High Pressure Dynamics and Surveillance is NOT ok!

The federal government is now monitoring people for anti-authrotiarian views on the Internet and blocking critics of the right from entering the united states. Its not just geopolitics, though.

I once had an Ashtanga Yoga Teacher so high on her own stash she contacted a trusted friend @chocoestates and mentor of mine to tell them that @pegmulqueen was a danger to me because she regularly encouraged me to write.

People are so out of their own scope of practice, and they dont even know it.

Prg and Kristen (not friends independently) regularly made me believe Imy words were powerful and worthy. that ashtanga professor made me believe i was untrustworthy. People are sooooo controlling, and I missed it!

Im amicably divorced— my charisma is both fine and it has its limits. i’m old enough now to have enough data about myself to understand that.

It’s really simple – – are the rules of your organization in place to foster an independent community based on values and personal mastery, or is the organization solely designed to establish the leader in a position of unquestionable authority? More on YouTube!

Superset for Legs & Core

Supersets save time without sacrificing your ability to gain strength and mass. Basically, pick two exercises, do them back to back, then take your break. You can choose complimentary muscle or oppositional muscle groups (or both) in your programming. you can also easily add reps and a set to progressively overload in a straightforward way.

3 Rounds of 15 reps

60-90 seconds off between supersets. Move quickly between individual sets (of course).

Superset A:
Pull throughs - cable & rope
Calf Raises - cable & rope

Superset B:
Leg Extension - cable & strap
Hamstring curl - cable & strap

Video: Is Two Teachers One Too Many?

This is a video about the Ashtanga Yoga Dilemma: Is Two Teachers One Too Many?

Reach out for support at https://michaeljoelhall.com/coaching if this is something you're reckoning with.

00:00 Introduction: The Teacher-Student Dynamic
00:13 Traditional Loyalty vs. Modern Needs
00:38 Benefits of Diverse Inputs
01:16 Balancing Depth and Breadth
01:43 Intentional Learning and Discernment
02:08 Conclusion: Evolving Beyond Hierarchical Gatekeeping

https://michaeljoelhall.com/video-is-two-teachers-one-too-many/?utm_source=SocialAutoPoster&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign

The commodification of yoga doesn’t just dilute its spiritual and personal dimensions—it also leads to exploitative behaviors within studios. I’ve seen studio owners adopt practices that undermine both the integrity of yoga and the well-being of their teachers.

I’ve been lucky enough to watch my newsletter get unfollowed by two local studio owners, and I’ve had three other others reach out directly about how they can help change the dynamics inside of their studio.

Its telling who get offended. It tells me they aren’t accidentally ignorant, which means they’re purposefully malignant. Willful ignorance in this instance is malice.

This career doesn’t have to be a dead end, nor does it need ti be exploitative.

Yoga teachers, you have the power. Take it back.

Yoga studio owner/operators— is your rent too high to pay a livable wage? Feel trapped? Youre not the first one to end up in this position.

Question 1: are you practicing?

Feel free to reach out if want to chat.

If youre new here, some quick receipts: I was the director of operations for local six-location chain, ran a six figure yoga business as owner-operator, was a #board member for a yoga nonprofit, and my mysore program has been running for over 10 years consistently… aaaaand I have had the fortune to have more than five of my students go into business for themselves as studio owners, mysore teachers, and corporate wellness pros.

Like my daddy says “if doing the right thing was always profitable, everyone would do it. But it doesn’t mean it can’t be.”

This, friends, is where the rubber hits the pavement.

Ashtanga Yoga is a system of yoga.

A system is a dynamic network of components that interact to produce specific outcomes. It includes:

1. Elements: The individual parts that make up the system.
2. Interconnections: The relationships and interactions between the elements.
3. Function or Purpose: The goal the system aims to achieve.

Systems exhibit lifelike qualities, even if they consist of nonliving elements. These characteristics include:

• Self-Organization: Systems can arrange themselves into orderly patterns without external direction.
• Self-Repair: Systems can mend themselves when disrupted within certain limits.
• Resilience: Systems can withstand shocks and continue functioning.
• Evolution: Systems can give rise to entirely new systems through innovation and adaptation.

@judydcz is working on Pasasana. It’s hard Af.
This pose is much easier if you’re two dimensional. here’s a picture I found.

Are you looking for support in your yoga practice?

Let me help you establish (or re-establish!) a practice to which you are committed, with tools that are science-backed, respectful of their origins, and effective.

The Functional Ashtanga Training program is an organized collection of the most potent approaches I have found after two decades of travelling the planet, seeking out the most realized teachers I could find.

I’d like to share with you what I’ve learned.

The early bird commitment incentive ($500 off!) ends 7/31.

Link in bio, and space is limited.

i Stan

I wanna point you to my Integrative online Functional Anatomy Training Program. Link in bio.

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

We are under attack. We are being murdered. We are not all the same kind of free. ⁣
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“Freedom’s what you do with what's been done to you.” — Jean-Paul Sartre⁣
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I am speaking up. I am speaking out. ⁣
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Hate crimes have nearly doubled in Washington in the past two years. And it’s a trend followed by the rest of the nation.⁣
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“D.C. is at an all-time high,” professor Brian Levin The District had 209 hate crimes reported in 2018, up from 179 in 2017, 107 in 2016 and 66 in 2015.⁣
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The nation saw the largest number of transgender homicide victims on record in 2017, with 29 killed. Last year, it was 26. And most of them were black transgender women.⁣
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The FBI data, however, likely dramatically underestimates the true number of hate crimes against the LGBTQ community, experts, say, given flaws in the current data collection process and massive discrepancies with the much larger number of self-reported incidents.⁣
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A better gauge of hate crime trends in the U.S. may be the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), a household-based survey administered by the U.S. Census Bureau. This self-reported data suggests that Americans experience closer to 200,000 hate crimes each year – a far cry from the FBI’s estimate of approximately 7,500.

#fbf March 9

There has to be a way to invite joy into the mundane. To encourage patience and persistence. ⁣⁣
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If not, life would be one misery to the next, with only ever fleeting moments of bliss in between. It simply cannot be that. ⁣⁣
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If there wasn't a way to mine ecstasy from the ordinary, what a cruel joke this human experience would be. ⁣⁣
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Anyone who is paying attention can see that the universe has a sense of humor-- and the joke might be dark, but it's not cruel. ⁣⁣
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Get out there and create. No one is going to have fun for you. ⁣
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*** ⁣
Join me for backbends-- two parts: first 90 minutes of applied anatomy and then 90 minutes of play. Saturday, March 23rd 12-3:30 at @eatonworkshop -- Send me a note on here to sign up. It's gonna be super fun.

What are you willing to put your neck on the line for? Is it justice for all? Are you a Social Justice Warrior?⁣
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It’s Black History Month in the states, and I see and hear very few white people celebrating/ commemorating/ commenting on the past of our black brothers and sisters. ⁣in the Ashtanga Yoga world, I have seen very few of my seniors taking up the sword for feminism, queer rights, or the empowerment of the disenfranchised. Heck, who has spoken up for sexual assault victims in our own community? ⁣
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Why not? ⁣
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Regular yoga practice begins to tear down the boundaries between “you” and “me” and “them” and “us”. It also emboldens and empowers the practitioner to make choices that lead to less long term suffering— as deeply entrenched as some of our own pain pain inducing habits and patterns are — and how precious the illusions seem. ⁣
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Combine the two, the feeling of oneness between creatures and the desire for liberation from bondage and pain, and you almost can’t help but become an ally to those who are marginalized in a society in which you have sway. In fact, to not use your voice to elevate is an act of rite cowardice. ⁣
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I love the term Social Justice Warrior. Take a look at this excerpt from the Bhagavad Gita and tell me if you can see why: ⁣
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O Arjuna, the Atma that dwells in the body of all (beings) is eternally indestructible. Therefore, you should not mourn for any body. (2.30)⁣
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Considering also your duty as a warrior you should not waver. Because there is nothing more auspicious for a warrior than a righteous war. (2.31)⁣
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Only the fortunate warriors, O Arjuna, get such an opportunity for an unsought war that is like an open door to heaven. (2.32)⁣
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If you will not fight this righteous war, then you will fail in your duty, lose your reputation, and incur sin. (2.33)⁣
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People will talk about your disgrace forever. To the honored, dishonor is worse than death. (2.34)⁣ —

Join me at the @eatonworkshop this March for led classes and Mysore with @dcashtanga — hit me up for more info.

Kapotasana: Two Ways

Here are two different ways of approaching Kaptoasana, both with my student Madeline. In the first part, I'm functioning as a support structure both physically and mentally for her. I’m a big ole prop. Because Kapo was relatively new for her, working hands on together was super helpful, as sometimes going to scary places is easier with a friend.
In the second, Madeline is going about Kapo in a hands-off way, using a prop set-up (we use all kinds of different setups at @dcashtanga). Over the last few months, Madeline has become more confident and capable, so she can feel where she really is more effectively. She’s learned how to work on her own and it shows.
Modern postural yoga uses the body as a reference point for understanding the deeper dimensions of insight practice-- like the ability to internalize the sense and focus, allowing for meditation to come on line. An effective posture builds strength and flexibility-- so that you can work in a non harming way; it calms the nervous system-- building distress tolerance; it also works systematically with other postures to unlock certain understandings-- like a physical crossword puzzle keeping the mind and the body sharp.

The thing with these "bigger postures" is that  everyone has their own set of limitations-- both real and perceived-- and working with a good assist or prop setup helps us move from the unreal to the real. That is gooooood yoga, right there.

In the Mysore room, we teach yoga that allows for autonomy and agency. Teachers aren't put on pedestals, and theres no heirachy-- everyone can practice, and even better, folks learn how to practice on their own.

This November, I'm teaching a workshop series on assisting. Over the course of this series, we'll go over the philosophical and the practical of assisting in a yoga room. Participants will learn how see bodies and construct an approach that teaches using voice, intention, and touch. A good assist can offer guidance, make corrections, and sometimes even help with adjustments that a practitioner may not be able to make on their own-- so that they may learn how to *do it on their own!* The link's in the bio.