am
💬 Comment
NihlisafrankPhilosophyWriting
Cory’s sharing more over on his substack. A great lens into the difference between a retreat and a pilgrimage. @the_spiritual_pilgrim
in imageAA
& spiritualpilgrim.substack.com
C
The Spiritual Pilgrim
Upgrade
=
all its torms, yogasana (postural practice),
devotion, and Buddhism—it's all yoga. So, it's
offered differently than a yoga retreat as it's not
really a vacation in the traditional sense of
"getting away from it all", but rather an experience
that is cultivated to challenge us on various levels
that are highly dependent on each individuals life
experience. I've seen it serve as such a positive
force for growth and transformation in the lives of
those who join us and that energizes me to
continue the work.
Cory's sharing more over on his
substack. A great lens into the
difference between a retreat and a
pilgrimage.
Bthe_spiritual_pilgrim
Monday, January 22, 2024 · 1:00 pm
💬 Comment
PhilosophyPilgrimagePracticeReflectionsRetreatTravelWritingYoga
I love Leo's writing
in imageI was always told Id never make it to 40.
Sex education, bullies and movies said Id die of AIDS
or loneliness. There were no sitcoms about older Gay
men (a "special episode" if I was lucky). My script was
written: Id be cast as "angsty, closeted teen
then
addicted, suicidal hustler then
sexless,
funny,
fashionable sidekick (no older than 35),
white picket
husband or creepy, flaming villain. Then I vanished.
Why would I argue or expect more? So many heroes
died by 40. My addiction and suicide rates are so much
higher than my straight counterparts. My own
community's ageism suspends youth and virility by
any needle, pipe,
an this culturalermi, ermpis te otter side ry
action movie bridge, broken and perilous.
I am 43 today. My need for sexual validation has
simmered (a little bit). The chips on my shoulder are
melting off and the scars of gay bashings look kinda
cool. I earned rights and built tools unimaginable to
my ancestors. What I sacrificed and valued means the
next generations will not need to start from scratch.
Audiences will not forget they've seen us. I no longer
need to buy or sell scripts about invisible men. In our
fatherless culture, my elders call me baby and my
children call me Daddy.
Iam the last First Generation.
Leo Herrera
@herreraimages
I love Leo's writing
Saturday, August 3, 2024 · 8:00 am
💬 Comment
HealthReadingWriting
in imageCheers to growing up Gay with a flaming capital G. iu
the limp wrists in our childhood photos, to telling on
ourselves before we could talk. To tears streaked in
playground dirt, to the bullies who told us what we
were before we knew. To slurs we picked up, dusted
off and made our own. To trying on our mothers
heels. To their fear we'd die of AIDS. To the tender
disappointment of our fathers, if we were lucky. To
waiting for a same-sex kiss on TV, only to watch the
camera pan away. To the girlfriends whose hearts we
broke when our Gaydar beeped for the first time. To
our private, dirty humor, so acerbic it can melt
chrome. To our cackle. To "is he...you know?" To that
quality straight actors win Oscars for, but can never
get quite right. To identifying one another in a
packed subway and dark park with a glance. To that
swish,
lisp and contrapposto. Cheers to our
unmistakable softness.
Leo Herrera
@herreraimages
Saturday, October 12, 2024 · 7:39 am
💬 Comment
LovePhilosophyReadingWriting
when your people get published — its yes yes yes
in imageTHE• BEST• AMERICAN
FOOD AND TRAVEL
WRITING 2024
EDITED BY -
1
PADMA LAKSHMI
@mariantoro
when your people get
published — its yes yes yes
Monday, October 28, 2024 · 8:40 am
💬 Comment
FoodReadingWriting
2025
May we all have an Emma Stone
in imageMay we all have an
Emma Stone
I just want to say: I met Emma when we were in Zombieland together
in 2009 and since then I write little magazine articles and little things
on McSweeney's and she's like the only person — and I'm including my
mom here — who would take little screenshots of it over the last 15
years and send me things like, "This is such a funny line." And at the
time — and definitely still - she was like the most famous person
I knew. And yet the most dedicated to encouraging me as a writer.
U think abouther not asmyproducer but as a fairy godmother that l am
riding the coattails of her goodwill. And I think it's so important that
someone like her, who is so unbelievably successful in mainstream
movies, looks for people like me and Julio [Torres] and Jane
[Schoenbrun] to try and produce our movies with all the goodwill that
she's amassed so rightly and deservedly over the last several years.
Thanks, Emma•
@evanrosskatz and filmindependent
Sunday, February 23, 2025 · 8:24 am
💬 Comment
FamilyReadingReflectionsWriting
in imageT ONLG
(, e tol)
*k o e-,
have angi
childenset
fend thele.
ss. Transhile
su elaie.a,
disdine ra
st ask u
The call to split the TQ+ from the LGB is not new.
"Acceptable Gays" have tried to distance themselves
from Queers, Transgender and Non-Binary folks since
before those words existed. Yet, Acceptable Gays were
not spared in the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s or 90s, no matter
how subtle, rich or famous they were. They still got
their ass beat, still outed and arrested under sodomy
laws, still lost their jobs, their names were still printed
in the papers, they still lost their homes under moral
clauses, still couldn't marry or serve. Acceptable Gays
still died of AIDS in droves.
Today's "LGB Gays" are not enlightened or
groundbreaking free thinkers, no matter what social
media says. They're clichéd bootlickers with no sense
of history. They believe this split would spare them but
our persecutors are just working their way backward
through the LGBTQ+. Those who hunt us always
come for the entire alphabet.
@herreraimages
Thursday, March 13, 2025 · 6:53 am
💬 Comment
PhilosophyReadingWriting
in imageI'm an artist. I'm not your plumber, pastor or therapi
I don't owe you my services and I don't always need to
care about your feelings. If I write, I don't need to tell
your story. If I sing, I don't always want to sing for my
supper. My comedy doesn't need to make you laugh
and my music doesn't need to make you dance. If my
art makes me wealthy and famous, I don't owe you a
discount or collaboration. If my art is unknown, you
don't get to measure its worth by audience size. My art
may talk about love even if I've never been in love. It
may preach kindness while I still learn to be kind. My
art may be flawless but I'm still imperfect and human.
I don't owe you anything other than your time if l
asked for it and your money's worth if you paid. My
debt is to myself, for the time of my life I spent
learning my craft. My gratitude belongs to the
universe, for sending itself a message through my
creations, for making me a vessel of the divine.
Leo Herrera
- POST, page 45
@herreraimages
Monday, April 14, 2025 · 12:16 pm
💬 Comment
ArtLovePhilosophyReadingReflectionsWriting
in imageWHAT IF INSTEAD OF DELAYING
PLEASURE UNTIL YOU "GET WORK
DONE", YOU CONSCIOUSLY INFUSE
PLEASURE INTO YOUR PRESENT
LIFE AND CREATIVE PRACTICE AT
ALL TIMES, AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE?
g
YUMI SAKUGAWA
@yumisakugawa
Thursday, June 26, 2025 · 4:46 pm
💬 Comment
ReadingReflectionWriting
in imagemichaeljoelhall
Mysenl
Ton
МАк В.
SEREro (UoTED)
Lua (1 will)
чте--
Sara Harrison (Iwinl!)
Pe ie dasaja
lune eney wting Fw:
Дсола
Чавгіле
solLy
"Namlena Post practie)
Jadcie.
Monan
(alreadydid!!)
Еа ртка (ко, сей voRI
brooke
11/8/16 (VOTF)
michaeljoelhall They come together to support each other
with love. They care very dearly about the well being of ot...
Wednesday, September 17, 2025 · 9:37 pm
💬 Comment
AshtangaCommunityMysoreTeachingWritingYoga
in imagemichaeljoelhall
The differences between _
a BOSS
and a Leader
Drives emplayees
Depends on authority
inspires fear
says ""
Places blame for the
breakdown
Knows how it's done
uses people
Takes credit
commands
says "GO"
coaches employees
Depends on goodwill
Generates enthusiasm
says "We"
Fixes the break down
Shows how it's done
Develops people
Gives credit
ASks
says "Let's go"
michaeljoelhall I think about this all the time.
As a steward, I want to be a leader, and not a boss. ...
Wednesday, September 17, 2025 · 9:44 pm
💬 Comment
LeadershipPhilosophyReflectionsTeachingWriting
Once a week I try to go without. I use an very small Eink tablet phone instead of a flip.

It takes care of the navigation and I use it to write on faily anyway.
in imageOnce a week I try to go without. I use an very small Eink tablet phone instead of a flip. It takes care of the navigation and I use it to write on faily anyway. They are bringing people together to switch
They also gave us new phone numbers and an offline pledge.
Once a week I try to go without. I use an very small Eink tablet phone instead of a flip. It takes care of the navigation and I use it to write on faily anyway. Needed a physical tape recorder for work
Monday, October 13, 2025 · 8:34 am
💬 Comment
Flat surfaceHolding phoneIndoorsOffice lobbyRecordingReflectionScreen detoxScreen sharing
2026
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