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Practice with us this season
Two ways to go deeper before the year turns — a full Ashtanga study season in DC, and an intimate Mysore retreat on the coast of Mexico.
Self Practice by the Sea
A Mysore retreat on the Riviera Maya.
Four mornings of practice, four nights on the coast, a private home with a rooftop pool. Small on purpose — four spots only.
Ashtanga Study Group
Three series. One room. One season.
Sixteen Tuesday cohort nights and sixteen Sunday all-levels sessions — Primary, Intermediate, and Advanced A, side by side. Choose your cohort.
Functional Ashtanga
Self Practice
Your Life Is Art
Ashtanga 2.0
Mechanism, Not Magic
How to Build a Yoga Club$20 each · all six for $100 →Heads Up
Scheduling NoteShala's doors are open, but no teacher on duty!
I know, It's always pride at the shala-- but in this instance, I'm dippin' myself in honey and throwin' myself to the bears!
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The Shala Daily
YOGA • PHILOSOPHY • LIFE
Where ancient wisdom meets the modern world. Daily reflections connecting yogic philosophy to contemporary life.
When self-inquiry becomes the product you resent
How yoga teachers actually make a living — and what survival does to a practice.
Watch + read →37 Trials: Yoga Works for Heart Health
A review of 37 randomized controlled trials found that yoga was effective for improving cardiovascular risk factors including BMI, blood pressure, and cholesterol.
Read More →Practice Talks Back
Sometimes yoga isn’t a workout—it’s the moment you realize you’ve already hit the iceberg and still have to turn the ship.
Read More →Your Head Weighs 12 Pounds. Three Inches Forward, It Weighs 50.
Protraction is the most-used joint action in modern life and the least-trained. Your shala assumes you don't have it.
Read More →Turn the Dial
This is about choosing the simpler version on purpose—and why that’s often the more advanced move.
Read More →Addressing Misconduct in Ashtanga Yoga
The Ashtanga community is at a pivotal moment. The pattern isn't abstract — names attached, students hurt, decades of "we didn't know" that turned out to be lies.
Read More →Evolving Perspectives on Mind-Body-Spirit
In this video, Michael Joel Hall discusses how Ash Yoga in 2025 is evolving by integrating physical fitness, self-inquiry, biomechanics, neuroscience, and mindfulness.
Read More →Museum Neck, Money Hand
Two ridiculous cues I steal constantly, and why your nervous system learns faster from humanity than from anatomy.
Read More →Mental Health Considerations
This is a video about Mental Health Considerations for Ashtanga Yoga Practitioners.
Read More →Props and Assistance
This is a video about Props and Assistance in Ashtanga Yoga.
Read More →Ashtanga Yoga Means Personalized Practice
This is a video about Ashtanga Yoga’s Personalized Practice.
Read More →Cultural and Philosophical Discussions in Ashtanga Communities
In this video, Michael Joel Hall discusses how Ashtanga Yoga is more than just a sequence of postures; it represents...
Read More →Staying Sharp After Sixty
Sedentary older adults who practiced Hatha yoga three times a week for eight weeks showed improved cognitive function relevant to everyday tasks.
Read More →Words That Don’t Pay Rent
A million dollars used to sound like freedom, but the label shrank—and it makes me wonder what we’re really practicing for.
Read More →Meditation Changed Both Brain and Immune Function
A 2003 study found that mindfulness meditation increased left-sided brain activation (associated with positive emotion) and simultaneously boosted immune response to a flu vaccine.
Read More →Practicing Happiness
Happiness isn’t a vibe—it’s a practice, and you can train it without lying to yourself about how dark things get.
Read More →The Right Kind of Grit
Sand looks like sand until you need it to hold things together—and that’s a yoga lesson hiding in a sidewalk.
Read More →The Free Thing You Skip
Why do we ignore what’s available every day—until a ticket, a trip, or a price tag tells us it’s “worth it”?
Read More →The Chin Lock You Can’t Find Is a Strength Problem, Not a Flexibility One
Why the front of your neck cramps in Sarvangasana — and the deep-flexor drill that fixes it.
Read More →Unlocking the Secrets of the Yoga Sutras: Key Themes
Unlock the secrets of the Yoga Sutras for a transformative journey into the mind and spirit!
Read More →Integrating the Physical and the Spiritual
This video features Michael Joel Hall discussing the inherent link between physical mastery and spiritual depth in Ashtanga Yoga.
Read More →Building an Inclusive and Accessible Ashtanga Community
This is a video about Building an Inclusive and Accessible Ashtanga Community.
Read More →Brain Breaks for Grown-Ups
Kids get jumping jacks and meditation to stay focused—so why do adults insist their practice has to feel like punishment?
Read More →Lineage and Authority in Ashtanga Yoga
Michael Joel Hall discusses the complexities of lineage and authority within the practice of Ashtanga Yoga.
Read More →Optimize Student Growth with CRM Tools – Here’s How!
Ever wondered how to take your students’ engagement to the next level?
Read More →Pratyahara via Digital Detox: Unlock Clarity!
Feeling drained in our hyper-connected world?
Read More →Ashtanga: Healthy Ambition for Collaboration Instead of Competition
Is your competition truly ‘friendly,’ or is it just burning you out?
Read More →5 Ways Radical Candor Makes Better Yoga Teachers
Embracing Radical Candor in yoga instruction—balancing direct feedback with genuine care—can enhance teaching beyond standard adjustments: Visit michaeljoelhall.com/coaching to...
Read More →Stress and Autoimmune Disease: The Documented Link
A 2018 study of over 100,000 people found that stress-related disorders significantly increased the risk of autoimmune disease, underscoring the value of stress-reducing practices.
Read More →Is Two Teachers One Too Many?
This is a video about the Ashtanga Yoga Dilemma: Is Two Teachers One Too Many?
Read More →Stretching vs. Owning
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