2025

2024

dad

“Be yourself, everyone else is taken,” said Oscar Wilde. A gem, that man was. You’d think being yourself was easy. Sometimes yoga practice gets routine a loses its essence— discovering curiosity into the nature of who you are. And you’d think that your yoga practice would make that easier.

So, who’s really calling the shots?

After working as a yoga professional inside innumerable agencies and organizations, I think there’s a way to help find a deeper value to your practice. It means getting real.

Embrace the Yoga Executive Mindset: Lead Your Practice and Life with Purpose.

Check it out at mjh.yoga/portal

'Bindu' —a concept that represents the unmanifested potential within us all. 🌌

Unravel the cosmic seed from which all creation arises, and learn how meditating on this concept can lead to transcendent states of consciousness. Explore how the duality of Bindu—symbolized by the white and red points—echoes the balance of masculine and feminine energies within Hatha yoga. 🌿✨

Dive deeper into this fascinating subject and see how ancient texts resonate with modern scientific understanding of consciousness. Ready to explore? Hit play and uncover the potential of Bindu within you! #Bindu #Meditation #YogaJourney

More at ashtanga.tech

Vegan cafe in Nepal— owned by trans woman 🙂

Maximize your earnings as a contractor! Set your own rates and align them with the demand for your skills. Explore more at indieyogapros.com or mjh.yoga or join us for monthly webinars and courses to elevate your career! 📈

Are you ready to explore the life of a yoga contractor? 🌟 Discover the unique balance of freedom and responsibility in the yoga industry. As a contractor, you get to choose when, where, and how often you teach, giving you unparalleled creative control. Yet, with this autonomy comes the challenge of missing out on traditional benefits like health insurance and paid leave. The secret to success is in financial planning and understanding deductions. Join us in unpacking these insights and learn how yoga professionals can navigate these waters. #YogaContractor #FreedomAndResponsibility #YogaCareer

Ever wondered how a union could revolutionize your yoga teaching career? In today’s fast-evolving yoga industry, many teachers struggle with low wages and uncertain job security. But forming a union could be the game-changer we all need! 🌟 #YogaRevolution #TeacherEmpowerment #FairWages

So, I started a yoga association, which I'll call @indieyogapros colloquially. We're gonna need members. Collective power can enable yoga teachers to negotiate fair pay, secure benefits, and improve working conditions. Drawing inspiration from successful guilds like the Screen Actors Guild, find out how yoga teachers can create a community that values their labor.

Let’s work together to transform yoga teaching into a sustainable profession, ensuring it’s not just a side pursuit but a fulfilling career choice. Join the movement and be part of this exciting new era for yoga teachers!

Sharing a gem that reminds me of @johnschumacheryoga — his audio workshops on iHanuman were my every day classes for a long time when I was first learning to home practice with structure (a time before ashtanga!).

I had memorized all of my teachers faves, and so of course she encouraged me to take his workshops. I was making less than 30k in DC in 2008, ya know? I couldnt really afford it, so I saved. And those recordings helped reach me where I was. When I finally got to the workshop, John complimented “an intelligent lift in the side chest”— to see the pride in my teachers eyes in that moment… I’ll never forget.

I was nervous and i learned so much about boundary setting as a teacher by using some of the moments from the workshop as reflection points— like when he told me i didn’t need to thank him for his instruction as he was instructing. Looking back, it gives me a kind of second hand embarrassment and also the warmest smile

I dont think ive ever bad chance to thank him publicly. His good name opened doors for me with teachers that I admire and respect— simply by being a student of one of his students.

Thanks for making sure your teachings could reach those with a sincere interest in learning. Hope to pay the same forward.

At the start of 2022, I almost quit teaching full time. I was devastated. I had made the 30k from my online TTC last 1.5 year, and I went through a large chunk of my savings. As an employee for only one organization, I was cheated by the PPP fiasco. I had other studios use me to scam more mokey out of the government- they got tens of thousands. I got $30, weekly.

The financial challenges that many yoga teachers face have been an enduring issue within the industry. For years, teachers have struggled to earn livable wages, often working long hours with little job security, no benefits, and limited opportunities for growth. The COVID-19 pandemic, which devastated the yoga industry and shuttered studios worldwide, exposed just how precarious this financial situation was. Many teachers were left without income, unprepared to weather such a crisis. It has become increasingly clear that financial equity for yoga teachers is not just a matter of fair wages—it’s about creating sustainable business models that can withstand future disruptions.

In my work, I have become passionate about addressing this issue, with the hope of helping yoga teachers learn how to create financial stability for themselves. As I’ve expressed before, “I want to help yoga teachers to learn how to create a business model that’s sustainable and learn how to save money so they can survive the next pandemic.” This is not just about surviving the current crisis but preparing teachers to thrive in a world where uncertainty is the norm.

After having traveled the world and received education from some of the most respected yoga teachers is in the world, having received almost the highest accreditation I can inside of my lineage— if I can’t make it, who can?

I want us to bring honor to our teachers and be if service to our communities— and it’s very hard to do that when you’re starving.

Sharing my passion for healing the poison of condition takes on so many forms— but its root is from my own sustained interest in living a harmonious, loving life free of violence. This doesn’t mean free of conflict— it means honesty.

The numbers on the @vitruvian dont lie 😂 thank goodness we’re having fun.

A love letter to my muse:

Ron started digging into yoga asana with me around 65 or so. He started digging into the yoga philosophy around 80 or so. I am at my most inspired, right now, in 2024 in no small part to this man. I have a feeling of reverence for my brother, senior, mentor, and friend — and its so strong that if i dont tell the world, its some kind of sin. Ron and I are growing together and I have never had a student teacher relationship like this before.

I shared this with Ron, and he laughed and said “you woke up and wrote this?”

“Yes, Ron. I know I tell you all the time, but I wanted to share this with you before i shared it somewhere else.”

“You never meet a miserable grateful person,” says Ron.

You get it.

This was recorded during led primary at @theyoga.club

Shifting into training and out of rehab on the @vitruvian is wild. I used the trainer for about 2 years while rehab after getting hit by that pesky car. When I got it for the studio, i knew at least one person would use it— and id have no excuse to not stay on top of my PT.

Im so stoked to now get to experience the performance benefits of this technology in a new way. If you play your cards right, you’ll need 3-4 days between workouts, completing a workout in under 20 minutes.

Thats 40 minutes a week compared to 4 hours a week. Ive got packages available at michaeljoelhall.com. DM for a 20% off coupon for a resistance training or transformation package at michaeljoelhall.com

to beat the toxic employment trap of conventional yoga studios, demand the following:

One of the things I love about being a yoga coach is that I get to work with people from all walks of life interested in bettering themselves. Personal mastery is a pursuit with many faces, and essential if we wish to help elevate our greater community. Its a real gift to be a collaborative partner with folks on the pursuit, and I’m not so evolved that I dont still feel honored and excited to celebrate the success. I love working with people to find their awesomeness. Thanks for sharing this journey, @mikematspace !!!

also

✨ If you know a yoga teacher who’s facing burnout, it’s important to remind them that they’re not alone. Teaching can be incredibly rewarding, but it also comes with its challenges. ❤️

Encourage your friend to prioritize self-care and reflect on their personal practice’s deeper values. 🧘‍♀️✨ Revisiting foundational teachings from yoga texts can reignite passion and provide valuable insights. 🌱

Let’s support each other in exploring strategies for managing stress and preventing burnout— help each other advocate for a less toxic industry, back off when your suffering burnout from system dynamics, and come back together to make sure that our talents combined helped everyone involved come out on top.

Together, we can help our community thrive! 💪💖 #YogaCommunity #SelfCare #BurnoutPrevention #YogaTeachers #SupportEachOther

✨ Breathe Your Way to Peak Performance ✨

Ever feel like your breath is holding you back in sports? 🏃‍♂️💨 Discover how breath training can transform your game, from boosting stamina to sharpening focus. Whether you’re a weekend warrior or an elite athlete, mastering your breath is the secret weapon you never knew you needed! 🌬️💪

Ready to unlock your full potential? Let’s dive deep (literally) into the power of breath! 🌟

Visit michaeljoelhall.com

#BreatheBetter #PeakPerformance #AthleteMindset #BreathTraining

✨ Breathe Your Way to Peak Performance ✨

Ever feel like your breath is holding you back in sports? 🏃‍♂️💨 Discover how breath training can transform your game, from boosting stamina to sharpening focus. Whether you’re a weekend warrior or an elite athlete, mastering your breath is the secret weapon you never knew you needed! 🌬️💪

Ready to unlock your full potential? Let’s dive deep (literally) into the power of breath! 🌟

Visit michaeljoelhall.com

#BreatheBetter #PeakPerformance #AthleteMindset #BreathTraining

✨ Breathe Your Way to Peak Performance ✨

Ever feel like your breath is holding you back in sports? 🏃‍♂️💨 Discover how breath training can transform your game, from boosting stamina to sharpening focus. Whether you’re a weekend warrior or an elite athlete, mastering your breath is the secret weapon you never knew you needed! 🌬️💪

Ready to unlock your full potential? Let’s dive deep (literally) into the power of breath! 🌟

Visit michaeljoelhall.com

#BreatheBetter #PeakPerformance #AthleteMindset #BreathTraining

✨ Breathe Your Way to Peak Performance ✨

Ever feel like your breath is holding you back in sports? 🏃‍♂️💨 Discover how breath training can transform your game, from boosting stamina to sharpening focus. Whether you’re a weekend warrior or an elite athlete, mastering your breath is the secret weapon you never knew you needed! 🌬️💪

Ready to unlock your full potential? Let’s dive deep (literally) into the power of breath! 🌟

Visit michaeljoelhall.com

#BreatheBetter #PeakPerformance #AthleteMindset #BreathTraining

✨ Breathe Your Way to Peak Performance ✨

Ever feel like your breath is holding you back in sports? 🏃‍♂️💨 Discover how breath training can transform your game, from boosting stamina to sharpening focus. Whether you’re a weekend warrior or an elite athlete, mastering your breath is the secret weapon you never knew you needed! 🌬️💪

Ready to unlock your full potential? Let’s dive deep (literally) into the power of breath! 🌟

Visit michaeljoelhall.com

#BreatheBetter #PeakPerformance #AthleteMindset #BreathTraining

✨ Breathe Your Way to Peak Performance ✨

Ever feel like your breath is holding you back in sports? 🏃‍♂️💨 Discover how breath training can transform your game, from boosting stamina to sharpening focus. Whether you’re a weekend warrior or an elite athlete, mastering your breath is the secret weapon you never knew you needed! 🌬️💪

Ready to unlock your full potential? Let’s dive deep (literally) into the power of breath! 🌟

Visit michaeljoelhall.com

#BreatheBetter #PeakPerformance #AthleteMindset #BreathTraining

✨ Breathe Your Way to Peak Performance ✨

Ever feel like your breath is holding you back in sports? 🏃‍♂️💨 Discover how breath training can transform your game, from boosting stamina to sharpening focus. Whether you’re a weekend warrior or an elite athlete, mastering your breath is the secret weapon you never knew you needed! 🌬️💪

Ready to unlock your full potential? Let’s dive deep (literally) into the power of breath! 🌟

Visit michaeljoelhall.com

#BreatheBetter #PeakPerformance #AthleteMindset #BreathTraining

✨ Breathe Your Way to Peak Performance ✨

Ever feel like your breath is holding you back in sports? 🏃‍♂️💨 Discover how breath training can transform your game, from boosting stamina to sharpening focus. Whether you’re a weekend warrior or an elite athlete, mastering your breath is the secret weapon you never knew you needed! 🌬️💪

Ready to unlock your full potential? Let’s dive deep (literally) into the power of breath! 🌟

Visit michaeljoelhall.com

#BreatheBetter #PeakPerformance #AthleteMindset #BreathTraining

✨ Breathe Your Way to Peak Performance ✨

Ever feel like your breath is holding you back in sports? 🏃‍♂️💨 Discover how breath training can transform your game, from boosting stamina to sharpening focus. Whether you’re a weekend warrior or an elite athlete, mastering your breath is the secret weapon you never knew you needed! 🌬️💪

Ready to unlock your full potential? Let’s dive deep (literally) into the power of breath! 🌟

Visit michaeljoelhall.com

#BreatheBetter #PeakPerformance #AthleteMindset #BreathTraining

You don’t have to be trans to experience gender euphoria. Having a body capable of radical transformation is a gift, and even cis folks should recognize that!

Many sensitive souls have faced belligerent questions about whether they are a boy or a girl. Children still ask, and as Bob the Drag Queen says, if you tell them you’re a girl (and you are a boy), they’ll say, “No, you’re not!” which means they knew the answer already. For whatever reason, it doesn’t feel great to have your gender questioned.

Gender euphoria is a feeling of joy or satisfaction that occurs when someone’s gender identity aligns with their gendered experience, rather than the gender they were assigned at birth. It can also include feelings of comfort, confidence, and certainty. Gender euphoria is often considered the opposite of gender dysphoria, which is a feeling of discomfort or distress that arises when someone’s gender identity doesn’t match their gendered body parts or experiences.

It’s a difficult experience to feel male, be in a male body, and have others tell you you’re part girl. As Madonna wrote in “What It Feels Like for a Girl”:

“Girls can wear jeans and cut their hair short
Wear shirts and boots ‘cause it’s okay to be a boy
But for a boy to look like a girl is degrading
‘Cause you think that being a girl is degrading.”

To feel aligned with my masculinity without feeling a need to degrade or repress femininity is euphoric. Get into it.

gorgeous human

When I got to Goa, I felt anonymous again.

In Mysore, I felt like everyone had heard. I was the ashtangi who got hate crime'd in the face after his house burned down. I wanted to be the tall pretty one. Or the smart one. But for now, I was very much the tragic one.

Luckily, Rolf wasn’t watching the news. I was just one more 6'3 drop back for him to do. And he was happy to oblige-- quietly sharing lite bits here and there in my ear about his work. But not so happy with it that I didn’t get assigned sone extra. Great.

After 26 years of shrinking myself for others, I got to just be the big one. You gotta gang up to take the big one down, and that's what was happening in real life. Literal gangs at home on the street, and little yogi gangs jockeying for status in Mysore.

When you question your ability to be loved by the universe, it is very helpful to see real love pouring out of someone else’s eyes.

Rolf didn’t need to know that I was stitched together with laughy taffy and titanium. Marci went to work on putting my physical injuries to bed and Rolf my heart. Neither needed a narrative. it is good, because I was so sick of my own story I couldn’t take it anymore.

As I’ve been working on my book-- it’s almost done -- the only part that I haven’t gotten into is my introduction into Systems Thinking-- through a gang beatdown.

I have known catastrophe again and again and gotten up to go again and again. This might sound like hubris, but check my receipts.

Rolf was able to help me see the interconnected nature of things in a way that makes the big picture possible. He also helped me understand how unspecial I was — while also feeling very very, very special. As Rolf would say, you do as you feel, and every day, the Yoga grows inside of you like a little plant.

In many ways, the development of my practice and the autonomy — the Santosh— the self sufficiency — means that there is less labor for my teacher to take on. Now i understand that my desire to be better in my physical practice was also so that Rolf had to do less for me.

Since he’s dead now, I will have to put my thigh down on the ground myself.

“Easy come, easy go," Rolf would say.

My teacher has passed.

Rolf taught along the Arabian Sea, between the psytrance and the sea— just in from jungles of Goa. As complex as he was simple and straightforward, he lived and led by example. He changed my life. He made clear that liberation was available to each of us, starting with the malarkey of our present condition.

I want nothing more in this life than to make him proud. He’d likely rather that I be gardening, swimming, praying— anything other than typing. Especially not posting photos.

Rolf would say how unimportant it was for your guru to even know your name— that your guru just needed to know *you*.

It meant something to me when you gave me a hug and called me “Big Mike. “ I felt very seen, Rolf. I have so much work to do, because I am still waiting to hear your voice again.

Please keep my family and me in your prayers. It pains me to say, but I think maybe we are all a little better having Rolf on a different plane — maybe just maybe — somehow helping to elevate all of our consciousness further. I need it. We need it.

I have many stories about my time in goa and with Rolf that I love to tell, but they are for in person. Maybe come for thali and I’ll tell you all about him.

Full power, Rolfji. Easy come, easy go.

“Easy come, easy go," Rolf would say.

My teacher has passed.

Rolf taught along the Arabian Sea, between the psytrance and the sea— just in from jungles of Goa. As complex as he was simple and straightforward, he lived and led by example. He changed my life. He made clear that liberation was available to each of us, starting with the malarkey of our present condition.

I want nothing more in this life than to make him proud. He’d likely rather that I be gardening, swimming, praying— anything other than typing. Especially not posting photos.

Rolf would say how unimportant it was for your guru to even know your name— that your guru just needed to know *you*.

It meant something to me when you gave me a hug and called me “Big Mike. “ I felt very seen, Rolf. I have so much work to do, because I am still waiting to hear your voice again.

Please keep my family and me in your prayers. It pains me to say, but I think maybe we are all a little better having Rolf on a different plane — maybe just maybe — somehow helping to elevate all of our consciousness further. I need it. We need it.

I have many stories about my time in goa and with Rolf that I love to tell, but they are for in person. Maybe come for thali and I’ll tell you all about him.

Full power, Rolfji. Easy come, easy go.

“Easy come, easy go," Rolf would say.

My teacher has passed.

Rolf taught along the Arabian Sea, between the psytrance and the sea— just in from jungles of Goa. As complex as he was simple and straightforward, he lived and led by example. He changed my life. He made clear that liberation was available to each of us, starting with the malarkey of our present condition.

I want nothing more in this life than to make him proud. He’d likely rather that I be gardening, swimming, praying— anything other than typing. Especially not posting photos.

Rolf would say how unimportant it was for your guru to even know your name— that your guru just needed to know *you*.

It meant something to me when you gave me a hug and called me “Big Mike. “ I felt very seen, Rolf. I have so much work to do, because I am still waiting to hear your voice again.

Please keep my family and me in your prayers. It pains me to say, but I think maybe we are all a little better having Rolf on a different plane — maybe just maybe — somehow helping to elevate all of our consciousness further. I need it. We need it.

I have many stories about my time in goa and with Rolf that I love to tell, but they are for in person. Maybe come for thali and I’ll tell you all about him.

Full power, Rolfji. Easy come, easy go.

“Easy come, easy go," Rolf would say.

My teacher has passed.

Rolf taught along the Arabian Sea, between the psytrance and the sea— just in from jungles of Goa. As complex as he was simple and straightforward, he lived and led by example. He changed my life. He made clear that liberation was available to each of us, starting with the malarkey of our present condition.

I want nothing more in this life than to make him proud. He’d likely rather that I be gardening, swimming, praying— anything other than typing. Especially not posting photos.

Rolf would say how unimportant it was for your guru to even know your name— that your guru just needed to know *you*.

It meant something to me when you gave me a hug and called me “Big Mike. “ I felt very seen, Rolf. I have so much work to do, because I am still waiting to hear your voice again.

Please keep my family and me in your prayers. It pains me to say, but I think maybe we are all a little better having Rolf on a different plane — maybe just maybe — somehow helping to elevate all of our consciousness further. I need it. We need it.

I have many stories about my time in goa and with Rolf that I love to tell, but they are for in person. Maybe come for thali and I’ll tell you all about him.

Full power, Rolfji. Easy come, easy go.

“Easy come, easy go," Rolf would say.

My teacher has passed.

Rolf taught along the Arabian Sea, between the psytrance and the sea— just in from jungles of Goa. As complex as he was simple and straightforward, he lived and led by example. He changed my life. He made clear that liberation was available to each of us, starting with the malarkey of our present condition.

I want nothing more in this life than to make him proud. He’d likely rather that I be gardening, swimming, praying— anything other than typing. Especially not posting photos.

Rolf would say how unimportant it was for your guru to even know your name— that your guru just needed to know *you*.

It meant something to me when you gave me a hug and called me “Big Mike. “ I felt very seen, Rolf. I have so much work to do, because I am still waiting to hear your voice again.

Please keep my family and me in your prayers. It pains me to say, but I think maybe we are all a little better having Rolf on a different plane — maybe just maybe — somehow helping to elevate all of our consciousness further. I need it. We need it.

I have many stories about my time in goa and with Rolf that I love to tell, but they are for in person. Maybe come for thali and I’ll tell you all about him.

Full power, Rolfji. Easy come, easy go.

“Easy come, easy go," Rolf would say.

My teacher has passed.

Rolf taught along the Arabian Sea, between the psytrance and the sea— just in from jungles of Goa. As complex as he was simple and straightforward, he lived and led by example. He changed my life. He made clear that liberation was available to each of us, starting with the malarkey of our present condition.

I want nothing more in this life than to make him proud. He’d likely rather that I be gardening, swimming, praying— anything other than typing. Especially not posting photos.

Rolf would say how unimportant it was for your guru to even know your name— that your guru just needed to know *you*.

It meant something to me when you gave me a hug and called me “Big Mike. “ I felt very seen, Rolf. I have so much work to do, because I am still waiting to hear your voice again.

Please keep my family and me in your prayers. It pains me to say, but I think maybe we are all a little better having Rolf on a different plane — maybe just maybe — somehow helping to elevate all of our consciousness further. I need it. We need it.

I have many stories about my time in goa and with Rolf that I love to tell, but they are for in person. Maybe come for thali and I’ll tell you all about him.

Full power, Rolfji. Easy come, easy go.

“Easy come, easy go," Rolf would say.

My teacher has passed.

Rolf taught along the Arabian Sea, between the psytrance and the sea— just in from jungles of Goa. As complex as he was simple and straightforward, he lived and led by example. He changed my life. He made clear that liberation was available to each of us, starting with the malarkey of our present condition.

I want nothing more in this life than to make him proud. He’d likely rather that I be gardening, swimming, praying— anything other than typing. Especially not posting photos.

Rolf would say how unimportant it was for your guru to even know your name— that your guru just needed to know *you*.

It meant something to me when you gave me a hug and called me “Big Mike. “ I felt very seen, Rolf. I have so much work to do, because I am still waiting to hear your voice again.

Please keep my family and me in your prayers. It pains me to say, but I think maybe we are all a little better having Rolf on a different plane — maybe just maybe — somehow helping to elevate all of our consciousness further. I need it. We need it.

I have many stories about my time in goa and with Rolf that I love to tell, but they are for in person. Maybe come for thali and I’ll tell you all about him.

Full power, Rolfji. Easy come, easy go.

“Easy come, easy go," Rolf would say.

My teacher has passed.

Rolf taught along the Arabian Sea, between the psytrance and the sea— just in from jungles of Goa. As complex as he was simple and straightforward, he lived and led by example. He changed my life. He made clear that liberation was available to each of us, starting with the malarkey of our present condition.

I want nothing more in this life than to make him proud. He’d likely rather that I be gardening, swimming, praying— anything other than typing. Especially not posting photos.

Rolf would say how unimportant it was for your guru to even know your name— that your guru just needed to know *you*.

It meant something to me when you gave me a hug and called me “Big Mike. “ I felt very seen, Rolf. I have so much work to do, because I am still waiting to hear your voice again.

Please keep my family and me in your prayers. It pains me to say, but I think maybe we are all a little better having Rolf on a different plane — maybe just maybe — somehow helping to elevate all of our consciousness further. I need it. We need it.

I have many stories about my time in goa and with Rolf that I love to tell, but they are for in person. Maybe come for thali and I’ll tell you all about him.

Full power, Rolfji. Easy come, easy go.

“Easy come, easy go," Rolf would say.

My teacher has passed.

Rolf taught along the Arabian Sea, between the psytrance and the sea— just in from jungles of Goa. As complex as he was simple and straightforward, he lived and led by example. He changed my life. He made clear that liberation was available to each of us, starting with the malarkey of our present condition.

I want nothing more in this life than to make him proud. He’d likely rather that I be gardening, swimming, praying— anything other than typing. Especially not posting photos.

Rolf would say how unimportant it was for your guru to even know your name— that your guru just needed to know *you*.

It meant something to me when you gave me a hug and called me “Big Mike. “ I felt very seen, Rolf. I have so much work to do, because I am still waiting to hear your voice again.

Please keep my family and me in your prayers. It pains me to say, but I think maybe we are all a little better having Rolf on a different plane — maybe just maybe — somehow helping to elevate all of our consciousness further. I need it. We need it.

I have many stories about my time in goa and with Rolf that I love to tell, but they are for in person. Maybe come for thali and I’ll tell you all about him.

Full power, Rolfji. Easy come, easy go.

“Easy come, easy go," Rolf would say.

My teacher has passed.

Rolf taught along the Arabian Sea, between the psytrance and the sea— just in from jungles of Goa. As complex as he was simple and straightforward, he lived and led by example. He changed my life. He made clear that liberation was available to each of us, starting with the malarkey of our present condition.

I want nothing more in this life than to make him proud. He’d likely rather that I be gardening, swimming, praying— anything other than typing. Especially not posting photos.

Rolf would say how unimportant it was for your guru to even know your name— that your guru just needed to know *you*.

It meant something to me when you gave me a hug and called me “Big Mike. “ I felt very seen, Rolf. I have so much work to do, because I am still waiting to hear your voice again.

Please keep my family and me in your prayers. It pains me to say, but I think maybe we are all a little better having Rolf on a different plane — maybe just maybe — somehow helping to elevate all of our consciousness further. I need it. We need it.

I have many stories about my time in goa and with Rolf that I love to tell, but they are for in person. Maybe come for thali and I’ll tell you all about him.

Full power, Rolfji. Easy come, easy go.

please

RuPaul’s Drag Race has had an incredible impact on the queer community in the United States, turning hardworking performance artists into household names with niche celebrity status. With popularity and celebrity comes inevitable scrutiny and challenges.This dynamic reminds me of the issues within the Ashtanga yoga system, particularly around authorization, certification, and the balance between a marketplace driven by profit and power versus being a learning organization.

Newsletter out today. Dm your email and I’ll add ya!

Understanding how our bodies adapt to specific physical demands can significantly enhance our practice. This is where the SAID principle, or Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demand, becomes invaluable. The principle posits that the body adapts specifically to the types of stress it encounters. For Ashtanga Yoga practitioners, integrating strength training exercises like pulldowns can lead to remarkable improvements in asana practice, particularly in poses that require strong and stable latissimus dorsi muscles.

**read more at michaeljoelhall.com/blog

I was the ashrams trashman and the ashram was on an island. this was our trash boat to the waste place.

🫣Learning from Mismanaged Expectations 🙃

I dont always get it right. An example of how feedback has directly influenced my teaching approach came from my experiences leading the primary series classes. Initially, I integrated specific learning objectives into these classes, which diverged from the traditional format that students expected. This misalignment of expectations often led to disappointment, as students were not prepared for a non-traditional approach. They wanted the count and just the count!

The feedback made me realize the importance of managing expectations effectively.


Now, I make it a point to clearly communicate the structure and focus of each class beforehand, ensuring students know what to expect. Led Primary is led primary, and workshops are workshops. This clarity has improved the receptivity of students to the lessons being taught and has enhanced their overall class experience.

Understanding the importance of clear labeling and consistency in communication has been a significant growth point in my teaching practice.

**
If you’re looking for support as a practitioner and teacher, reach out.

Understanding Individual Capabilities 🌟

The foundation of effectively managing a diverse group lies in understanding the unique strengths, limitations, and skills of each student. This understanding allows me to craft a practice that respects each practitioner’s current physical condition while gently pushing their boundaries to foster growth.

For instance:
✨ Beginners and seasoned vets will require understanding of foundational postures and practices, focusing on building strength and flexibility slowly to prevent injuries.
✨ More advanced practitioners might work on refining their technique and deepening their existing practice, possibly exploring more advanced series and variations.

Progressions and Regressions 🔄

It is essential to understand that a person can't move where they can't move, and just because they can do something doesn't mean they should.

There is no moral heirarchy created from range of motion standards. As such, a critical tool in my teaching arsenal is the use of progressions and regressions. Each asana can be scaled to match the practitioner’s current ability, ensuring that no student feels left behind or out of place.

This approach not only accommodates different levels but also personalizes the practice for each student, ensuring that they all receive appropriate challenges and support. 💪🧘‍♂️✨

Thanks, Ron!

From Violence to Vision— Using Ashtanga Yoga to dismantle systemic oppression and promote healing.

This articles contains reflections from my enriching experience in Birmingham, Alabama and Nashville, Tennessee, alongside friends like Heather Sullivan and Cory Bryant.

Uh, oh! MJH is posting about hate crimes on main!

This explains the appeal of systems thinking after a life-altering hate crime. Ashtanga Yoga can be a vehicle for inclusivity and empathy, challenging entrenched systems of oppression.

Let’s talk about it.

link in bio

Have you ever seen a full moon rise over a pyramid? It left me with a sense of wonder and awe.

This is from Mexico in 2019, before my world imploded. Before my parents moved to this very neighborhood in the jungle. Before my brother and sister in law died in that jungle, killed neither by the jungle nor COVID. It’s hard to imagine a time when my trip to Mexico’s biggest stressor was dodging that very same brothers phone call. If you had asked, I would have told you that I had nothing more to say to him until he apologized. That was very not true. I keep thinking I know what it means to have had a human experience, and then my mind gets blown by natural wonder and the human experience. Yes, even the depths of tragedy can inspire awe.

At my weakest, I would sing:
I will push myself up through the dirt,
And shake my petals free,
I’m resolved to being born again,
And so resigned to bravery.

To explore how yoga can help with grief, visit Ashtanga Tech. You’ll gain a foundational understanding of the qualities of grief and ways in which yoga may support someone who is grieving.

https://ashtanga.tech/study-guide/adaptation/mental-health/grief-yoga-1-0/

Picture this: I’m Michael Joel Hall, not just a yogi but a story in motion. There’s an exciting new chapter unfolding - and so I thought I’d take a pause to reintroduce myself. Big main character energy there, I get it. But the algo demands!

A lot of you started following me because of your experience with me as a yoga instructor. Well, that plot continues to play out with the launch of @ashtanga.tech.

Ashtanga Tech is where our yoga dialogue takes a deeper, more engaging turn. If you’re all about immersing in yoga insights and discussions, follow me there.

A little gift for you: use LAUNCH30 at http://ashtanga.tech for an exclusive 30% off on memberships.

I’m still steering @theyoga.club in Yoga Circle, where I teach yoga one-on-one in either group or private settings. And while I’ll still be around here, sharing and connecting, the elearning platform I’ve built is WILD and i can’t wait for the ashtangis to play with it.

We’re a week in to the 30 Day Core Fitness Challenge and the 2024 Teaching Immersion over at @ashtanga.tech — and I’m just over the moon. Ashtanga Tech is the ashtanga education platform I built, designed for practitioners and professionals. She’s meant to facilitate development in a variety of different components of the ashtanga yoga system— from core fitness to meditation. It’s amazing to see so many of you guys using it already, and I’m just so over the moon. Can’t wait to see you in homeroom.

man?

The wake up call I needed
~ 15 years ago
was my box jump and
over the shoulder med ball throw.

so many bloody shins over the next few years. 100% worth it.

LET’S BREATHE!

Try this and let me know how it goes!!

For athletes and fitness enthusiasts, optimal breathing techniques can enhance endurance, reduce breathlessness, and improve overall athletic performance.