A Renovated Virtual Space for our Renovated Real Space, Full Moon on September 17, 2024, Autumn Equinox on September 22, 2024

Here we go, team! In this Issue:

Full Moon on September 17, 2024

On September 17. Explore the full moon’s influence on yoga practices and find out how to harness its powerful energy.
Explore how the full moon influences yoga practices and learn how to harness its powerful energy for deeper introspection and balance.

Autumn Equinox on September 22

Join us in celebrating the autumn equinox, a time of balance and reflection. It’s the perfect moment to reset your practice and embrace the changing season.

Complimentary Yoga Club Membership

Complimentary Membership Offer
Are you a member of Ashtanga Tech yet? We’re offering a complimentary membership to all Yoga Club subscribers! Join the Ashtanga Tech Community, our vibrant online platform, where practitioners and teachers connect, collaborate, and grow together.

Ashtanga Tech Community: Your Hub for Connection and Growth

Our Ashtanga Tech Community is the heart of our online yoga education platform, bringing together practitioners, teachers, and yoga enthusiasts from around the world. Whether you’re looking for local studio groups, discussions about Mysore practice, or casual chats in the student union, our community has it all.

Mysore Room Discussions: Dive deep into all things Mysore, from personal practice tips to posture adjustments.
Resource Sharing: A library of knowledge at your fingertips, with articles, anatomy guides, and more.
Teacher and Practitioner Collaboration: Collaborate, offer guidance, and share your insights with others.
Events and Challenges: Stay motivated with community-wide events and personal practice challenges.

Go to the community portal right here!

Writings, New and Old

“Does Yoga Really Foster Transformation”
By Request: one of my older articles from Elephant Journal
Teaching in the Face of Competition and Cooperation (at the bottom of this!)
Michael Joel Hall reflects on the success of peer support initiatives within the community and discusses the shift from competition to cooperation in the Ashtanga world. Embracing collaboration over rivalry enriches the yoga experience for both teachers and students, fostering a more supportive, inclusive community.

Ashtanga Tech Community: A Hub for Yoga Practitioners and Teachers

Welcome to the Ashtanga Tech Community, the vibrant heart of our online yoga education platform. Here, practitioners, teachers, and yoga enthusiasts from around the world come together to connect, share resources, and deepen their practice in a supportive and collaborative environment.

At Ashtanga Tech, we believe in the power of community—just as yoga brings balance to the body, mind, and spirit, our community feature brings balance to your learning journey. Whether you’re a yoga teacher, a Mysore practitioner, or a student looking to grow, the Ashtanga Tech Community is where you can find your people, share your knowledge, and stay inspired.

What You’ll Find in the Ashtanga Tech Community

Local Yoga Studio Groups: Stay connected with your local studio or join a virtual studio group. This space allows you to exchange ideas, organize meetups, and stay informed about community events, workshops, and classes.
Mysore Room Discussions: Dive deep into all things Mysore! Whether you’re discussing your personal practice, seeking advice on adjustments, or simply geeking out about asanas, this is the go-to space for Mysore practitioners to connect.
Student Union (Chat Space): Think of this as your virtual café, where you can relax and have casual conversations with fellow students. Talk about anything from your latest asana breakthrough to the best post-practice snack—this is where connections happen!
Resource Sharing: The Ashtanga Tech Community is also a rich space for sharing resources. Whether you’ve found a great article on the Yoga Sutras, an anatomy guide for teachers, or a new breathwork technique, you can post, share, and discuss with the community. It’s like having a shared library at your fingertips, 24/7.
Teacher and Practitioner Collaboration: Teachers and practitioners alike can collaborate on projects, create study groups, or offer guidance to one another. This is the space to discuss teaching techniques, share adjustments, and talk about the philosophy behind the practice.
Events and Challenges: Stay motivated by joining community-wide challenges, whether it’s committing to daily pranayama, refining a specific posture, or taking on a 30-day practice goal. You can also stay informed about upcoming live classes, workshops, and events hosted on the platform.

Why the Ashtanga Tech Community is Essential for Your Practice

Connection: Yoga is more than just a personal practice—it’s about community. Through the Ashtanga Tech Community, you can connect with fellow students, teachers, and yoga enthusiasts from all over the world, or simply keep in touch with your local studio group.
Collaboration: Whether you’re a student or a teacher, there’s always more to learn. This community space allows you to share insights, seek advice, and work together on deepening your practice. It’s a space for collaboration, mentorship, and shared growth.
Support: Every yoga journey has its challenges. Whether you’re struggling with a specific pose, seeking advice on teaching, or simply looking for encouragement, the Ashtanga Tech Community offers a supportive environment where you can ask questions and get feedback from peers and mentors.
Inspiration: From Mysore room chats to resource sharing, this community is filled with inspiration. As a member of the Ashtanga Tech Community, you’ll always have access to new ideas, practices, and teachings that can fuel your personal and professional growth.

The Ashtanga Tech Community is more than just a feature—it’s a living, breathing network of yoga practitioners and professionals who are dedicated to learning, teaching, and evolving together. Whether you’re here for connection, education, or inspiration, this space is yours to explore and grow. Namaste, and welcome to the community!

A Preview of “Teaching in the Face of Competition and Cooperation”

I have been so happy with the success of the peer support initiative in the shala the last few months. What started as an idea for helping to create more ownership and agency on a community level has flourished into a team environment. It’s been great to just sort of relax a bit, be less formal, and get more real with each other. It’s giving “Real World” MTV energy– seven strangers locked in a house, “to find out what happens when people stop being polite and start getting real.”

Lets face it: In the world of yoga, and particularly within the Ashtanga community, there is often an unspoken undercurrent of competition. Whether it’s between teachers vying for students or different schools of yoga positioning themselves as superior, this competitive mindset can create division within a practice that is, at its core, meant to foster unity and growth. As teachers and practitioners, we must ask ourselves: Why do we see each other as competition rather than learning opportunities? How can we shift this dynamic to foster a more cooperative, supportive environment in the yoga community?

In my years of teaching, I have noticed that this competitive spirit can often hinder both personal growth and the overall progression of the yoga community. Instead of viewing one another as rivals, I believe we should embrace the diversity of teaching styles, practices, and perspectives as opportunities for learning and collaboration. This shift in mindset can lead to a richer, more supportive yoga environment, one that uplifts both teachers and students alike.

Competition in Yoga Communities

It may seem counterintuitive to associate competition with yoga, a practice that emphasizes mindfulness, humility, and self-awareness. However, as yoga has grown in popularity, so too has the pressure to stand out in a crowded field. Teachers feel the need to differentiate themselves, to offer something unique or special in order to attract and retain students. Studios compete for membership, and practitioners may even feel the urge to prove themselves by mastering poses faster or attending more advanced classes.

This competitive mentality can be especially pronounced in Ashtanga yoga, where the structured progression of postures can sometimes give rise to a “race” to achieve the next level. Instead of focusing on the individual journey and the growth that comes with consistent practice, students and teachers alike may become fixated on external measures of success—whether it’s the ability to perform a certain pose or the number of students in a class.

Yet this competition is not limited to individuals. Entire yoga communities can fall into the trap of seeing one another as rivals. Different schools of yoga or different Ashtanga shalas may position themselves as “better” or “more authentic” than others, creating unnecessary tension and division. This mindset not only detracts from the spirit of yoga, but it also prevents the kind of collaborative learning that could benefit everyone involved.

Shifting to a Cooperative Mindset

What if, instead of viewing other teachers or yoga communities as competition, we saw them as valuable sources of knowledge and inspiration? What if we approached our teaching and practice with a spirit of cooperation rather than rivalry?

In my own teaching, I have found that embracing a cooperative mindset leads to far greater personal fulfillment and growth. Rather than comparing myself to other teachers or feeling threatened by their success, I seek to learn from them. Every teacher has a unique perspective, a different way of explaining or demonstrating a concept, and these differences can enrich my own understanding of the practice.

Moreover, cooperation fosters a sense of community that is far more powerful than competition. When we collaborate with other teachers or yoga schools, we create a network of support that benefits everyone involved. Students feel this energy too—they are more likely to thrive in an environment where teachers work together, share ideas, and support one another’s growth.

Learning from Other Communities

One of the most important lessons I’ve learned over the years is that no single yoga community has all the answers. Every community, every teacher, and every practitioner brings something unique to the table. Rather than dismissing different approaches or perspectives as “wrong” or “inferior,” we can embrace them as opportunities for learning.

In the Ashtanga community, this can be particularly challenging. Ashtanga yoga, with its strict adherence to tradition and structured progression, can sometimes foster a sense of rigidity. There is often an emphasis on doing things “the right way,” which can lead to dismissing other approaches or innovations as less valid. However, by remaining open to learning from different Ashtanga variants or even entirely different yoga practices, we can deepen our understanding of the practice and enhance our teaching.

Viewing other communities as learning opportunities rather than competition requires humility. It requires us to acknowledge that we do not have all the answers, that there is always more to learn, and that growth often comes from stepping outside of our comfort zones.

The Benefits of Cooperation in Ashtanga Yoga

Cooperation within the Ashtanga community has the potential to elevate the practice for everyone involved. When teachers share their insights, experiences, and knowledge, they create a richer, more diverse learning environment. Students benefit from this diversity of perspectives, gaining a more well-rounded understanding of the practice.

Furthermore, cooperation can help reduce the pressure and burnout that often accompany competition. When teachers feel supported by their peers rather than threatened by them, they are more likely to stay engaged with the practice, continue their own learning, and offer their best to their students. This sense of support extends to students as well—when students see that their teachers collaborate and learn from one another, they too are more likely to feel supported in their own journeys.

Conclusion: Embracing Cooperation Over Competition

In a world that often emphasizes competition and individual achievement, it can be challenging to cultivate a spirit of cooperation in our teaching and practice. Yet doing so is essential if we are to create a yoga community that truly reflects the values of the practice—mindfulness, compassion, and connection.

By shifting our mindset from competition to cooperation, we open ourselves to new learning opportunities, foster stronger connections with our peers, and create a more supportive environment for both teachers and students. In the end, yoga is not about being “better” than someone else. It is about personal growth, inner peace, and the collective well-being of the community. When we embrace cooperation, we honor the true essence of yoga and create a space where everyone can thrive.