Full power. 2014.

Is it finally a Princess Sparklepony mat towel kinda day? Haven't busted it out yet, but it's getting close to time.

Like a snake eating his own tail.

Reading my journal from 2005. Holy cow. Maybe that yoga did some good after all.

Overheard in the men's changing room before led intermediate: "It looks like the line for the bathroom at a gay bar."

"I’ll try doing the same thing again—purely out of curiosity. I just want to know what will happen if I do the same thing in the same place wearing the same outfit. I’m not hoping this will save me. I’m not especially afraid to die. If it comes to that, I’ll do it without hesitation. I can die smiling. But Aomame did not want to die ignorant, failing to grasp how things worked. I want to push myself to my limits, and if things don’t work out, then I can give up. But I will do everything I can until the bitter end. That is how I live." --1Q84, Haruki Murikami

This. This x100. I just hope the end is not bitter.

Woke up on Boxing Day for practice and talked to Michael Roike & Michelle. Thank goodness it's still Xmas in the States, as I'm still full from Lunch!

Value the present moment when confronted with presents in a moment. "May leaders lead with wisdom, may all nations be prosperous, and may all creatures everywhere be happy and free. Peace."

No more cookies 'till Christmas.

I love FaceTime, snapchat, and cookies.

Missing debrief and over analysis time with old friends on this Saturday morning.

Make your sweat smell like maple syrup. http://examine.com/supplements/Fenugreek/

Off to led primary, and missing my students at home. Love love love.

Wrestling with the "I Maker," ahamkara.

“Hey, Tengo, do you know the difference between the English words ‘lunatic’ and ‘insane’?” she asked. “They’re both adjectives describing mental abnormality. I’m not quite sure how they differ.” “ ‘Insane’ probably means to have an innate mental problem, something that calls for professional treatment, while ‘lunatic’ means to have your sanity temporarily seized by the luna, which is ‘moon’ in Latin. In nineteenth-century England, if you were a certified lunatic and you committed a crime, the severity of the crime would be reduced a notch. The idea was that the crime was not so much the responsibility of the person himself as that he was led astray by the moonlight. Believe it or not, laws like that actually existed. In other words, the fact that the moon can drive people crazy was actually recognized in law.

-- 1Q84, Haruki Murakami

Managed to nip a nipple and give myself tracks whilst trimming chest hair. #moondaymadness

For me, chanting is harder and scarier than asana. Went to Dr. Jayashree's for chanting and philosophy, hoping to make Karuna proud.

Let go. Dance. Don't hold the wall.

Upon review, I love an autoantonym. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_self-contradicting_words_in_English

*wondering when we should talk about 2014 & DC Ashtanga's new pricing & beginners programming 🙂

off to stretch for god.

Did my physical therapy routine as prescribed by Dr. Akash. Surprisingly intense.

confession: I start every morning by reading uk music blog Popjustice's forum.
3 artists I've never seen live, but am dying to: Roison Murphy, Sophie Ellis Bextor, Britney Spears.
Honorable Mention: Cher

Physical therapist was just shy of unbearable. Dr Akash found all the spots & gave me homework. Can't wait get to work!

The problem with feelings, of course, is that you have to feel them.

A quick aside from conference yesterday: Sharath took a nap in his car at his cousin's wedding. He is my teacher #teamcarnap

This year april had a blizzard
Just to show she did not care
And the new dead leaves
They made the trees look like children with gray hair
But I'll push myself up through the dirt
And shake my petals free
I'm resolved to being born
And so resigned to bravery

Yeah the one who leaves this also grieves this
Too much rain on a prairie flood plain
Houses floating, love is like that
We built on a river

-- Dar Williams, Spring Street

Crystal Y. Jolley-- I wanna tell the story of the natural mystic who told us my future, but its so creepy and unbelievable I need someone to back me up. I need someone who was there!

Overheard in Mysore: "Funny that the gays can't keep their legs behind their heads, no?"

4:45 is a totally appropriate time to wake up for a 7:30 start time. Gooood Moooooorning, Gokulum!

Throat chakra opening. Clean shaven face. Product in my hairs. Let's go out.

To now be mended,
there must first be a fracture.
don't hide don't hide. don't.

"Hm. Good."

prana overload.

The utter barking of the street dogs and the vivid dreams were both fondly dis remembered. Only truth at 2:04am.

birthday lunch buffet in the jungle palace's dining hall. then, bonding over indian uno. operation: be kind, connect is happening.

All I want right now is a glass of eggnog.

I liked my own post. I give zero fucks about it. I'll do it again.

Thanksgiving is absolutely the best.

All is full of love.

Opted for practice instead of a 5k. Contentment. Tova love.

Oh my gosh Tofurkey is expensive

Note: I am wearing layers indoors.

Watched Roike's playoff game. Now streaming "Britney Jeans" while covered in layers while he celebrates out & about.

Michael won't sleep on my side of the bed-- he says it's haunted

I think Gaga's ARTPOP is fantastic. Cohesive, urban leanings, housey sleaze, and a versatile voice. Sorta glad others don't like it.

Fell asleep in sivasana today. Yesterday I took a long proper rest, which I rarely do. How long do y'all take?

The last 2/3rds of "if/then" were outstanding. High emotion for those wrestling with life.

Can you do your practice, have a practice, without criticizing or condemning someone else's? Haters gonna love this.

I love sharing yoga.

Saw the new Carrie. Never saw the original Carrie. I cried most of the movie. I'm scared of teenagers & telekinesis-- in that order.

That moment when you realize NO ONE had told you there is toothpaste ALL over your face.

Someone took off Mousika's driver-side mirror. Poor baby.

It really irks me, tho I appreciate the outlier factor, when there is gender pricing parity. http://theincidentaleconomist.com/wordpress/two-sided-markets-part-i/

Finally has a phone of his own.

I just discovered that the largest church in DC, Mt Cavalry, is only a stones throw from my house in NE. Pastor Owens preaches against "sissies and faggots" from his pulpit to 7,000 members. They offer ex-gay ministries. How much of this is to blame for the assault last year? Contact the church at 202-529-4547

Tumeric maple grits and turnips. I really need to go grocery shopping.

And a sense that I'd entered into an Ashtanga version of a Dan Brown novel as I woke up realizing Norman Allen hadn't really tried to break my rib in my sleep.

10 years clean.

Gaga, Britney, & Lemon Jelly gets Mula Bandha to my dance floor. Bitch can *move*.

Thinking of Tova today.

"I can be the green in your blunt." "Do what you want, whatcha want with my body."

I knew better with those cookies.

these halloween cookies in my house. effing cookie kryptonite. powerless.

an "Ashtanga yoga? Fuck yeah!" kinda morning. Danced off my mat into the sun.

Bipedal locomotion. Cars in the shop.

So excited that a vipassana meditation center, Dhamma Delaware, is only two hours away. She opens her doors in January.

So many samskaras to burn through, so little time.

It won't happen over night, but it *always* happens overnight.

"I got those arms into a bind on Sunday--not that my bind was the epitome of the workshop, but still..." --highlight of my day-- from one of my "Makin' Shapes" workshop participants at Little River Yoga.

proactive > reactive > no practice

Go wildly-offensively named local sports team!

My spiritual practice juxtaposed with ancient art inspired by others' own sadhana. Peg & I were art for the Smithsonian tonight... Like moon rocks, ruby slippers, and "Starry Nights." 5000 years of yogic art indeed. Om Namah Shivaya.

So honoured to be presenting a demonstration of Ashtanga Yoga for "The Art of Transformation" Opening Night Gala at the Smithsonian's Freer and Sackler Galleries.

back on the grid!

The phone I want is sold out everywhere. Instead of driving, I could have checked online. Fail. Still no phone.

Phone's been stolen. Hey Hey.

A wear your dhoti to practice kind of morning.

"too much is too much. not enough is not enough. you'll figure it out." -- more time leaves me with less absolutes. I never knew more than when I was 17.

If I had known I'd be out of work for October, I'd have gone to Mysore.

"Body not stiff, mind stiff." Nope, both.

- -+ +- - Attract, repulse. But what if it were +- -+ +-

All this space & time on my hands! Who wants to learn Ashtanga? Mysore newbies, 2 months for $220. I leave for India on November 29th. Hurry!

It was a thing that happened. Any descriptive words that come to mind are simply empty vowels conjured to solidify meaning. Witness and feel. Don't define. It is what it is until it isn't anymore.

Staring down the barrel of my own PTSD. At the accounts office of HU Hospital.

Everywhere looking. Only God seeing.

AYSDC is such a wonderful place. If you're near The Palasaides, stick your nose in and say "Hi!" -- Keith Moore runs a tight ship.

You betta work, bitch.

A fun Friday+ game, from my wonderful colleague, Bernie:

Age I was given: 17
Where I lived: Fredericksburg, Va
What I drove: GMC Jimmy
What I did: Lied about my age, walked with a cane, and gave 0 fucks. A lot.
Who had my heart: Phoenix 🙂

--------------------------

Age now: 30
Where I live: Washington, DC
What I drive: an all city fixie and a ford focus
What I do: count to five, professionally.
Who has my heart: Michael 🙂 <3 🙂

Like my status and I'll give you an age

Pop Francis continued: “A person once asked me, in a provocative manner, if I approved of homosexuality. I replied with another question: ‘Tell me: when God looks at a gay person, does he endorse the existence of this person with love, or reject and condemn this person?’”

“This church with which we should be thinking is the home of all,” he said, “not a small chapel that can hold only a small group of selected people.”

It's International Book Week. The rules: Grab the closest book to you, turn to page 52, post the 5th sentence as your status. Don't mention the title. Copy the rules as part of your status.

"You sick punk!"

my first acupuncture experience... fascinating.

I make it bubble up. Call me the bubbler.

Saturday Morning: me: working with mulabandhasana on the kitchen floor. Roike: "I'm going to call Rolf & Marci! Take rest!"

Team... Define: bigot. Please, KISS

the car next to us got a nice earful of a boisterous fight pertaining to fairy doors.

Pretending to be Jen René At 1030. No, I still can't lift karanda, but I *can* count to 5 😉

the importance of knowing your family history: mom was bootlegging hard cider in her closet at age 14. ミ☆ the more you know! ☆彡

Other than the awesome daily mysore with the inimitable Keith Moore, Ashtanga Yoga Studio DC (AYSDC) has a fabulous fall workshop line-up. Aliya, Rex, Tova? Oh, yeah.

Practice yoga for selfless service, not yoga in service of selfies.

Some mornings are just like"Ashtanga Yoga? Fuck, yeah!"

white male privilege *generally* trumps sexual minority, yay or nay?

excited for half primary at EPIC DC. Class starts at 11:45. don't be square.

2 macaroons + 2 squares of chocolate != lunch ... because math.

A wise woman said that there are three pillars for a supported practice: the method, the teacher, and the community. I am so grateful for my community's support. Emotions are there, words are not. xo.

If a "two more, small" with the right inflection is indicitive of direct transmission, we're doin' right.

the tickle of joy that comes from purchasing books for the shala's library.

When you are unemployed, which is to say when you are underfed, harassed, bored, and miserable, you don't want to eat dull wholesome food. You want something a little bit 'tasty'. There is always some cheaply pleasant thing to tempt you. Let's have threepennorth of chips! Run out and buy us a twopenny ice-cream! Put the kettle on and we'll all have a nice cup of tea! That is how your mind works when you are at the P.A.C. level. White bread-and-marg and sugared tea don't nourish you to any extent, but they are nicer (at least most people think so) than brown bread-and-dripping and cold water. Unemployment is an endless misery that has got to be constantly palliated, and especially with tea, the Englishman's opium. A cup of tea or even an aspirin is much better as a temporary stimulant than a crust of brown bread.
- George Orwell, The Road to Wigan Pier

the most delicious red wine chocolate cake ever. for breakfast. thanks, Debra! omg

Yoga Sutra 1.33-- In relationships, the mind becomes purified by cultivating feelings of friendliness towards those who are happy, compassion for those who are suffering, goodwill towards those who are virtuous, and indifference or neutrality towards those we perceive as wicked or evil.

The lineup at EPIC DC on wednesday nights is pretty awesome for those that are classical-minded. Iyengar yoga with Kristen Krash followed by led ashtanga full primary with me. If I were gonna do a double header...

Ya gotta finish one book before ya start the next. I love you, Little River. xo.

i'm really thrilled with how michaeljoelhall.com came out.

Remembering today the queer negroes who fought for equality. Bayard Rustin, I'm grateful. My black brothers today, celebrate equality by letting your black brothers know you've got our back. Dr King, god bless.

I need a website that lists the odds of our next air strike leading to world war 3. It would save me a ton of fretting.

Nicole Kdman: "'In the second half of my life, I don't want to succumb to any complacency,' she said. 'I want to push myself and keep pushing myself to places of discomfort and discovery. I am still very curious."

site's live. i'm hoping some of you will click the "contact" link and let me know you wanna practice.
http://dcashtanga.com

"Immortal Kombat" (aka: a terribly awesome Parvati cum Kali demon battle)

Looking for a used (yes, used) manduka pro. size long. ebay and amazon flop at this.

Good God, I love DC in the summer. YAS!

Why have I been so sleepy all day?! Somehow I never had coffee!

a) afternoon practice is not my favorite b) my mat stinks c) TGIMD tomorrow.

Family.

At what point does coincidence shift into signature?

Fairy Runways. #ashtangisinannarbor

Fairy Runways. #ashtangisinannarbor

The well is deep here and I am thirsty. I do not fear quaffing 'till quenched.

Michael, Michael, & Mousika made it to Michigan.

I begin teaching Mysore full time in Columbia Heights on September 1st. This will be my final month teaching at Little River Yoga. It has been both a privilege and an honor to serve Ashtanga Mysore Arlington Virginia.

"Caution: Especially those who want to start practicing the two yoganga’s “Asana” and “Pranayama” without following the aforementioned niyamas, following drawing charts and practicing on their own freewill will not receive benefits but may also be responsible for tarnishing the name and bringing disrepute. " http://grimmly2007.blogspot.com/2013/08/krishnamacharyas-house-recommendations.html?m=1

"Continue your loving kindness to all."

Bodies are the weirdest.

Well, I better get to India quick. That December 1 acceptance to the shala won't fill itself.

Beyonce, Puja, and me!

Pranayama on the train. do-da, do-da.

confession: I successfully tied a bowtie for the first time today.

Poolside primary, new boardshorts, new haircut. Yas!

I'm pretty sure some of my issues stem from my repeated viewings of Charlotte's Web. Mom had a 1k late fee in '87. Errol's settled for the cost of the VHS: $70.

and now a wild evening of inverted groin stretches.

A run, Ethiopian veggie platter, and a Heineken. Yay, Saturday.

[x] go on a run in your new neighborhood.

why did it take me so long to check off this box?

That moment when someone drops in to led half primary and calls you a racist for counting in Sanskrit.

Tried and true can sometimes leave you black & blue.

Finishing a chapter. Objects in mirror are close than they appear.

I have no idea what the insides of a 40+ year relationship look like.

lazy ass alligator.

My brain this weekend: dadsupermansupermandadsupermanyogasupermandad

I cannot wait to lose it to this.

Riddle me this: why do Americans have so much trouble merging in traffic?

Spaces are still available for tonight's Ashtanga 1 at Little River Yoga. Join Clare Politano & me at 6:30!

Giddy with excitement for the next few days! Learning from Angela Jamison. celebrating the nuptuals of Adele and Muir, and hanging out with my brother Tray. 🙂

Eventually I will have to crawl out of this sleeping bag and go explore West Virginia. Eventually.

Big love to Gail & Mike Hall today. Good call on the one more kid thing. 😉

Hope today's short shorts deflected attention away from my practices inelegance. No such luck tomorrow-- too short

We'll be tackling the full closing sequence of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga today at Yoga District on H Street. 12:30p. $10

that amazing moment when you *finally* relax.

Today, I made cottage cheese. You can call me Friendship.

When left to my own devices on a Sunday I will take naps & baths, eat cookies, and read about yoga.

I love you, Gail Hall.

change is a zephyr.

Practice on a Moonday makes clear why we shouldn't.

#AshtangaTruth -- Kapo & Chinese Carry Out Don't Mix

Yoga is so punk.

just finished scooping homemade frozen yogurt for a post David Garrigues-taught Mysore snack. Maybe I'll share a bite.

Got to share practice with my man & my besties. Saturday couldn't possibly start better.

After just now kicking myself in the nuts attempting to nail Urdhva Kuku from handstand, I've decided to call it a day.

Catching.

Teaching Schedule:
Saturday: Mysore-Little River Yoga- 8:15-11, Rocket- Flow-2:30-3:45,
Sunday: Led Primary- 9-10:45

First outdoor stateside practice of the year. Sweet.

On my way to Yoga District on H Street for a modified half primary! Just you, me, & the count. Vinyasa count that is. The Count is still on Sesame Street. One-ah ah ah!

...and I broke the DC DMV website contesting too many parking tickets. Ha!

Had such a great day today sharing led primary, answering questions about ashtanga, & calling out alignment cues today. Swoon.

Words are useless. Especially sentences.

Little River Yoga friends. Join Ashtanga Mysore Arlington (Tova!), Stair and me for Led Primary on Sunday. xo.

If you have a moment, will you please wish for the health of your loved one's loved ones? Thank you for considering. xo

First run in many, many, many months. Beautiful day, beautiful friends.

the importance of tradition fills my head as the smells of ethiopian cabbage fills the apartment.

The beauty of rebirth abounds. All is full of love.

"Enjoy your practice like you enjoy ice cream" -- nOm nOm nOm -- straight joy today. Thanks, Sandy!

If these brownies taste like their batter, we're in for a treat (vegan, sugar free, grain-free... )

First grey hair; a nose hair. #almost30

If I take a lady's holiday tomorrow and practice on moonday Monday, it's all good & same-same, right?

Tim Miller calls it "Improvisational Ashtanga." We call it Rocket. Guest teaching at Flow for Peg Mulqueen on Saturday at 2:30. Stay tuned for more surprises.

Doors are open at Little River Yoga

Me? Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga in classic Mysore style at Little River Yoga. Every morning from 6:30-9 🙂

I'm home, but my contacts are gone. Go figure.

"Don't leave until you've left." March 1. (shhhhhhh)

on a bit of a facebook hiatus. busy with Rolf, Marci, Beaches, and Boyfriend. Leave a message at the b̶e̶a̶c̶h̶ beep!

I miss Mysore, but we're ready to discover Goa. For better or worse, they're different worlds. We can do it.

Finished my final practice at the Shala for this go 'round; carried Butternaan the Shala Dog out like a princess. Nava-- go home, take rest.

Tomorrow is my last Mysore practice in the eponymous city. I'll share a bit more soon, I promise.

*finishes 2nd cup o' coffee*
*blink blink*

"Courage is the power of the mind to overcome fear." -- DrMLK

The sunrise and jingles-growing-fainter chanting gently remind me to not leave until I've left.

Wait, what? There's a 5th ocean now, called the "Southern Ocean"? Please tell me that I'm not the only one late to this party...

What I Learned at St. Philomena's: The King James Bible has a bunch of Dragons and Phoenixes.

That nap felt like a total nervous system reset. Intense week!

Tomorrow, I'm making like a banana. #ashtanga

In bed at 7:30, and still worried about proper amounts of sleep.

I just saw two cow friends sprint down the street. That's new. They were really mooooooov-ing!

Out making fetch happen. Your faves could never.