writing

22 entries in 2020 · oldest first

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?
💬 Comment
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?
💬 Comment
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!
💬 Comment
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!!!
💬 Comment
💬 Comment
💬 Comment
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."
💬 Comment
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."
💬 Comment
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.
💬 Comment
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.
💬 Comment
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.
💬 Comment
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.
💬 Comment
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
💬 Comment
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
💬 Comment
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
💬 Comment

Get MichaelFilter

Enter your email. We'll send a one-tap link to read today's edition free, in your browser — the link works for 24 hours. Membership unlocks every issue, PDFs, and transcripts.

Already a member of theyoga.club or ashtanga.tech? You're already on file — no re-registration. We won't add you to any list.