Keep the Method, Lose the Throne
Ashtanga’s method is a gift; the guru-centric machinery is optional. I didn’t just say so — I built the self-owned platform that unbolts one from the other.
Ashtanga’s method is a gift; the guru-centric machinery is optional. I didn’t just say so — I built the self-owned platform that unbolts one from the other.
It’s about why yoga practice makes some people weirdly calm when life throws them—sometimes literally—off the horse.
This episode is on the topic of subjectivity in Ashtanga Yoga.
When you’re practicing far from the “real” yoga scene, yama and niyama are the parts that still work anywhere—and they tell you what’s healthy.
It’s about how to learn from imperfect teachers without swallowing their whole worldview along with the useful stuff.
Michael Joel Hall offers a different approach to Ashtanga Yoga grounded in humanist values, personal agency, and inclusivity, rather than dogma or hierarchy.
“Don’t guess, assess” is a data thesis. We turned every posture into a diagnostic you can actually read — joint by joint, no guru required.
A teacher showed up sick, taught brilliantly, and asked a rude little question: are body and mood really the same thing?
A reminder that asana isn’t the whole practice—it’s training for how you treat people, reduce harm, and maybe enjoy your life.
Self-inquiry sounds soft. In practice it’s the hardest thing in yoga.